City Arts and Technology High School
"Facing history means more than asking questions.... It means we need to learn from our mistakes. After facing the history, I looked at myself. I have learned that I can "be the change," because change begins with the individual."
- Markeda C., student, City Arts and Technology High School
City Arts and Technology High School, or CAT, is a small college preparatory public charter high school for underserved urban youth. Its mission is to transform students’ lives by preparing them for success in college and in life. The mission statement elaborates: “Our school offers students a rigorous academic experience and a diverse, compassionate community in which to grow. Our students are inspired and empowered to be leaders in their high school education and their communities.” As part of the Envision charter school network, CAT focuses on project-based learning, art, and technology, with a rigorous presentation of work presented in portfolios prior to graduation.
“Student engagement is a major goal of all curriculum and instruction,” according to lead teacher Tom Skjervheim. He adds, “That’s part of the reason we are excited to be connected with Facing History—because so much of what we learn and do during a Facing History unit is about active learning and the role of the students themselves.”
The principal and vice principal are both Facing History educators, as are several staff members.
There are six Facing History teachers at CAT currently teaching Facing History and Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior, Race and Membership in American History: The Eugenics Movement and South Africa. These include two long-term Facing History teachers, one of whom is additionally a benefit dinner speaker; the principal, who is a former Facing History English teacher; and the Vice Principal who facilitated Facing History sessions for the whole staff on school culture and culturally relevant pedagogy.
Some of the most successful projects have been student-created “human rights profiles” in the form of short films about each of the major neighborhoods in the city. Facing History was very central to one in 2008-9 in which one group detailed life in the tough environment of Bayview-Hunter’s Point, dealing with issues such as hunger, homelessness, crime, and violence. The project also focused on citizens of that community making a difference in the lives of others there. More than 20 such projects in a single year have been were subjects of a showcase event attended by parents, community members, and other students.
At the end of one school year, all ninth and tenth grade classes suspended the standard curriculum to focus on two weeks dedicated to workshops on the concept of the Universe of Obligation, a theme in Facing History and Ourselves classrooms. Facing History staff consulted with history and English teachers to deveop twelve workshops rooted in the Facing History journey, helping students to apply what they learned to issues in their communities such as Immigration law and environmental advocacy. The culmination of the two weeks of study was an evening public presentation to the entire school community that combined artistic performance, written presentations, and public advocacy. Tom Skjervheim described the Universe of Obligation as the “coolest structure built into our school.”
Facing History’s impact on school culture can also be seen in the school’s restorative justice project, a school-wide project linking curricular explorations to school practices around building community and changing disciplinary practices. This project includes studies of post-genocide and post-apartheid societies and an attempt to make use of the principles of restorative justice within the school culture for discipline strategies and issues of "membership" in the school community.
According to Trevor Gardner, who helped create the project, this work “was dependent on the Facing History ethos built over the course of the school year. Many Facing History units are part of the academic program, so CAT students study the Holocaust, South Africa, and American Civil Rights history among other topics. One example of how we tried to link their studies to their lives is that students considered questions about ‘forgiveness, revenge, repair and reconciliation’ in their reading of a Holocaust memoir—and could dare to apply those ideas to their own lives. The structured reading of Simon Wiesenthal’s book, The Sunflower, and an earlier workshop on ‘restorative justice’ provided to the staff by Facing History—helped teachers and students think about justice and judgment in new ways. Staff and students planned student review panels and to consider how school discipline could be framed within goals about repair and reconciliation. He adds that the Facing History content offered the chance to engage the whole school via curriculum, and the continuing support of Facing History will mean a lot as the school moves forward.
Facing History has also impacted overall school culture in its’ advisory system. All CAT students are part of an advisory group of 18-20 students who meet four times per week to build community and receive both academic and personal support. Facing History program associate Milton Reynolds explains that conversations in the advisory meetings reflect Facing History themes and vocabulary such as labeling, we/they, and identity, which helps students navigate interpersonal relationships.
Most of CAT’s students come from families where they would be the first to go on to higher education. CAT is proud that 94% of the students in the class of 2009 are going on to college.
School Demographics
City Arts and Technology High School is made up of 400 very diverse students and 42 teachers. 27% of the students are Hispanic, 24% White, 22% Black, 18% Asian, 5% Filipino, 4% Multiple or No Response, and 2% American Indian or Alaska Native. Of last year’s graduates, 94% are currently attending college.
Through the generosity of the Einhorn Family Charitable Trust, Facing History and Ourselves has developed the Small Schools Network. As part of this network, schools deepen their work with Facing History to develop thoughtful, compassionate, and civic-minded school communities. The schools share best practices, develop professional ties with their peers, and receive ongoing support from Facing History. City Arts and Tech High School is a member of this network.
For more information about Facing History and the Small School Network, please visit: www.facinghistory.org/smallschools
Trevor Gardner Speaks at 2009 Benefit Dinner in San Francisco
Trevor Gardner, 2009 Margot Stern Strom Award Winner
Holocaust & Genocide Museum Exhibition Overview (Student Project)
