On Friday, January 12th, Seneca Valley’s Social Handprints Overcoming Unjust Treatment (SHOUT) club attended Culture Jam at the Ellis School in Pittsburgh.
Culture Jam is a regional school summit that takes place at the Ellis School each year. This year’s Culture Jam theme was “creating peace from peril.” The goal was to learn about how to utilize hardships as an opportunity to grow. The SHOUT club led a workshop discussing calling in versus calling out. Students also had the opportunity to attend a workshop based on what was assigned to them.
SHOUT members also had an opportunity to meet with two different affinity groups based on which one they chose to go to. Toward the end of the event, there was a panel discussion. These speakers included Susan Baida, Leon Ford, and Hanifa Nakiryowa. They spoke about their work in activism and advocacy, as well as what led them to where they are now.
Leo Slacker, a Junior in SHOUT who attended the summit said, “I think Culture Jam is a great experience. I think everyone should try to go. You are exposed to diverse perspectives and people. You learn a lot about diversity and equity. All the people are really nice too.” Culture Jam was an opportunity for students to meet people from different schools and get an opportunity to see different perspectives.
Culture Jam was a great opportunity for SHOUT members to learn from people who think differently from them. When you only surround yourself with people who are in similar situations to you, it doesn’t give you an opportunity to learn. Culture Jam was a great way for students to broaden their point of view and grow as people.