Sorry if it seems that I'm taking space and time in what's already a news-filled day for a personal request, but I'm looking for help in educating a group of future leaders.
What one thing (article, novel, documentary, non-fiction book) do you think would be instrumental in opening their eyes and hopefully inspire them to affect social change?
I run a youth volunteer program that engages more than 600 teens each year in community service projects. Later this summer I have a great opportunity to challenge a group of teens who serve as program leaders to discover the true issues facing their local and global community. They will be using the insight they gain this summer to not only plan volunteer projects in the coming year but hopefully as a springboard to a lifetime of civic engagement and service.
I will be training them to conduct interviews with a diverse range of community members to hear directly from them what are their current challenges. They will also be working side by side with day-laborers, work in a homeless shelter, take part in environmental restoration projects, and speak with city leaders. But I also plan to give a "reading list" and independent research projects.
This is where you come in:
What one thing (article, novel, documentary, non-fiction book) do you think would be instrumental in opening their eyes and hopefully inspire them to affect social change?
I'm sure we can all remember when we read or watched something as a young person that really made us think, that really opened our eyes... This is a chance to share some of that inspiration with a new generation of future leaders. And so I hope that you will take a minute to share any suggestions you might have.
One qualifier: While topics can range from social justice, the environment, education, economics, etc. I'm looking for thinks that would be particularly impactful for 16-18 year olds.
Thanks! For those interested, I will post a final syllabus and share details about the outcome of this project.