Syracuse Students Impress With MyImpact Challenge Projects
<p>Ollie Flores, a student at Corcoran High School in Syracuse, NY, understands how quickly food insecurity can affect families. </p>
<p>When her family faced unexpected medical costs, “we had to decide if we were going to eat or get the bills paid,” she said. </p>
<p>Flores is passionate about helping local families like hers. So working with fellow student Natahlia Hammond, she developed a proposal for sustainable, local gardens to provide Syracuse families with easy access to healthy foods. </p>
<p>The Bill of Rights Institute was proud to award Flores’ and Hammond’s school a $2,000 grand prize during the Syracuse City School District CivxCon event on May 23. </p>
<p>“I’m very excited for them because they put so much effort into the project,” said Corcoran High civics teacher Mike Shanahan, who mentored Flores and Hammond. “I’m hoping that this project is something the city will join in on.” </p>
<p>CivxCon was the result of an exciting collaboration between the Bill of Rights Institute and the Syracuse City School District. </p>
<p>District teachers used the curriculum from the Bill of Rights Institute’s <a href="https://billofrightsinstitute.org/my-impact-challenge">MyImpact Challenge civic engagement contest</a> and asked students to develop proposals for local service projects. </p>
<p>“Civics is hard, but once you work hard you can get a lot done,” Nick Stamoulacatos, the district’s Social Studies Director, reminded students at the beginning of the event. </p>
<p>At CivxCon, 18 groups of students from five Syracuse high schools presented civic engagement project proposals. The proposals addressed food insecurity, mental health, homelessness, the status of refugees in the city, and much more. </p>
<p>The event was attended by Bill of Rights Institute Sr. Director of Civic Learning Initiatives Rachel Davison Humphries and Manager of Civic Engagement Projects Adam Brickley. </p>
<p>“I am very inspired today,” Humphries told the students and their teachers. “You have all committed yourselves in such an incredible way to your work.” </p>
<p>The Bill of Rights Institute awarded $5,000 in prizes to four Syracuse schools that produced top projects, as voted on by event attendees. </p>
<p>Students also received encouragement from Syracuse Common Council Member Rita M. Paniagua, who attended the event. </p>
<p>“It is valuable for us in the City of Syracuse to see things from a young person’s perspective,” Paniagua said. “Your work is valuable to us.”</p>