Nexus Academy Cleveland Encourages Students to Embrace and Celebrate Diversity

In its first year, the Nexus Academy of Cleveland Diversity Club has taken advantage of its partnership with the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio to engage students in a number of activities that promote understanding and acceptance among people who are unique from one another.

Club advisor Jasmine King notes that Nexus wanted to give students a chance to experience real life situations in which our core values of Honesty, Integrity, Respect and Responsibility can be practiced. “Even though Nexus is a nontraditional school, we work hard to create opportunities for students to come together, learn from one another, and become ambassadors in the communities and at home,” she said.

At the Diversity Center’s fall retreat, 14 Nexus students joined peers from ten area high schools to talk about the theme “Building Bridges, Creating Community.” They were given the opportunity to share their personal experiences and built connections among their schools.

According to Nexus student Breanna Couch, “The trip made me realize that everyone is not so different. They struggle with the same problems and have the same ideas.”

One of the biggest focal points of the retreat is for students to rethink labels that they may place on others and it is only through building bridges of communication that we break down those barriers of misunderstanding.

Students had another opportunity to appreciate diversity when given the opportunity to be escorts for a prom for students with disabilities. Seventeen Nexus students volunteered to take part. To help calm their fears Nexus’ School Leader Brittiany Sanford arranged for her uncle to come from Michigan and talk to the students about his experience living with cerebral palsy. They also heard from a parent volunteer who works in the human resources profession regarding how companies approach hiring employees to become personal assistants to adults with disabilities.

On prom night the students received a crash course in etiquette as they dined at Olive Garden and then went on to the prom. Ms. King added “they came home with great stories and a new appreciation of how to treat people with disabilities with respect.”

The club was invited to the Diversity Center’s Humanitarian Awards Dinner, which recognizes individuals from throughout the community for their outreach and community service in the area of human relations. Nexus students were seated at tables with the award winners, where they had the opportunity to ask questions and hear their stories as well as share their experiences from the fall retreat.

Charlie Eppinger, a senior at Nexus Academy said her participation the Diversity Club has taught her to never judge a person based on the first impression. “Diversity has taught me to be more honest with myself and with other people. It’s much easier to live without worrying about stereotypes,” she said.

With a developing understanding of how acceptance can make a difference in society, the Diversity Club is now planning its involvement in Project Love, a nonprofit youth development program that promotes kindness over bullying.

At a Kickoff for Kindness pep rally, club members brainstormed projects they might take on. Several brought up the issue of homelessness. Nexus donated 3 large boxes of clothes to a local church as the clubs clothing drive was a great success in promoting kindness in our community.

“Our activities will continue to be student-driven,” Ms. King noted. “A number of our students show natural leadership, and others are emerging as leaders through their involvement in the club.”

Nexus Academy of Cleveland is a public, tuition-free, blended high school where students attend classes at a state-of-the-art physical campus and follow an online curriculum. Nexus Academy offers students a comprehensive high school experience including Career Technical Education (CTE) courses, foreign languages, core academics and more. More information on the Nexus Academy is available at http://www.nexusacademyschool.com/blended-learning/ohio/cleveland.aspx or by phone at 888-533-6360.