(Policy Adviser at the US Department of State Marci Hodge, talked to a classroom of 5th grade students at Marquez School in Chicago. She told them, “We had difficulties growing up, we lived in three different domestic violence shelters, and I believe this made me very sensitive to women’s issues.” Thank you Marci Hodge and Tiffany Rivera for such a great chat!
Marci Hodge began her career in the active duty Army in 2000 and was commissioned a Quartermaster Officer. Her first deployment was to Iraq in 2003 when Operation Iraqi Freedom began. After this, she went to Airborne School and spent time at Fort Bragg in the Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) Unit as the only woman Company Commander.)
"Students can't BE what they can't SEE"
So I work at a low income school currently in Brighton Park in the City of Chicago. The school consists of about 98.9% Latino families. It's an amazing school and I love working with my co-workers and students, but I'm getting off topic now! So one of the rooms that I push in to support is a Science and Social Studies classroom and their teacher has incorporated a program called DreamWakers into their Social Studies lessons. DreamWakers is a non-profit organization out of New York that connects students with professionals in order to interview and ask questions via video chats. The students prepare questions and each get a chance to get to know the path and challenges that the professional went through in order to get to the job that they currently have. It's amazing to see the students get to excited about careers by talking to someone across the country who has that job. I also love when they have professionals who are of latin decent. If a child can see how this latino person used their love of language to become an interpreter across the world, that is a powerful and inspiring lesson. One of the quotes of DreamWakers is "students can't be what they can't see" and I think the connection that they make with these professions truly gives them hope and power to become whatever they want when they grow up. They just need to focus and work hard!
Very interesting post Allison!! I've never heard of DreamWakers and it seems like a very effective tool at helping students connect with professional that can help prepare them for a similar job. Having the ability to ask questions to professionals gives the students a great insight as to what the job really entails! I think your quote is also very inspiring and could be used in showing students the potential of the real world!
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