We recently reached our youngest group of QUESTioners, ever! And what we found couldn’t be more eye-opening.
When we were first asked to engage a room full of seventy 5th graders at Bronx Charter School for Better Learning, we didn’t know what to expect; elementary students are young, and big life questions are… well… BIG and, at times, overwhelming. But what unfolded over the course of our 2-hour session with these 10-year-olds deeply touched us, and inspired us to imagine what the QUESTion Project can do with younger ages.
Our classroom was abuzz with energy, curiosity and eagerness to share. Hands shot into the air with questions and comments; spines straightened with attentiveness. These students were open, spontaneous and fearless in relation to questions about themselves, their choices and their future.
At one point we asked the group to share one word that describes themselves, and explain why. One girl used her name because, she said. her name represents who she is — and she is proud of who she is. At another point we asked them to share one of their biggest questions about life. One asked, “Who am I supposed to be?”
After this session, we have no doubt that we will need to bring our program to younger grades. We are very thankful for the experience and hope to have more like it in the near future!
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