Think Together, Author at Think Together

Orange County-Based Nonprofit Honors Supporters, Students and Alumni and Looks to the Future During Celebration Event

IRVINE, Calif. (April 25, 2019) – Think Together hosted its annual Raise a Hand Dinner & Experience on Thursday, April 25, at [AV] Irvine where over 350 community and business leaders raised $415,000 to support the nonprofit’s Coding For All Campaign.

Coding For All will expand Think Together’s coding program throughout California to reach over 150,000 kids from low-income families annually. Think Together students showcased their coding and robotics skills, including a battle bot competition, during the Meet and Think portion of the event. Nancy Vargas, Think Together alumna and current doctoral student at Oregon State University, shared about her experiences with Think Together and the importance of high-quality educational programs and support for all kids.

Two Think Together high school seniors, Alexia Calderon and Stephanie Correa, were presented with

“Face of the Future” awards, including $3000 college scholarships and new laptops, for their dedication to their education and volunteerism in their communities. The “Champion of Change” award was presented to Sangeeth Peruri, CEO of VoterCircle, for his dedication to changing the odds for kids through education.

Think Together was founded as an education nonprofit in 1997. Today the organization is a trusted partner of 47 California school districts impacting over 150,000 kids from low-income families at over 450 program sites annually. Think Together’s programs and services continue to evolve to support learning before, during and after school to prepare kids from at-risk communities for college and career.

“We are beyond grateful to our dedicated donors and supporters who believe in our goal of changing the odds for kids,” said Randy Barth, Founder & CEO of Think Together. “Because of their support, Think Together and is able to partner with schools and provide critical programs for students throughout the state. We look forward to partnering with even more schools to tip the scales permanently in favor of equity and excellence in education for every student.”

Event sponsors included Medtronic, Leona Aronoff-Sadacca, and Eric and Connie Boden, BNY Mellon Wealth Management, Deloitte, ORION Property Partners, Orora, Pacific Life Foundation, Mary Lynn and Bill Coffee, Dan and Leslee Young, Anu and Mihir Worah, Crevier Classic Cars, Pircher, Nichols, and Meeks LLP, Sam and Susan Anderson, French Family Trust, Alex and Pam Munro, City National Bank, EPG Insurance, Marsh & McLennan Agency, MVE + Partners, Orange County Department of Education, Orenda Education, Don and Anita Barth, Randy and Mary Barth, John and Linda Benner, Jerry and Bobbi

Dauderman, Frome Family Foundation, Glenn and Joyce Howard, John and Joyce Lee, Donna Phebus, Jeffrey and Jodi Wahba, LOCALE Magazine, RedCar Media and Shade Tree Films.

Auction/Raffle sponsors included: Aline Toler, image consultant, Aston Martin Newport Beach, Catalina Express, Christine Barone Creative Catalyst, The Drybar, Fletcher Jones Motorcars Newport Beach, Habana, Irvine Improv, Jackson Family Wines, Le Pain Quotidien, Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, The Original Wine Club, PIMCO, Puesto, SoulCycle, South Coast Plaza, South Coast Repertory, Kathy Leland, Scott and Mary Piazza, and Summer Taylor.

About Think Together

Think Together partners with schools and communities to pursue educational equity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements and scales academic solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of California students. Our program areas include early learning, afterschool, school support services and leadership development for teachers and school administrators. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.thinktogether.org.

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Afterschool ‘Healthy Living Program’ Strives to Help Children from Underserved Communities Live Healthy and Active Lifestyles

Santa Ana, Calif. (January 28, 2020) – Think Together, an Orange County-based nonprofit organization that operates afterschool programs at more than 400 sites across California, received $102,500 in grants from Kaiser Permanente– $60,000 from Kaiser Permanente Northern California to support programs in Santa Clara and Alameda counties and $42,500 from Kaiser Permanente Southern California to support programs in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The grants will help the nonprofit serve 48 elementary schools and over 5,000 students daily.

Think Together’s Healthy Living Program provides a holistic approach to student achievement due to the inclusion of both physical activity and nutrition education. The program requires students to participate in 30 to 45 minutes of physical activity as part of their Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) program three to four times a week.

Students also learn about healthy eating choices as they follow a Harvest of the Month curriculum. The Harvest of the Month curriculum allows students to learn about locally grown fruits or vegetables, portion sizes, healthy food choices, and how to properly read food labels. Students enrolled also have the opportunity to learn how to prepare healthy meals at home. Families are invited to Family Health Nights three times per year where the students can teach their parents the benefits of cooking healthy recipes.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Kaiser Permanente in helping kids ‘thrive’ with quality programming that changes their odds,” shares Think Together’s Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations Lawrence Gustafson.

About Think Together

Think Together partners with schools and communities to pursue educational equity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements and scales academic solutions that change the odds for over 150,000 students in California. Think Together’s program areas include early learning, afterschool, school support services and school improvement. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.thinktogether.org.

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Santa Ana, Calif. (September 22, 2020) – Nonprofit veteran Joshua Felix joins as the afterschool and expanded learning provider readies staff to support school partners as they head back to school.

Think Together, California’s leading nonprofit provider of school improvement, expanded learning and afterschool programs, today announced the appointment of Joshua Felix as Chief People Officer, overseeing human resources and recruitment for the organization.

Felix previously held the positions of Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships and Director of Operations and Integration for Think Together, giving him valuable insights into scaling organizational talent and overseeing operational development.

He joined Think Together in 2006 as a program leader working directly with students to provide learning support and engagement before moving into human resources and recruiting shortly after.

“As we were looking to fill this role, we knew we needed a forward-thinking leader that could be a positive influence in this ever-changing environment and who truly understands our mission and vision to create education equity,” said Randy Barth, founder and CEO of Think Together. “There’s no doubt that Josh has the qualities of a mentor and a leader that can inspire our Think Together team to meet this moment during the Great Pandemic and beyond.”

Think Together’s newest executive leader comes as the nonprofit extends its reach into Palm Springs Unified School District and launches distance learning programs in nearly 300 schools across its nine regions. The expansion brought an additional 110 jobs to Riverside County and 421 jobs throughout the organization ahead of the 2020-2021 school year.

Felix and his team have been instrumental in preparing staff for the safe reentry onto school campuses, including creating a robust training and operations strategy specific to COVID-19 that goes above and beyond California Department of Education and Centers for Disease Control guidelines.

Under his team’s guidance, recruitment and onboarding are now conducted remotely and the organization has scaled its communications and technology infrastructure considerably to address today’s primarily virtual work environment.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity to bring such growth and innovation to Think Together to

really problem solve during this unpredictable time in our history,” says Felix. “We’re always looking to add talented individuals who are passionate about the opportunity to change the odds for kids, and we’re doing some incredible things to really make a difference during this challenging environment.”

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Felix earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Irvine and his Master of Arts from University of Sydney. He also holds certifications as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) from the HR Certification Institute as well as an Elite Certified Recruitment Expert (ECRE) from AIRS®, a leader in recruitment training. In his free time, he enjoys running, cooking and exploring his home of Los Angeles.

About Think Together

Think Together partners with schools and communities to pursue educational equity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements and scales academic

solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of California students. Think Together’s program areas include early learning, afterschool, school support services and leadership development for teachers and school administrators. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or

visit www.thinktogether.org.

About Orenda Education

A Think Together affiliate since 2014, Orenda Education is in the business of change. This group of highly experienced educational consultants’ partners with school districts to identify research-based equity- grounded solutions for closing the Achievement Gap. Orenda’s proven approach dramatically improves student outcomes and creates paths for college and career opportunities. For more information please go to orendaed.org.

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Once again, inequities and injustices are on the news. It’s heartbreaking to see, and it starts bringing up the question of how many injustices have to happen before humanity learns?

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities have faced a long history of prejudice and discrimination in the United States. Over the last year, AAPI communities have been blamed for a virus they have little control over – just like the rest of the world.

The hate stops with you, with our communities, and with our nation. As humans, we aren’t born with prejudice, it’s learned.

It can be hard to unlearn prejudices, but it isn’t impossible. What it takes is introspect and mindfulness of your thoughts and actions, and being aware enough to stop, think, and learn.

From Carol Dweck’s book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success she writes “Mindset change is not about picking up a few pointers here and there. It’s about seeing things in a new way. When people…change to a growth mindset, they change from a judge-and-be-judged framework to a learn-and-help-learn framework. Their commitment is to growth, and growth takes plenty of time, effort, and mutual support.”

We hope that you are taking the time to listen and learn about what is happening in the AAPI communities and have collected some resources for you to start you down your path.

Parents and Educator resources for students:

Swipe through this Instagram post from @diversifyournarrative to learn about Anti-Asian policies you may not have heard about.
Learn more about Know Your Classmates (KYC) Social and Emotional Learning curriculum. KYC was created to address the challenge of how we, as educators, help middle school youth become more self-aware about their own family’s identity, traditions and culture while learning acceptance, inclusion, and respect for their classmates as well. (read more)
NEA EdJustice on Coded Language

For adults (or for older students, discretion advised)

A reading list to understand anti-Asian racism in America. (read more)
Listen to this 8-minute clip on NPR.

Ways to donate and support:

Visit gofundme.com/aapi for verified fundraisers
Donate to support Stop AAPI Hate and help them document and track hate crimes.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice is a nonprofit legal advocacy group organizing for protections for Asian American communities. Donate here.

Lastly, if you see something, say something. We all must stand up to hate and not stay silent. The time to be a passive bystander is over.

With longer days, better weather, and plenty of sunshine, now is the perfect time to get outside and get active. We had a chat with U.S. Soccer Foundation Coach and Think Together Quality Assurance Coach Coraima Lopez to learn more about how Think Together is keeping students healthy, fit, and safe.

Q. Thanks for sitting down with us, tell us a little bit about yourself?

A. I have been working for Think Together for 4 years and have been a soccer coach for 2 years. I grew up watching sports with my parents and especially soccer. My favorite part about soccer is the matchups during the soccer games. It creates a great debate and great fun. We are always trying to find out who the superior team is, and we are destined to be right.

Q. Do you have a favorite soccer team?

A. I would say that my favorite soccer team is Real Madrid. I like Real Madrid because some of my favorite players have played there, legends such as Beckham, Ronaldo, Casillas, and Zidane because they have won the most European champion leagues.

Q. As one of our soccer coaches, what have been some of the challenges this last year has brought and what tools have you used to overcome them?

A. As a soccer coach, I think of a challenge as a new learning opportunity to support students and their needs and see them succeed. My ability to condition the students’ athletic minds and to train them to think as a team, while at the same time, making sure each athlete approaches his skills with total concentration, intensity, and skill. There should never be a moment that a player doesn’t feel challenged both physically and intellectually. Being united as a team and maintaining that unity overcomes any challenges that we come across with.

Q. Can you tell us about how Think Together is keeping students healthy and active in-person and online?

A. Think Together is keeping students healthy and active in person and virtually. Think Together staff offer students many opportunities like exercising, staying fit, building strength, improve coordination, and cardiovascular health. Virtually, the staff has made soccer a physical activity club in our programs where they use soccer for success curriculum to teach our students about nutrition, mental wellness, and physical wellness. Students join our soccer club, and they are excited to learn different drills to better support their skills.

Q. How do students like Soccer for Success?

A. Students love soccer for success. This curriculum supports our staff to break down steps to learn a drill, maneuver the soccer ball, kick the ball and so much more. Students enjoy seeing their friends and share their success in accomplishing a new soccer move. They enjoy learning about healthy lifestyles and prefer to be active outside than being at home. Students recognize the wealth and dedication our program advocates to change the odds for kids.

All of us at Think Together are looking forward to the day when we can return to our traditional Soccer for Success programming in partnership with the U.S. Soccer Foundation. Like us, the U.S. Soccer Foundation had to pivot its curriculum to work in a COVID-environment.

In Think Together’s in-person hubs, students can still practice their skills using the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s adapted curriculum, which was launched ahead of the fall 2020 season. This adapted curriculum allows Soccer for Success program operators across the country to run the program across a variety of settings – from pre-recorded sessions to live virtual sessions to in-person socially-distanced sessions. Throughout the 12-week season, coach-mentors use these sessions to help participants practice their talents, with lessons on ball control, passing, defending, and more.

Program Leader Eddie Sanchez is a rising star in Think Together’s new Palm Springs Region. His distance learning sessions have had the highest average daily attendance in the region for the last several months, demonstrating that his dedication, enthusiasm, and passion for changing the odds for kids, keeps them coming back for more. We are thrilled to have you get to know Eddie.

Eddie, tell us a little bit about yourself?

I started working for Think Together in July 2020 when the Palm Springs region was opening. I graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2014 with a degree in political science and a minor in history.

Palm Springs is Think Together’s newest region. What has been your favorite memory so far?

That’s a hard choice. All of my students are amazing. I can’t say enough good things about them. They all make my day and I know that goes but for my entire team, not just for me. There’s never a day when I don’t laugh and have something funny to remember at the end of a session.

How have you seen distance learning impact your students?

You know, it’s been challenging, and I understand it. When I was in college, I took an online course and that was challenging even as an adult who knew how to study, take good notes, and everything. I know for them it’s hard because they are learning their core skills now, but that’s why my team and I are here to support them and make it as fun as possible.

How do you and your team make distance learning fun?

When we start our program day, we always start with some sort of icebreaker and joke. Then, we either have a lesson in social and emotional learning (SEL), STEM, music, or physical education. When we break off into our homework groups, I make sure all my students feel supported and get as much done as possible. If we have time, we try to do more fun activities before they sign off for the day.

Can you tell us about a student you’ve seen blossom since Think Together started in Palm Springs?

At my site, we have over 30 students with 25 of them attending regularly. One of my students was shy when we started the program. What’s funny is the way she opened up was by finding out I’m afraid of spiders. After that barrier was broken, she has been doing well. All of the students when they joined, didn’t know what Think Together would be like or what they would do. More than the learning they are getting, they can be with friends in a way that they had been missing.

Did you always know you wanted to work with kids?

When you are in your 20s you don’t have a clue what you are going to do. I’ve always liked education, but I didn’t imagine working for an organization like this. Now that I am here though, I want to continue working in education. I want to try to either become a site coordinator or get my teaching credential.

If you got your teaching credential, what grade-level would you want to teach?

I think I would want to teach either middle school or high school. I’m interested in history since that was my minor in college. I think that would be a fun subject to teach or to teach English.

What is your goal for the rest of 2021?

My goals are to keep growing within Think Together and to start a teaching credential program. I turned 30 at the end of 2020- new decade, new goals, new dreams. As long as I’m in education and helping students, I’m happy.

Eddie, thank you for your passion and commitment to change the odds for kids!

Think Together Provides Compton Students with No-Cost Laptops, Marks 600 Devices Donated Since Pandemic Shutdown

Innovative collaboration with technology leader Broadcom Inc. provides K-12 students in Los Angeles County and beyond with the tools, technology and support needed to succeed in school, whether virtual or hybrid.

Compton, Calif. (March 19, 2021) – Think Together, California’s largest nonprofit provider of afterschool, expanded learning, and school improvement programs, in collaboration with global technology leader Broadcom Inc., distributed laptop computers at no cost to 25 students at Roosevelt Elementary School in Compton to support continued learning whether students receive instruction in-person or online.

Since March 2020, when California schools were mandated to continue instruction using distance learning, the organizations have remained dedicated to helping bridge the digital divide for under-resourced students across California. The laptop distribution at Roosevelt Elementary School marks 600 digital devices donated to Think Together staff and students in Los Angeles County and beyond since schools closed their doors to in-person learning due to the pandemic one year ago.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, Think Together pivoted to provide virtual expanded learning programs to 150,000 youth including students experiencing homelessness, in foster care and children of essential workers across California, and this would not have been possible without Broadcom’s donation of nearly 600 laptops,” said Randy Barth, CEO and founder at Think Together. “Our collaboration with Broadcom allows us to provide students in Compton and throughout the state with the tools and support needed to succeed.”

This year, Think Together honored Broadcom with its “Champion of Change” award which recognizes an outstanding partner dedicated to changing the odds for kids. Broadcom has been recognized for helping Think Together and its school district partners across California meet this moment through transformational support of student programs in the areas of technology and innovation. Since the start of its partnership in 2018, Think Together and Broadcom have distributed nearly 2,000 laptop devices to students across the state.

“Broadcom’s in-kind contribution of computers has always been important, but now it is essential,” said Paula Golden, president of Broadcom Foundation. “The pandemic requires that every child have access to computer technology remotely if they are to stay current with the education priorities of their family and their schools. Broadcom Foundation and Broadcom in collaboration with Think Together make it possible for young people to stay engaged in STEM education and other important classroom teachings.”

Compton Unified School District (CUSD), which includes Roosevelt Elementary School, was the first Think Together school district partner to work with the organization to operate in-person learning hubs. These in-person hubs were designed to support students with limited access to technology at home and provide a safe and stable learning environment and much-needed academic support.

The laptops will aid Think Together students at Roosevelt Elementary School and will provide students with technology to support their academic achievements as they engage in the organization’s interactive STEM programs including coding and robotics.

“Having access to learning technology has been critical now more than ever, with the onset of the pandemic. Whether learning in person or virtually, our students deserve to have access to quality learning, quality after-school care and quality devices,” said CUSD Superintendent Dr. Darin Brawley. “We appreciate Think Together and Broadcom’s partnership and support in ensuring these students have devices of their own.”

“It is undeniable the value of partnerships in ensuring that students are able to fully participate in learning in all of its forms. This pandemic has been hard. We know that the best place for students to learn is in the classroom, fully supported educationally and emotionally. However, having partners like Think Together and Broadcom is one way we can ensure our students have what they need and know that we care about their wellbeing,” said CUSD Board President Micah Ali.

About Think Together

Think Together partners with schools and communities to pursue educational equity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements and scales academic solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of California students. Think Together’s program areas include early learning, afterschool, school support services and leadership development for teachers and school administrators. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.thinktogether.org.

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Do you think you could make a problem-solving invention using items at home?

Over the last 10 weeks, we challenged our Think Together students to do just that. Students have engaged in a blend of invention skill-building activities, discussion, and invention work which culminated with students showcasing their invention ideas and prototype solutions for a problem important to them. This programming has been possible for our students through a partnership with Lemelson-MIT’s Invention Adventures.

Our students received two 1-hour virtual sessions per week starting in November 2020. In these sessions, students have been able to follow their natural curiosity and develop creative, inventive mindsets and skills that prepare them for future careers in a rapidly changing world. At the end of February, students virtually presented their inventions to judges from Boeing, Southern California Edison, PayPal, Western Digital and Cisco.

David H. Chan, Senior Patent Counsel for Western Digital said “I am a patent attorney who works with many adult inventors, so I was very impressed with these young inventors and their inventions. I’m happy to support this program that encourages innovation at a young age.”

Think Together had 42 students participate across 13 school sites in Santa Fe Springs, Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. The students took this challenge to heart and showed amazing ingenuity and creativity with their inventions. Our judges had a hard time choosing who moved on to the next round of the Invention Convention, with 14 students ultimately getting chosen to move on to the state-level competition.

“As an engineer, it is always refreshing to listen to inventors describe the challenges they see and hear their innovative solutions. From the young inventor working with their pet bird to prototype an automatic feeder, to another young inventor making life easier for her grandfather– the Think Together Invention Convention provides an enriching venue for students to be innovative problem solvers. It was great to hear all about these potential products. I look forward to seeing what these inventors will come up with next!” Says Jomya Lei, Boeing Radio Frequency Engineer.

The state-level competition is on April 17, and our young inventors are brimming with excitement! Over the next few weeks, they will be practicing their presentations, learning about how to make great videos, and crossing their fingers that they will win an award.

Think Together would like to thank our judges for their participation in our Invention Convention. Our students truly appreciated the real-time feedback and encouragement they received, and your helpful rubric comments to help them hone their inventions for the next round. Your partnership is why we can change the odds for kids.

**“The most damaging phrase in the English language is: ‘It’s always been done that way.’” – Admiral Grace Hooper**

Did you know that only 30% of women pursue a degree in a STEM field? At Think Together, we believe that every student has big dreams and is capable of accomplishing anything they set their mind to. In our programs, all students receive academic support but even more importantly are exposed to expanded learning opportunities such as coding and robotics. Join us this month as we celebrate women in STEM and be inspired to work hard to achieve your goals.

Katherine and her colleagues, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson did the calculations that guided NASA’s 1962 Friendship 7 Mission, the first to send an American, to orbit Earth. The astronaut, John Herschel Glenn Jr., famously trusted Katherine and her team to confirm the ground-breaking calculations that contributed to the safe and successful mission.

Katherine, Dorothy and Mary’s story about being Black female mathematicians at NASA during the space race was chronicled in the non-fiction book and subsequent movie Hidden Figures.

On February 20, 2021, the missions’ 59th anniversary, the S.S. Katherine Johnson launched from a NASA facility in Virginia to commemorate her achievements in math, science and space.

Read about the S.S. Katherine Johnson supply mission
Katherine Johnson’s biography
Read Hidden Figures
Watch Hidden Figures (PG)

Joan Clarke was the only woman to work in the nerve center of the quest to crack German Enigma ciphers during World War II alongside Alan Turing. The amount of secrecy around what happened at Bletchley Park leaves the full extent of Clarke’s achievements unknown. She studied mathematics at Cambridge but was denied a full degree because Cambridge did not award degrees to women at that time.

Joan Clarke’s Biography
Watch the Imitation Game (PG-13)

Lise Meitner has been called the “Mother of Nuclear Power,” although few are aware of her contributions to the field. This science maven earned a doctorate degree in 1906 after studying physics at the University of Vienna.

She later teamed up with chemist Otto Hahn. The most notable of the duo’s joint discoveries includes nuclear fission, for which Hahn was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1944. Meitner was not recognized for her role in this finding, leading many to cite that year’s prestigious honor “The Nobel Mistake.”

Lise Meitner’s Biography

Grace Hopper is best known as the “Queen of Code.” Military leader, mathematician and computer programmer, she graduated from Vassar College in 1928 and earned a master’s and doctorate in mathematics from Yale in 1930 and 1934, respectively.

Hopper used her programming skills while serving her country in the Navy during World War II. There, she helped build Mark I, one of the world’s earliest computers. After the war, she continued her work at Harvard on Mark II and Mark III. She was the oldest serving officer in the U.S. armed forces when she retired from the Navy in 1986.

Grace Hopper’s Biography

Sources:

Additional Reading:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/unheralded-women-scientists-finally-getting-their-due-180973082/

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.

Our history textbooks do not always tell the whole truth or the full story, especially when it comes to Black voices and issues. For Black History Month, we’re shining a light on the myths and realities of Black history.

Myth #1

History class taught us everything we needed to know about slavery.

Fact:

Due to efforts by a group of Southern socialites known as the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Lost Cause ideology influenced history textbooks as well as books for children and adults. The accomplishments of Black Americans involved in the abolition movement, such as Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Maria W. Stewart, Henry Highland Garnet, and William Still, were downplayed. Click the links below to learn more about these important and influential Black Americans.

Myth #2

Segregation of schools ended in 1954.

Fact:

The United States Supreme Court ruled that segregated schools were illegal in 1954 with the case Brown v. Board of Education. After this ruling was made, it became up to state and local governments to desegregate their schools. In the southern states, this was met with resistance. It wasn’t until September 1957 that nine teenagers in Little Rock, Arkansas became the first to enter Little Rock’s Central High School. On September 2, 1957 the night prior to what was to be the teens’ first day in Central High classrooms, Arkansas governor Orval Faubus ordered the state’s National Guard to block their entrance. Faubus said it was for the safety of the nine students. Their story was heard nationwide, and the students were able to attend classes after President Eisenhower federalized the National Guard. It took 23 days for the “Little Rock Nine” to attend their classes.

Due to redlining and district boundaries, a modern form of racial segregation still occurs today. Read more about this issue by reading this New York Times article.

Myth #3

Rosa Parks was an everyday woman who worked hard at her job and was tired at the end of the day. She sat down on the bus and stayed sitting because she was too tired to get up.

Fact:

Rosa Parks wasn’t just a tired lady. She was an anti-segregation activist. She’d attended civil-rights training and was respected in the activist community. Rosa Parks was also not the first to protest by not standing up to give her seat to a white person. On March 2, 1955, nine months before Rosa Park’s action, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was arrested for refusing to give her seat up on a crowded, segregated bus in the same city and bus system.

Lessons and Takeaways:

Myth 1:

Historical thinking is a set of critical literacy skills for evaluating and analyzing primary source documents to construct a meaningful account of the past.

Five aspects to consider historical thinking:

Multiple Accounts & Perspectives
Analysis of Primary Sources
Sourcing
Context
Claim-evidence Connection

Myth 2:

Learn about Brown v. Board of Education and its importance.

Social and Emotional Learning: discuss what it must have been like to be not only new in school, but to face bullying and threats throughout their time in school like the Little Rock Nine.

Myth 3:

Who writes history? Understanding that there is often bias in our history books is critical. Applying our historical thinking skills allows us to search for the whole story.