Mission

The mission of the UNITY Project is to welcome caregivers of Milton Public Schools students into elementary classrooms at Collicot, Cunningham, Glover and Tucker. By fostering family involvement, we aim to enhance student learning. The UNITY Project is a parent-led initiative endorsed by each school's PTO, encouraging families to engage in school activities with their children, providing new perspectives (windows), opportunities for reflection (mirrors), and pathways to action (sliding glass doors). The goal is to create student belonging in a community that celebrates all of Milton’s families. 

History

The UNITY Project is a 2024 parent collaboration across Milton's PTOs to revitalize and streamline the previous Reading About Diversity (2010) and Meet the Artist (2015) programs. It combines both curricula and expands the program to Pre-K through 5th grades with additional books and artists.

About the UNITY Project Lessons

The parent-led lessons within the UNITY Project provide opportunities for all students at every elementary school to participate in creative activities centered on culturally diverse stories and artists. Artists and works can encompass any person who practices any of the various creative or fine arts including painters, musicians, sculptors, dancers, authors, poets, filmmakers, etc.  The UNITY Project is designed for the children to explore, celebrate, and reflect on one of the five central themes below: 

Self - Children will engage in the work of artists and books that encourage loving and understanding self, self-worth, identity, and family. Children will embrace their physical, emotional, and spiritual self, including self-determination.   

Stories -  Children will engage in the work of artists and books that encourage stories about embracing culture, language, families, grandparents and ancestors. Through art and stories, children and families recognize the importance of family stories and community narratives.  

Systems - Children will engage in the work of artists and books that identify what is considered "normal" and how it limits opportunities to those that fall into "other" categories. Through art and stories, children and families recognize patterns of mistreatment and talk about how to make changes for the better. 

Solving Problems - Children will engage in the work of artists and books that highlight people working together to identify and solve a problem at a local, national, or global level. 

Standing Up and Standing Together - Children will engage in the work of artists and books that build unity based on kindness, respect, support, equality, equity, and common values. Through art and stories, children and families embrace welcoming actions to build diverse communities.