About Us

ABOUT US:

Welcome to the Binding the Nation's Wounds Projects Website ~ a creation of Mrs. Squillace's Participation in Government and Economics Senior classes.

In the wake of the siege on the Capitol, which took place on January 6, 2021, our teacher looked for an opportunity to empower the senior class to make deeper, real-time connections to the curriculum and objectives for the course. The 2016 and 2020 elections were razor-thin and highlighted the current divisions in the nation. The violence and rioting of this past January exposed that we are a wounded nation, which must be healed.

According to Mrs. Squillace, she used President Lincoln's example to educate about the parallels between the past and the present. "With his inauguration on the horizon in 1864, there were signs that the Civil War was drawing to a close. New challenges for the nation confronted this leader. How would he encourage a nation, once at war with one another, to reunite in such a way that political, social, and economic healing would be lasting? In his inspiring Second Inaugural Address, President Lincoln communicated the necessity to "bind the nation's wounds". It is those words which inspired the creation of this project."

Through project-based learning, the Binding the Nation's Wounds project was designed to suit students' individual skills, passions, and talents. We have choice about the future we create. We can be CHANGE-MAKERS in our neighborhood, school, and/or community organizations. We can see the needs of others and create solutions. Essentially, we can "bind the nation's wounds" - beginning right here. Ultimately, what each individual or group created needed to impact OTHERS to be more united and less divided - to have a "ripple effect".

Our group thought long and hard about how we could contribute to this project. And then, it hit us. Students from 5 class periods were going to put a lot of effort into these projects, but after they were done, there would be no way to see their hard work and how they impacted various communities. Using our unique skills and interests in computer science, we decided to create a website, so that projects would be localized in one convenient area for all to see.

There has been a lot of chaos and divisiveness in recent times. These projects are meant to identify needs, encourage unity and promote community. For more information on each individual project, refer to the PROJECTS TAB above.

In service,

Brandon Dougherty

Chris Gulino

Michael Scott