S4SJ Student Activist Group At Wilde Lake Honored With HoCo Human Rights Commission Award

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The Wilde Lake High School Students for Social Justice organization (S4SJ) has been selected to receive the 2021 Howard County Human Rights Commission’s Colette Roberts Organization Award. The student group, which was nominated for the award by the school administration, staff and community members, will be recognized at an awards program Oct. 19.

The Human Rights Commission Award honors individuals and organizations for contributions to human and civil rights in Howard County. S4SJ is a school-based activist group that focuses on societal issues and restorative justice. Students in the group discuss current social issues and develop action plans to help address them.

Activities led by S4SJ include movie nights with follow-up discussions about topics such as uplifting students’ race and ethnic identities; a book drive featuring books with diverse protagonists for a feeder elementary school; and student dialogues about social justice topics. S4SJ has also collaborated with other HCPSS high schools on social justice work and partnered with community groups to enact the Black Lives Matter School Week of Action, aimed at improving the school experience for students of color.