First grade students at the Newburgh Enlarged City School District’s Balmville School recently collaborated with Linda Richards from the Clearwater Group as part of a Social Justice Project.
The learning curriculum is part of the first graders’ Environmental Justice Unit. The school’s Leadership Team, which is made up of representatives from the school community, funded the creation of a Social Justice Curriculum last summer.
The aim of this curriculum is to build cultural understanding and empower students to create solutions and a means for them to participate in building justice in their larger community. The curriculum incorporates New York State standards and writing.
Students used their knowledge about environmental justice to work with Richards, who is a musician and songwriter, to write songs to get their message out.