District News

Six months ago, student leaders from Bernardsville Middle School and Bernards High School gathered together for the SHSD Youth Summit on Antisemitism. As a result of that powerful experience, many attendees were inspired to make a difference. Six middle school students, Katherine East, Sianna Ecklund, Ashley Mann, Isabella Mattos, Aaliya Pattanaik, and Ameya Ram, found a way to do just that. 

Returning to BMS after the summit last fall, the girls immediately wanted to “do” something… an action to evoke change. As they pondered what to do,  their teacher Brett Cox shared an initiative that she received from the Office of the Attorney General, the Division on Civil Rights , and the Division on Criminal Justice called No Hate in the Garden State. Far beyond its catchy slogan, its mission grabbed the girls’ attention. It was a call to reverse the upward trend in bias incidents throughout New Jersey and to eliminate discrimination in their community. Open to students in grades 6-12 across the state, the task was to create an actionable plan to spread awareness and knowledge about a given issue, along with proposing concrete ways to stop hate. 

Developing a podcast was one idea the group was very excited about. Meeting weekly with Ms. Cox during lunch, they brainstormed topics applicable to middle and high school students. With motivation and determination, they learned the various components of recording, editing, adding musical elements and more,  and were able to launch their very first podcast on Spotify in February. That episode featured an interview with SHSD K-8 Mental Health Counselor Jackie Pasquarelli. In the episode, they delved into important facets of mental health and discussed specific strategies that students can use to improve mental health in their own lives.  Their second podcast episode launched at the start of this month. It featured an interview with Avi Seigel, Director of Teen Initiatives at Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, where he imparted his vast knowledge of the history of antisemitism. The interview sparked an important dialogue highlighting issues that Jewish students face and what can be done to prevent antisemitism today. The next two topics that the group will tackle on their podcast are combating bullying and the prevalence of body image issues in young people today. Additionally, they started a YouTube channel and have posted eight shorts so far. The videos are a mix of positive messages, statistics, and real-life tips for eliminating hate in the community.

As part of the No Hate in the Garden State public awareness campaign, youth participants are welcome to join a competition, with their projects due at the end of April. In order to compete in the competition, students are required to attend evening Zoom meetings each month where they learn about critical topics and how to apply knowledge to positively impact their communities. The February Zoom was about fighting bias in New Jersey, followed by bystander intervention training in March. For this month’s meeting, the students will learn about careers in civil rights and social justice. These virtual gatherings are wonderful opportunities for students to listen to, and confer with, high-level officials across the state, as well as to network with peers who are committed and passionate about the world around them. By elevating their voices, it is clear that they can act as community change agents. 

“I am so proud to be working with such a phenomenal group of young people, who continue to amaze me day after day,” said Ms. Cox. “They have taken this idea and run with it! Not only are they talented, but they are dedicated to getting it right. They conduct research on each topic, create pertinent questions, set up interviews, and work together to ensure deadlines are met, all while being actively involved in many other school clubs and sports.”