Roberts Students Advocate for Women’s History Month Field Trip
Justice and Equality for All!Roberts 8th grader Destynee Rogala made a protest sign at the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, and this is what it said.
Last year, in music class, Destynee asked her music teacher if he thought the school would support a field trip to celebrate Women’s History Month. Her teacher took the question to the building principal. This winter, the teacher approached Destynee again – asking who she thinks would like to join her on a trip. She quickly named two good friends who are equally as passionate about women’s history – and the rest of the spots were offered by a lottery system to 100 other interested 7th and 8th graders.
“I really care about women’s history,” Destynee shared. “I feel like we don’t celebrate it effectively at school – why aren’t we telling everyone about the contributions of women? It’s very important to me to see all that, to see how far we’ve come.”
Destynee noted that at the museum, students were able to learn about activists like Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and others – while visiting stations that encouraged deeper learning. They learned what the Declaration of Sentiments means in modern language; and that women have been involved in much more than they’re given credit for.
“Many people don’t know that women created a lot of necessary car parts,” Destynee added. “Like windshield wipers and rear-view mirrors! Schools can only teach us part of the story, but there is so much more that we should know about.”
Her friends insist that now more than ever, it’s critical for students to understand the challenges that our society has overcome and the stories that have led to where we are today.
“In our current political environment, women’s rights are at stake,” 8th grader Winter McKinney said. “That needs to change. We need to educate ourselves and speak up. Visiting the museum inspired me. We saw what women have gone through – that makes me want to protest more. I think if kids saw how important women are in our history, they would feel more driven to speak up.”
“Knowing how much women have done throughout history and how much they fought for what we have now was so great to see,” 8th grader Emma Sanford agreed. “Women’s rights should be appreciated so much more than they are. If you don’t know the history, you’re ignorant – and that means you’re stuck… you can’t make progress. As young girls now, we have to stand up to protect our rights into the future.”
School staff are hoping to make the Seneca Falls trip an annual field trip, open to all 7th grade students.
We’re so proud of Destinyee and her friends for using their voices to advocate for their education and speak up on issues they are passionate about!
