The Identities of Us - Inside Out

Project Designers:  Chenea Matos, KarenElaine Rogers, and Samantha Yellen

The ability to see others as both their brilliant functional selves and their deeper inner soul and spirit, is perhaps the most significant force of the senses that can bring connection to our communities.

At Connect Academy, our 3rd to 5th graders embarked on a remarkable journey towards greater empathy, self-awareness, and inclusivity. We had the privilege of hosting an equity specialist, Vicky Connell, from High Tech High Graduate School, who guided us on this path under the sprawling canopy of a giant tree in our Outdoor Learning Garden.

We commenced our journey by gauging how our students felt about safety, inclusion, respect, and the ability to express themselves within the classroom community. Vicky engaged us in a candid pre-survey, providing insights into the early dynamics of our class culture.  To delve deeper into our individual identities, we turned to Ani DiFranco's "The Knowing," which served as a mentor text for a profound group discussion about knowing who we are on the inside. We embraced the empowering language of affirmations and crafted positive statements about ourselves, elucidating why we held these beliefs. These affirmations were shared within an empathy circle while looking into mirrors, and we celebrated each other's courage. The affirmations were then displayed on the mirrors, serving as daily reminders of our self-worth and strength.  

Following this enlightening experience, we conducted a post-survey, which demonstrated the profound impact of this lesson on our sense of safety and inclusion within our community. The results were overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the rapid growth in the learners' comfort levels within our evolving class culture.

Our journey didn't stop there. We took an engaging personality quiz from "knowandlove" that employed eight animals to describe a range of personalities, suitable for our age group. We discovered our own "animal" and reflected on how closely it aligned with our real selves. We then introduced an element of mystery, receiving stickers for each animal to conduct a social experiment on how we were perceived by our peers. This experiment was conducted with utmost respect and permission, teaching us the concept of "perception." The process was enlightening and entertaining, offering us valuable insights into how others saw us. Even our teachers and staff participated, deepening our mutual understanding.

With our newfound understanding of perception and identity, we embarked on an art project that would transform into an inspiring art installation within our school. The project centered around umbrellas and parasols as symbols of our inner and outer selves. Our K-2nd graders concentrated on expressing their external traits, turning parasols into vivid representations of who they are. Using the Design Thinking Process, we made prototypes of our designs first and then interviewed each other eliciting feed-forward.

Our next special expert guest came to share and interview with us as we gathered data and researched the value of knowing personality styles.  Gale Gieg, an accomplished business woman, school board member, and advocate for Africa (Uganda) and trainer of women starting businesses for the last 45 years, came to share with students her very real experience in businesses and schools, and how people perceived her throughout each job.  She shared who she really is on the inside and how that led to her work in Africa.  As learners immersed themselves in her life story they began to understand that the way they are perceived may indeed serve them well, but who they are in the inside is special and will bring them more fully to life.

As the pinnacle of our journey, we hosted a family picnic, celebrating the diverse personalities within our community. Students passionately shared how this project had impacted them and its potential to shape our community's understanding of the disparity between perception and inner identity.

In conclusion, the ability to appreciate both the outer strengths and the inner essence of others is a powerful force that fosters peace and understanding within our communities. Our journey at Connect Academy has been an illuminating experience, proving that by embracing our true selves and appreciating the depths of others, we can build stronger, more compassionate communities.