How can students get involved in the community they live in? How do they use their voice to bring awareness? These are things that our Digital Literacy class has worked on this school year, along with teacher Dr. Mary Sithu. 

Digital Literacy is a class that will allow students to embark on a journey that provides them information about how to use technology effectively, and how to access information from the world around them. 

This year we welcomed Dr. Sithu, who teaches computer science to students elementary through high school. Sithu has been a teacher for the past 18 years and says that growing up, her parents always “stressed the significance of pursuing excellence in all my actions, with the mindset of performing as if working for the Lord (Col 3:17).” This principal has stuck with her far into adulthood and through her different roles. Sithu has taught in Guyana, South America, India, and now The Brown School.

This year, Sithu, alongside Justice Fest coach Neysa Jones led a team of high school students to Justice Fest. It is a festival held annually to get students involved in their community and bring awareness to relevant problems in the nation.  

The team is composed of students who are innovative and want to be a part of change in our society. "We thought of the problems in our community around us and ended up landing on gun violence and the digital divide, which affects our community majorly,” says sophomore Don Bibb. Dr. Sithu has given these students the opportunity and the support to make their voices heard. 

They got in contact with many companies, organizations, and influential people in the community to raise money to support the cause.After many rewarding moments like winning an award at the competition they also got full funding for their project. 

When asking passionate team member Calise Williams about the support that was shown to the team, she says, “At Justice Fest we received funding from the executive director of Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods in Louisville, and around $1,500 to buy podcasting and other equipment from Park Credit Union, Aspen IT, and D'Russell Foundation. We also were offered collaborations with the Courier Journal, Young Prodigies (a social media influencer group), Narrative 4, and more. We also have an amazing teacher that guided us and gave us productive feedback on everything!” 

They experienced much success but it does not end there. The middle schoolers are also involved in the process, as they are researching about the digital divide in the different areas of Louisville. This provides the middle and high school a unique opportunity to be connected with one another by making their voices heard and applying their problem solving skills.

As of recently, Brown's biggest topic of discussion seems to be about the large machines at the entrance of the school. But what are they? These large pieces of technology are weapon detectors. These AI machines are going to be used to limit weapons and acts of violence in schools around the nation. The start date was originally set to be the Wednesday students came back to school from spring break, but was canceled because of a scheduling conflict. May 14th is now the  date for the machines to go live.

Installing these machines within JCPS schools has caused a lot of mixed reactions among the student body. Some students, parents, and staff feel the increased security measure was necessary, while others have concerns of the impact they will have on the school's atmosphere and schedule. The schedule will, of course, be affected the first couple times, but this shouldn't be any concern because other schools have had the same problem.  “Every school that has implemented these has had a pretty rough start,” states Curtis Moss, school safety administrator. Once students and staff get used to the machines, it will begin to run smoother. Moss says that “The master schedule for the school will remain the same”. Something that will change is that counselors will no longer be available in the morning because they will be running the weapon detectors. 

Moss recommends students use their lockers for anything that doesn't need to go home, like binders. BLUE (Binders, Laptops, Umbrellas, and Eyeglass Cases) is the acronym used for what will need to be taken out of students' backpacks because these items have been found to set off the system. 

There are some pros and cons that come with this addition. With the increase of security measures, anxious students could put some worries to rest that there is a lesser chance of anything dangerous occurring during school hours. Some other pros are the major decrease in violent acts in schools, as students will get caught with a weapon before any situation escalates. The Brown School, being well prepared and having this policy in place, will provide a positive response from the community as the school is taking a proactive approach to the violence that has been shown across the nation. 

But, of course, there will be some cons/drawbacks. Some of these include the cost. These machines were very pricey for JCPS (Jefferson County Public Schools), and this money could’ve gone to underpaid teachers, bus drivers, more nutritious lunches, and schools in poverty-stricken areas. Because the technology is new, the machines are prone to experience some false alarms. The weapon detectors have been shown to mistake several things for a weapon and may waste time for a search that isn’t necessary. Some students might feel these machines are intrusive because of the screening process that takes place. One concern that might not be thought of much is the impact this will have on students, especially the younger ones. The weapon detectors might cause a very intimidating and tense environment. 

With any questions or concerns, feel free to go to Curtis or email him curtis.moss@jefferson.kyschools.us.