Our Class in the News

Action Civics Commendations, June 2024

Two of our US History Class’s semester-long Action Civics projects were awarded commendations at the Massachusetts’ Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s State-wide Civics Day in the spring of 2024. Our class that spent presented on: "Addressing Food Insecurities for Immigrant Families" — Lowell High School, was awarded a Planning for Action Commendation, recognizing projects that developed detailed action plans with clear goals that related to the root causes of their issue, logical decision-makers/influencers to target, and a range of tactics. "Addressing Lead-Contaminated Water in Massachusetts Schools" was awarded an Overall Commendation, recognizing projects that did an excellent job across at least four out of five categories on the project rubric.

A Look Behind the Scenes at One Roslindale Butcher, June 2024

My student Terrance was selected for the New England High School Journalism Collaborative summer internship. He spent a week learning from journalists and writing articles. Here is the article he wrote as part of the newspaper he and his team published.

History in Lowell: Tasting History, June 2024

Three of our students spoke with Maritza Grooms and University of Massachusetts Lowell Professor Robert Forrant on the History in Lowell TV Show about our class’s Tasting History Project.

The Student Op-ed Project, May 2024

The Lowell Sun has collaborated with our class for seven years publishing student written op-eds on important community issues. This year eight of my students share their voices in a two-page spread in the Lowell Sun.

Discovering Justice: Spotlight of Youth Civic Leaders Maria and Evando, Spring 2024

In the spring of 2023 one of our class’s worked on an action civics project about recycling, advocating for more translations to help newcomer families participate in city recycling at greater numbers. Representatives from our class presented at Lowell civics day and the State-wide civics day. The organization Discovering Justice then chose to spotlight two students: Maria and Evando, highlighting them as youth civic leaders. This video is being shared with young people across the Commonwealth.

Annual cookbook features recipes and stories from immigrant students at Lowell High School, Jan 2024

WBUR Radio Boston Host Tiziana Dearing spoke with two of our students Gentille and Maneth about our class’s newest editions to the Tasting History Project and shared with her their family food in studio at WBUR.

Food, glorious food: School menus serve up delish, diverse dishes, Oct 13, 2023.

Lowell Sun Article highlighting the collaboration between the Food & Nutrition Department and the Tasting History Project.

Student Poetry Inspired by Poems from Angel Island, Spring 2023.

After studying poems written by mostly Chinese immigrants a hundred years ago who were detained at Angel Island, my students in my U.S. History class wrote their own poems about their journeys to America. A selection of their poems were featured by the national organization Reimagining Migration.  

Tasting History Project, Northeast Farm to School Collaborative Profile, Spring 2023.

Profile of our class’s Tasting History and podcast conversations with five of our student authors: Kelby, Azka, Rebeca, Jamily, and Moise.

Tasting history: How sharing a recipe can connect cultures featuring 3 students from Lowell High School, March 2023.

Highest Aspirations podcast host Steve Sofronas speaks with three student authors of Tasting History about their history, family recipes, and stories of migration.

Local cookbook features recipes and migration stories from Lowell High School students Feb 2023
WBUR Radio Boston Host Tiziana Dearing spoke with two of our students Camila and Haroon about our class’s newest editions to the Tasting History Project and shared with her their family food in studio at WBUR.

In Lowell school cafeterias, they’re serving up a taste of home June 2022
Reporter Peggy Hernandez published a beautiful profile of our class’s Tasting History Project which ran on the front page of The Boston Globe’s Food Section.

Speaking Up May 2022
After completing this year’s Op-Ed Project in my U.S. History class, a selection of my students' Op-Eds were published in the Lowell Sun Newspaper.

Food Literacy in Massachusetts May 2022
Our Tasting History cookbook project and our students collaboration with the district’s food services and cafeterias was featured in a statewide report by the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative.

Student Op-eds published in the Lowell High School Newspaper April 2022
My students Roberson Fusco’s, Chanboramey Heng’s, Chhairayuth Nguon’s, and Lucas Oliveira’s Op-Eds from our class’s Op-Ed project were published in the Lowell High Newspaper.

Students’ traditional recipes showcased in Lowell High School cafeteria Jan 2022
The Lowell Sun published a front page feature about the collaboration between my students and the LPS Cafeterias, which are now cooking family recipes from my students’ cookbook “Tasting History” in the Lowell School cafeterias.

Interview with Lowell High School Head of School Dec 2021
Lowell High School’s head of school interviewed three student authors of “Tasting History” about their cookbook and the 2021 Founders Award their cookbook won.

2021 Founders Award, Readable Feast Nov 2021
The Regional Readable Feast Festival honored my students who published our cookbook “Tasting History” in 2020-2021.

A Cookbook Curriculum Brings Immigrant Students Together Oct 2021
The Harvard Ed. Magazine featured a Q+A about our U.S. History “Tasting History” Cookbook Project.

Lowell High School students share their families’ recipes and coming-to-America stories in new cookbook July 2021
The Boston Globe Newspaper food section spotlighted my students’ new cookbook of family recipes and journeys to the United States created as part of our study of 19th century immigration.

We are America: Students nationwide contemplated the pandemic year, with all its stresses, in the We Are America Project June 2021
The Boston Globe Newspaper featured a two page spread of four stories of students from my class reflecting on this past year, in essays they wrote for the national We Are America Project. 

Spring 2021 Civics Day: New England June 2021
One of my U.S. History classes was honored with a statewide award for “Grassroots Change” by the national nonprofit Generation Citizen for their work to address Anti-Asian hate in schools. 

Hearing Students’ Stories about Being American March 2021
Education Leadership Magazine featured We Are America founder Jessica Lander and Ricardo Vargas and We Are America Cohort 1 Teacher Leah Juelke in their March 2021 Magazine: Equity in Action. The Magazine also featured the powerful story of Diane who was one of the authors of the original We Are America Book. 

State Senator Pat Jehlen praises the We Are America Project April 2021
Massachusetts State Senator Pat Jehlan Commended the founders of We Are America in her newsletter. 

We are America: Stories for a World on the Move: Public Talk April 2021
In April 2021, the Massachusetts Learning Coalition hosted the inaugural Massachusetts Civic Learning Week. We Are America was asked to present alongside our national partner Re-Imagining Migration. The public talk was between Re-Imagining Migration Director Adam Strom and We Are America Cofounders Philly Marte, Erika Pen, Robert Aliganyira, and Jessica Lander.

Who Counts As American? December 2020
Concord Academy's Heidi Koelz wrote a beautiful feature article highlighting the national We Are America Team. 

Lowell Talks  Summer 2020
Lowell Talks, a program run by the Lowell National Historical Parks Department. We Are America founder Jessica Lander, Erika Pen and Nicole Harrison to speak about We Are America.

Students Take Action from Home During COVID-19 April 2020
To help encourage classmates, particularly  immigrant-origin classmates, across the state to fill in the U.S. Census and to help their parents fill in the Census. Two of my former students, Safiya Alsamarrai and Carla Duran, and I teamed up with members of Generation Citizen Massachusetts to create an online campaign. We were interviewed by the Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition about the work. 

The Library of New England Immigration Spotlight on We Are America March 2020
The University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Library of New England Immigration featured our National We Are America Project. 

GC National Student Changemaker Award: Julian Viviescas February 2020
My student Julian Viviescas was honored with the first ever national Generation Citizen changemaker award for his dedication to action civics and youth voice at the local, state, and national level. 

Tiger of the Week: Jessica Lander ’10 and Her Students Work To Redefine American Identity January 2020
The Princeton Alumni Weekly Magazine spotlighted We Are America cofounder and Princeton alumni Jessica Lander and the national We Are America Project.

Lowell Students Teach Identity, Diversity, and Narrative in National We Are America Project January 2020
We Are America co-founders Safiya, Philly, and Jessica had the honor of speaking with Sharon Brody on WBUR's weekend mornings to talk with her about the national We Are America project. 

Lowell High Class Project Goes National December 2019
The Lowell Sun Newspaper featured an article about the National We Are America Project that was started in my Seminar on American Diversity Class in 2018-2019.

What is An American? December 2019
The Harvard Gazette featured a story about the National We Are America and the month-long show held at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. 

What does it mean to be American? November 2019
The Harvard Graduate School of Education featured a story about the National We Are America and the month-long show held at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. 

We Are America Project Founders Share stories of Adversity and Diversity at Harvard Ed School Panel November 2019
The Harvard Crimson Newspaper featured a story about the National We Are America and the month-long show held at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. 

The We Are America Project November 2019
The Boston Globe Newspaper featured a two page spread about the national We Are America Project including printing four of my students’ stories from We Are America. 

Boston Book Festival Presentation: We Are America October 2019
Co-founders of the National We Are America Project were invited to speak about our National We Are America Project at the Boston Book Festival. 

Share My Lesson: World Refugee Day & Beyond: A Collection of Education Resources June  2019
The poems my students wrote about coming to American after reflecting on poems written by 20th century immigrants at Angel Island was featured in this collection of education resources and lesson plans. 

Lowell High School duo named recipients of Tsongas scholarship May 2019
My student Monineth Hang was awarded the prestigious Tsongas Scholarship, one of two LHS students to win the award which provides a full four-year scholarship to University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Tedx Talk: What it means to be an American by Ezequiel Nunez Spring 2019
My student Ezequiel Nunez gives a Tedx Talk at Lowell High about our We Are America book and project

UML to host “We Are America” April 2019
University of Massachusetts Lowell invited students from my Seminar on American Diversity to hold a book talk about We Are America on campus and are hosting a month-long show of their work. 

Class and School Visit by Holocaust Survivor George J Elbaum April 2019
After our study of the Holocaust, Holocaust Survivor George Elbaum came to speak with my students about his life. He writes about visiting my class and speaking with students on his blog.

Voices of Lowell High -- and the World April 2019
After completing this year’s Op-Ed Project in my U.S. History class, a selection of my students' Op-Eds were published in a two page spread in the Lowell Sun Newspaper.

Lowell Students Pen “We Are America" March 2019

The AP picked up the article about my class’s “We Are America” book
The Lowell Sun Newspaper featured an article about the We Are America book my  Seminar on American Diversity Class wrote in 2018-2019.

Lowell School Committee Spotlight on Excellence: “We Are America” March 2019
Lowell School Committee invited our student authors of We Are America to be recognized and honored for their work.

LearnLaunch2019 Student Ignite Talk-Carla Duran Capellan February 2019
My former student Carla Duran was asked to speak at the 2019 LearnLaunch Across Boundaries Conference convening leaders in education and technology.

Should students have a say in policy? January 2019
My former student Carla Duran is interviewed in this article advocating for the importance of teaching young people action civics education.

We Are America: A Collaborative Exhibition: MATSOL Currents: Vol 24, No. 2. Fall Winter 2019-2020
Article by University of Massachusetts Lowell Professor Johanna Tigert who invited our Seminar on American Diversity class to give a book reading about We Are America and to hold a month-long show on campus.

LHS’s Viviescas receives Mentoring Scholarship December 2018
My student Julian Viviescas was awarded an incredible $20,000 college scholarship! 

US News & World Report (AP/Lowell Sun) - Elizabeth Dobbins “Colombian High School Student Excels with Community Projects” November 2018
The AP picked up the Lowell Sun Newspaper article featuring my student Julian Viviescas who was awarded a $20,000 college scholarship.

Good Citizenship? He’s Aced That Test  November 2018
The Lowell Sun Newspaper ran a featured article about my student Julian Viviescas who was awarded a $20,000 college scholarship.

Interview with Jessica Lander, Educator, Journalist, Change Agent in the World October 2018
Interview with Confianza about my teaching and the work my students accomplish inside and outside the classroom, particularly  spotlighting books my students have written. 

Coming to America - Migration & Poetry Fall 2018

Coming to America: Poems from Lowell High Students Fall 2018
After studying poems written by mostly Chinese immigrants a hundred years ago who were detained at Angel Island, my students in my U.S. History class wrote their own poems about their journeys to America. A selection of their poems were featured by the national organization Reimagining Migration.  

Lowell High School Social Studies Website
Highlighting many of the articles from our Seminar on American Diversity Class

How a Lowell High School Civics Class Changed My Life — and Our City  June 2018
My student Julian Viviescas wrote an Op-Ed for WBUR’s Cognesenti about our class’s action civics work to create community change and address gun violence. 

Civics Day: A Movement of Youth Civic Engagement Across the U.S. May 2018
Article by the national nonprofit Generation Citizen highlighting excellence in youth action civics across the country, highlighting my class that won the state-wide changemaker award for addressing community violence and advocating for statewide common sense gun reform. And highlighting my student Safiya Alsamarrai for winning the statewide student changemaker award for her advocacy, teamwork, and hardwork.

Ashika Tamang’s Student Op-Ed Published in the Lowell High Newspaper May 2018
My student Ashika Tamang’s Op-Ed from our class’s Op-Ed project was published in the Lowell High Newspaper.

Lowell High: ELL Students Win State Award at Generation Citizen’s Civics Day May 2018
Lowell High School Spotlighted my U.S. history class for winning the statewide Generation Citizen Changemaker Award for their advocacy around gun safety and highlighted Safiya Alsamarrai for winning the statewide Student Changemaker award.

What It Means to Be A Teacher in 2018 May 2018
Article written by Emerson Collective that profiles my class and specifically highlights their action civics work.

Facing History New England Benefit April 2018
The national nonprofit Facing History and Ourselves asked student-authors of my Seminar on American Diversity’s Defining Diversity to present and be keynote speakers at their annual gala of more than 800 people. Watch Onotse Omoyeni’s speech here. 

Models of Excellence Spotlight: Achieving Equality Spring 2018
EL Education spotlights Models of Excellence: Classroom projects that showcase excellent academic work.  The organization highlighted my Seminar on American Diversity’s book Achieving Equality. 

Safiya Alsamarrai wins Student Changemaker Award Spring 2018
Generation Citizen highlights my student Safiya Alsamarrai for winning the statewide Student Changemaker award.

CommonWealth Magazine (Boston, MA) - Alan Solomont and Arielle Jennings “Training Citizens, One Student at a Time” March 2018 
My student Carla Duran Capellan is quoted in this article about Civics Education in the state. general mention of our Lowell Public Schools program.

Students Make Impassioned Pleas March  2018
After completing this year’s Op-Ed Project in my U.S. History class, a selection of my students' Op-Eds were published in a two page spread in the Lowell Sun Newspaper.

Models of Excellence Spotlight: Tasting History Winter 2018
EL Education spotlights Models of Excellence: Classroom projects that showcase excellent academic work.  The organization highlighted our class’s cookbook project. 

Merrimack Valley Food Bank Announcement about LHS Food Pantry December 2017
My students spent a semester learning how to be civic change makers in their community, working with the Generation Citizen Curriculum. One of my classes wanted to tackle the issue of student food insecurity. After a semester of intense work they convinced The Greater Merrimack Valley Food Bank and our school to open a school-based food pantry, almost a year later after they began their advocacy the pantry officially opened! 

From Student Project Grows Lowell High Food Pantry December 2017
The Lowell Sun profiled the school-based food pantry my students created during their semester-long action civics project addressing teen food insecurity. 

Taking Action on Gun Violence: GC Student Reflects on how an Effective Civics Education can Make a Difference and Prevent Issues within a Community November 2017
Op-Ed written and published by my student Julian Viviescas about our semester-long action civics project addressing community gun violence, published on the blog of the national nonprofit Generation Citizen. 

Lowell Week in Review: Spotlight on Boston Book Festival book talk October 2017
City Blog Profile of my students speaking at the Boston Book Festival about their new book Defining Diversity.

Defining Diversity - Boston Book Festival 2017: BBF October 2017
This fall student authors from my Seminar on American Diversity were invited to speak at the Boston Book Festival about their new book Defining Diversity. 

The 74: Student Op-Ed about Defining Diversity: A Student’s View: Flint’s Poisoned Water and Finding Structural Racism ‘in the Fine Print October 2017
My student Onotse Omoyeni who helped co-create the Seminar on American Diversity was an author of our class’s book Defining Diversity. The national education platform The 74 published her piece from the book.

Meet Arielle Jennings, New Executive Director of Generation Citizen Massachusetts October 2017
The new executive director of Generation Citizens Massachusetts gave our class a shout out as having one of the most exciting Generation Citizen class projects this year in the State. 

Defining Diversity: Student Writing on the Violence Against Women Act  July 2017
Generation Citizen spotlights student Author Carla Duran writing about her and her classmates’ book Defining Diversity, written in our Seminar on American Diversity.

Sanctuary Cities Ignite Hope June 2017
My student Julian Viviescas was awarded the opportunity to be part of a summer program in partnership with the Boston Globe. This is an article he wrote for the program. 

Models of Excellence Spotlight: Defining Diversity Spring 2017
EL Education spotlights Models of Excellence: Classroom projects that showcase excellent academic work.  The organization highlighted my Seminar on American Diversity student authored book Defining Diversity. 

Students Make Lowell Safer, One Gun at a Time May 2017 
Lowell Sun Newspaper article highlighting the success of my class’s semester-long action civics work tackling community safety and the successful gun buyback we held in partnership with the city police, the county sheriff’s department, and more than 35 local nonprofits and businesses. 

Lowell High Class Aims to Make City Homes Safer with Gun Buyback Event May 2017
Lowell Sun Newspaper article highlighting my class’s semester-long action civics work tackling community safety in the lead up to our citywide gun buyback held in partnership with the city police, the county sheriff’s department, and more than 35 local nonprofits and businesses. 

Got a Gun in Your Home? Read This May 2017
Lowell Sun Newspaper published this article by my student Julian Viviescas about our class’s semester-long action civics work tackling community safety. 

Lowell Students Spoke, and the Police Chief Listened  April 2017
Article by the national nonprofit Generation Citizen spotlighting our U.S. History classes' action civics work addressing community gun violence.

LHS Students’s Passionate Voices  February 2017
The Lowell Sun Newspaper published and featured on a two-page spread Op-Eds written by my immigrant-origin students as a part of the Op-Ed Project I teach in my U.S. History class.

Teaching Civics in the Age of Trump November 2016
Christian Science Monitor Article profiling our classes' action civics work and quoting my student Carla Duran.

Identity and Immigration, Fayerweather Street School November 2016
Students in the 7th-8th grade Fayerweather Street School came to visit and learn from my immigrant origin students. Their teacher (and also my former 7-8th grade teacher) wrote this reflection on the visit.

Highlights from Massachusetts Civics Day Spring 16 May 2016
Generation Citizen spotlights award winners from the statewide civics day, including my class that won the statewide Action Award for addressing dropouts due to teen pregnancy by convincing school administrators to create customized graduation plans and other support services for teen mothers. 

Boost Educational Support For Teen Moms May 2016
The Lowell Sun published an Op-Ed written by students in one of my classes working on a semester-long action civics project to advocate for increased support for teen mothers in school. 

Lowell High Freshman Essay Tops in Merrimack Valley March 2016
One of my freshmen, Hamda won a countywide award for an essay she wrote about her migration story.

LHS Students Take on the Issues February 2016
The Lowell Sun Newspaper published and featured on a page spread five Op-Eds written by my immigrant-origin students. 

English Learners Try Skills at Op-Eds December 2015
The Lowell Sun Newspaper article highlighting the Op-Ed project run in my U.S. history classes. Each student chose an important community issue they carried about, researched that topic, and then wrote and edited an op-ed.