SHS MLK Program Garners Nonprofit's Kudos

Courtesy of Simsbury High School

SIMSBURY, CT — A summertime project by Simsbury High School has garnered top kudos recently, with a nonprofit group calling the initiative a "Game Changer."

SHS recently announce its "MLK in CT/Summers of Freedom" project was selected by Connecticut Explored, a nonprofit organization that publishes Connecticut Explored magazine, as a designated "Game Changer."

This award is part of its “20 for 20: Innovation in Connecticut History,” a series highlighting 20 “Game Changers” whose work is advancing the study, interpretation and dissemination of Connecticut history.

This project was selected from a pool of 120 nominations submitted by the public in the fall of 2021.

Simsbury High School’s work on this began in 2010 with the creation of a documentary film entitled "Summers of Freedom," about Martin Luther King Jr.'s summers working in Connecticut's tobacco fields while he was in college.

The film received national attention and was featured on the CBS Evening News in January 2011.

After a successful multi-year fundraising campaign, a student-designed memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. was built and unveiled to the public in 2021.

The memorial, located in the center of Simsbury on the grounds of the Simsbury Free Library, has recently been added to the Connecticut Freedom Trail.

Students are currently engaged in developing curriculum and program ideas to share King’s legacy with the community.