Mount Vernon Students Attend Human Rights Institute

From Mount Vernon School District: Ten sophomores from Thornton High School and 10 sophomores from Mount Vernon High School attended the 17th Annual Human Rights Institute at Iona College sponsored by the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center. Four school district students facilitated breakout sessions on human rights issues. In all, sophomore students from 44 high schools were represented at the all-day event.

MVHS students Destiny Cacciutto and Jhon Valdez facilitated a breakout session titled “Bias/Hate Crimes.” Thornton students Drey-Sean Haynes and Daniel Burgos facilitated a breakout session titled “Funding Planned Parenthood.”

The topics were chosen by the students and the student facilitators, who attended two training sessions prior to the event. The students from MVHS had the opportunity to work with Susan Brownbill-Vega, the assistant district attorney for White Plains. The students were also supported by teachers Brian Squillace and Anjanette Brown.

The event began with an introduction from MVHS alumni Westchester County Executive George Latimer.

Scarlett Lewis, spoke about her foundation: the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Foundation. The foundation was named after her son, Jesse Lewis, who was murdered in 2012 in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, that left 20 first-graders and six educators dead.

Lewis spoke about Jesse and how her loss created a need for her to speak out about how students can choose to change their thoughts and choose to love one another. The three words Jesse wrote on a chalkboard in their home the day he was murdered were: nurturing, healing and love. Those words have been her mantra since the day of his death in 2012. Jesse helped two of his classmates run to freedom as the shooter reloaded his gun, and gave his life for theirs. The words you care, you matter, you can make a difference, you can change the world, began to resonate within each young mind in attendance.

The students were divided up and then attended breakout workshops on the following topics: “Me Too” Movement; Child Labor; Human Trafficking; Juvenile Justice/Incarceration; Forced Child marriages; Sexual Violence on College Campuses; Education of Girls; Global Warming; Education Inequality in Latin America Countries; DACA; Funding Planned Parenthood; Homelessness; Hurricane Recovery in Puerto Rico; Violations of Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Americas; Refugee Crisis; Inequalities in Prison System; Myanmar Army Attacking Muslims; Mental health Awareness; Bias/Hate Crimes; The Effects of natural Disasters on Impoverished People; Libyan Slave Trade; Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights In Developing Countries; and LGBTQ Issues.

During the breakout sessions, student participants took notes and began to create an action plan for how they will utilize this session with their team to create awareness at their individual schools. The event they will create can be an assembly, a fundraiser, mini-student workshops, or whatever their team should decide with the support of its teachers.

The students listened to Judith Altman, a holocaust survivor, who spoke to them about her journey and how she also has chosen to speak out about injustices and educate others on the reality of the Holocaust.

The students also met with their schools to discuss how they can change or impact their schools. There were many ideas and feelings shared for the upcoming Westchester County “Upstanders” event in May and how each school will create an awareness on Human Rights issues.

Photos courtesy of Mount Vernon City School District:

(Image 1) Mount Vernon Students at the Human Rights Institute: Students from Mount Vernon High School and Thornton High School attended the 17th Annual Human Rights Institute at Iona College.

(Image 2) Student Facilitators: Four students facilitated breakout sessions at the 17th Annual Human Rights Institute: Destiny Cacciutto, Jhon Valdez, Drey-Sean Haynes, and Daniel Burgos