Language in Action Raises Awareness with Spoken Word, Poetry, and Song
EduCare’s Language in Action Program (LAP) is an afterschool program providing language-focused activities, strengthening English language development, improving self-confidence, and increasing overall involvement in school for participating students.
This past year, English-language learners enrolled in LAP, across several high-school and middle-school campuses, improved their language skills while engaging in activities important to them. During the year, students learned about a number of significant community issues: climate change, effects of COVID-19, homelessness, Black Lives Matter, and more. Working together, students from each campus chose one specific issue to focus on, using it as the basis of an awareness-raising project.
Each group of students researched their chosen topic further, and decided together how best to present it. The creativity demonstrated by these students was outstanding, as they employed spoken word, poetry, and song to create memorable presentations.
During the last week of May, in a series of virtual celebrations hosted by our partner organization, LAUSD’s Beyond the Bell, our LAP students presented their work to fellow students from different campuses. In doing so, they both demonstrated their growing English language proficiency and raised awareness about issues important to them and their communities.
Just a Few Highlights from the LAP Celebrations
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Community Schools: School for the Visual Arts and Humanities
These students decided to address the issue of childhood obesity, which they felt was not widely discussed. As a result of their research, they developed a project to discuss different ways for their community to support healthier lifestyle options.
San Fernando Middle School Institute of Applied Media
Students at this campus were passionate about motivating their community to go green. Each student researched ways in which they themselves could make a difference, and each contributed a part to their spoken word presentation on how to recycle and reduce trash.
César Chavez Learning Academies
Students here chose the topic of climate change, which they felt was worthy of much greater attention on their campus. Students worked diligently with their facilitators, and created a spoken word performance addressing their concerns and suggesting how to make a difference.
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Learn more about EduCare’s Language in Action Program and our other specialized student support services.
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