Chantel and Vanessa were students whose own passions and interests in exploring the differences between urban, suburban, public and private schools motivated them to draw perhaps the strongest connections between their oral history work and their final PAR projects.  From taking the initiative to contacting and visiting various schools in the Boston area to the observations they raised during class discussions, they came a long way in terms of both describing those differences as well as coming to the conclusion that perhaps most important of all was ability of individual students to talk about them...and ultimately, rise above it all.

PAR Essential questions:

Chantel:  How well aware are students at inner city public, private, suburban public schools of the differences between each other's school environments?  How does this awareness affect youth leadership in making a change for educational equity?

Notable quotes:

Chantel: 

“If I do not take [my education] seriously, no one will…it is my responsibility to use all the resources that I am given to the fullest and to remember that an education has the same amount of power, no matter where you go and it is up to me to treat it that way.” –

Vanessa:

“I learned that PAR research is extremely important for the youth.  Especially if the youth [are] the ones that are getting involved and getting the facts.  If you can find something that a person is truly passionate about, there is no limit as to what that person is able to do in order to quench their taste for knowledge.  I never thought I would be capable of writing something longer than 8 pages.  I learned that all it takes is passion and genuine respect for what you are trying to research.  The part of having your hard work written down for everyone to read is just a bonus that comes with the newly acquired knowledge and perspective”

Link to Chantel's Digital portfolio: http://bcla.digication.com/.../

Link to Vanessa's Digital portfolio:  http://bcla.digication.com/.../