Hyla’s mini-term is fast approaching! The Hyla community is making plans to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on January 20, 2014.If you have checked your calendar, you may have noticed that we will be participating in Seattle’s March on Martin Luther King Day. We invite you all to march with us. The 8th grade delegates have been attending committee meetings in Seattle to prepare for the march.  In fact, this year’s Seattle theme, “Rise Up!  Restore the Dream!” originated with our students!

We are excited to spend time continuing Dr. King’s work.  On Martin Luther King Day, we will make our way to Garfield High School in Seattle.  We will attend the city’s rally and then march from Garfield High School to the Westlake Center.  We invite all family and friends to join us.  This is a rare opportunity for our students to learn more about peaceful marches and the power of community.  In the past, the march has included anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 participants.  We recognize that Martin Luther King Day is a national holiday; however, we hope families choose to join us in the Seattle festivities. After participating in the Seattle celebrations, our students will continue in-depth studies of issues that we have identified as significant to ensuring freedoms for all people. These studies will take place over two days in February with a culminating school-wide celebration of what each group learned.

One of the most important components of this mini-term is engaging in service within our communities.  As Dr. King stated, “life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?”  We hope to tackle some of our community’s most pressing issues, offer help, and move toward actively changing the face and heart of our local and global homes.As we move forward with our preparations, I encourage everyone to think about how we can make the most of this opportunity.

Rise Up! Restore the Dream!

The First Liberty – An Understanding and Appreciation of Religion and Spirituality: Andrew, Kimberley, & Laura

Religion has been at the heart of many movements within American history since the Colonial era.  The guiding principles that govern the relationship between religion and politics are set forth in the opening 16 words of the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights.  These words reflect a deep concern for an individual’s right to practice religion freely.  It is more important than ever that everyone understands and appreciates the role that religion and spiritual beliefs play in our lives.  Since the 17th century, we have become a nation of over 3,000 religious groups and affiliations.  In a post-9/11 world, it is essential for all of us to embrace all of the religious choices we make.

Our mini-term group will examine various religious practices by trying to experience them. Three years ago, we led a number of students through an eye-opening adventure traveling to various churches, temples, and mosques in Seattle.  This year, we plan to revisit these wonderful places to attend services at Mount Zion Baptist Church, Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism, and the Islamic Idriss Mosque.  Students are invited to learn more about the challenges that individuals and groups face in their spiritual journeys. Students will design a service component to their experience after visiting these different places of worship.

Hope By Twelve: Kris Van Gieson & Mike Fosmark

Hope by Twelve is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering adolescent girls by providing education, health care, and other support systems.  With support, a twelve-year-old girl in an impoverished setting can become a positive force in her community as well as in her own life.  In fact, supporting young girls is one of the most powerful and effective avenues for social change.  Currently, Hope by Twelve is working locally and internationally to give hope and support to young girls in Ethiopia.

In this mini-term, we will work with co-founder, Molly Pitts, and program and development manager, Gretchen Hayward, from Hope by Twelve.  First we’ll become educated about the plight of girls in impoverished and politically disrupted countries. Then it is time for action.  Hope by Twelve is making an inspirational video and they need our help with writing the narration and providing suggestions for editing their movie. They want young peoples’ language and perspectives. Our input will help to motivate other young activists.  We may also decide to create our own fundraising effort to support young girls in Ethiopia.

Make a Splash-Access to Clean Water: Vicki Jenkins & Cami Holtmeier

Every day we turn on our facets without thinking about where our water comes from, nor do we worry about whether a sip will make us so ill that we can’t go to school.  Globally, not everyone has access to clean drinking water.  Water is a biological requirement for life, as well as a fundamental human right.   The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognizes that “The human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity. It is a prerequisite for the realization of other human rights”.  In this miniterm we will investigate social issues surrounding who has access to clean water.  What does it mean to have “safe” water?  Near by?  Affordable?  Or sufficient water to live off?  The World Health Organization estimates a basic amount of water one person needs each day is between 50-100 liters (13-26 gallons).  That’s total per day, not per shower!  Also water is heavy – one gallon weighs about 8 pounds.  How would your day be different if you had to carry 13-26 gallons water to your home (that’s 104-208 pounds)?

We will work with Splash, a Seattle based non-profit organization, whose mission is to help provide clean drinking water to schools, orphanages and shelters in impoverished urban areas in Nepal, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Thailand, Vietnam, and China.

Hunger – Nutrition – Malnutrition: Paul Carroll, Maddie Burke, & Joyce Mycka-Stettler

What do these concepts mean in the lives of young people? Are young people around the world impacted? Are young people in our area impacted? Some estimates indicate that 1 out of every 5 children in America are in situations where their families cannot give them the food they need. What can we do to make a difference?

We will explore these questions in our mini-term group. We plan to take a trip to a local grocery store to find out which foods are the cheapest, and which inexpensive foods have the highest nutritional values. We will then make meals based on our findings. We plan to watch a recent documentary film focused on hunger. We also plan to partner with local groups to affect change for individuals and make a difference in the politics of hunger in our region.

The Forgotten Human Right . . . the right to nature: Jeff Steele & Jennifer Haase

The natural world is an integral part of our identity.  What does it mean to ignore or violate the deep connections between humans and the natural places in which we live and grow? In our mini-term, we will explore the connections between humans and nature.  We will draft a declaration that humans have a fundamental right to live in harmony with nature.  Our efforts will closely follow the work of Richard Louve, author of The Last Child in the Woods, and leading activist supporting the movement of establishing a fundamental “Right to Nature” in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. Through a series of identity exploration activities and the examination of current events, we will connect to this movement and draft our thoughts together about our interdependence with the natural world.

 To Be Without a Home: Cindy Schacht & Melissa Dempsey

It seems that our basic rights should include having a home; however, approximately 8,000 adults and children will sleep on the streets of Seattle tonight. When we’re walking in the city, we pass them everyday but what if anything can we do? We want to give money and sometimes we do, but is that really a permanent solution?  Is there more that can be done?

In this mini term, we will discover the causes of homelessness (you will be surprised by the background stories of the people who live on the streets), how children who are homeless go to school, what services Seattle has to offer, and what the best solutions to the problems are. We will travel to Seattle to explore and analyze the issues, meet people who are working on solutions, and be part of a “homeless simulation”.  Homelessness is an issue that has solutions and everyone can make a difference. So join us!