From the High School
As we wrap up 2019, I want to congratulate our High School students for the impressive progress they’ve made on their Society And Me (SAM) projects so far. The SAM course challenges every high school student, every year, to take on a problem that reduces quality of life in their communities. Students spend the year understanding the root causes of their problem and taking actions that begin to solve them. By their senior year, students are expected to have partnered with local organizations and community leaders to implement lasting solutions. For example, on Dec. 10th, senior Madeline Ley spoke at a public hearing at the County Commission Chambers about her initiative @ShrinktheGap, which is dedicated to closing the gender wage gap. Following Madeline’s presentation, Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava (who is also running for Miami-Dade County Mayor) invited Madeline to give a salary negotiation workshop to the Commission for Women and the Chair Woman for Miami Dade Commission also invited her to deliver another workshop for her campaign for the Florida House of Representatives, District 101.
Madeline has already led several workshops (both at The Cushman School and at Gwen Cherry Youth Center in Liberty City) that taught over 50 young women how to proactively negotiate their salaries in job interviews. She also helped launch Miami Young Leaders for Equality (“MYLE”) to design a program to support women as they enter the workforce, and is in the process of working with Congresswoman Donna Shalala to enact a statewide ban on the salary history question, which is a leading cause of the gender pay gap.
All Cushman High School students work on topics that range from mitigating the harmful effects of climate change to ending bullying in Miami schools, from fighting human trafficking to reducing rates of depression in men. We will be inviting our Cushman community to the end-of-year SAMx Showcase so you can learn about their amazing accomplishments. For the complete list of High School SAM projects, click here.
With only a quarter of the school year underway, our students are leading the way in making a difference in their communities as they build skills so important for academic, personal, and financial success. I can’t wait to see their continued progress.
– Mr. Andrew Tripodo/SAM Coordinator