Students at McDougle Middle School are taking a break from their normal work to focus on human rights.
During “Learning Without Borders” Week, which kicks off with a faculty talent show this evening, students and faculty will study the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nation’s list of 30 rights all nations should strive to provide for their citizens.
“Learning Without Borders" is an attempt to bring the world into our studies,” gifted education specialist Jami Burns said. “We try to integrate what the kids are learning into real-world issues.”
Each class will have a roundtable discussion about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and raise money for Hope for Haiti, an organization that works with locals to help the impoverished nation.
The school is raising money for Haiti relief to make the subject more relevant for students, Burns said.
“It gets them to begin thinking about themselves as global citizens and as people who can make an impact not only in their own community but in the world community,” she said.
Students’ artwork will be displayed in the school’s Human Rights Gallery open house on March 26. They will decorate human rights trees with leaves saying what they have learned about human rights.
Two other displays will feature posters raising awareness about lesser-known human rights heroes and illustrations of the 30 rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Burns and other teachers from the school started Learning Without Borders two years ago after attending a UNC conference about global education.
The school had a week devoted to climate change in 2008 and poverty in 2009. Last year, the school raised $2,000 for Heifer International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending world hunger.
The week also offers students a chance to look deeper into other historical events that have highlighted the struggle for human rights.
Rachel van Aalst, a 13-year-old eighth grader, said she enjoyed studying the civil rights movement and the Holocaust.
“My favorite part has been the assembly, because there’s been a lot of good presentations about Learning Without Borders,” she said.
In addition to Learning Without Borders, McDougle also hosts the district’s Chinese-English and Spanish-English dual language programs for middle school students.
Stephanie Knott, spokeswoman for the district, said it is important for students to understand that local decisions they make now have a much wider impact.
“Ours is a very diverse community to begin with, so it provides students with experiences and opportunities that help them better relate to people who are their neighbors,” she said.
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