On Friday, May 4^th, the 10^th grade personal projects will all be displayed in the Oberlin High School gymnasium during regular school hours, 8:15 AM to 3:15 PM.  The Oberlin Public Library has opened the community room for the students to showcase their accomplishments Tuesday through Thursday, May 8th – 10^th.  Students will be available to discuss their projects with the community from 6 PM – 7 PM each evening.

Each night all projects will be on display, however, each night there will be special presentations.  On Tuesday, May 8th the focus will be on art and community service.  Creativity will be the message on Wednesday, May 9^th and on Thursday, May 10^th all students doing projects on music will be featured.   Please join us to celebrate the work of our students.

Donna Shurr, MYP Coordinator

Oberlin High School

During the summer of 2009, I presented the opportunity to participate in the Ohio Global Institute to many students who are involved in community service. Rachel was the only student to complete the research, write the college level paper, and present it before university professors at Ohio State University and her peers. She wrote a paper and presented each year for three years. Her hard work and dedication were rewarded this year when she was chosen to represent the state of Ohio, along with five other high school students, at The Global Youth Institute at The World Food Prize in DesMoines, Iowa.

Attending the symposium and presenting her paper at this level gave Rachel the opportunity to apply for a Borloug-Ruan Internship to study in one of eighteen research centers around the world for two months during the summer. This amazing young woman works to excel in her academic grades but is also passionate about using her knowledge to effect change, especially in regard to social justice, poverty and hunger. Rachel has applied for the internship, has participated in her second interview and has been accepted as one of the next Borloug-Ruan Interns to Bangladesh.

Being involved in the Global Youth Institute has opened Rachel’s eyes to other issues and needs, both locally and globally. One of the activities (both in Columbus and DesMoines) that inspired her was participation in a Hunger Banquet. This was a very powerful experience that raised awareness and brought the reality of world hunger to both Rachel and myself. At lunch, teachers and students took a ticket to assign them to different income levels. Depending on that level, guests were served a nutritious meal, rice and beans and the largest group shared rice and a bucket of water. Throughout the banquet, participants also took on roles of real people around the world.

Rachel was very moved the first time we attended a Hunger Banquet in Columbus and, after attending another in Des Moines this fall, she was determined to present one at our high school. The Friday before winter break, Rachel organized the Interact Club, (the community service club of Oberlin High School) and students in the Food Awareness Club to hold a Hunger Banquet. One hundred and thirty students attended during their lunch period and the response from the students, teachers and community was moving. Many students responded with positive comments and a greater awareness of the prevalence of food insecurity locally and worldwide.

The Interact Club, led by Rachel, is now embarking on a new initiative, which is addressing hunger in our community. Through her many contacts, Rachel, the inquirer, learned about the National BackPack program. The BackPack program provides a backpack full of food at the end of the school week for children who may not have enough food to eat over the weekend. The mission of Backpack Programs throughout the United States is to help alleviate child hunger by providing hungry children with nutritious and easy to prepare food at times when other resources may not be available. In our community, approximately 50% of our children are enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program. Residents of Lorain County, which was already struggling before the global economic crisis, have been hit especially hard. In Oberlin, children on free and reduced lunch receive a breakfast and lunch and all students in the 21st Century After School Program receive a healthy snack each day. The Backpack Program provides these children with food over the weekend.

This project has challenged Rachel to improve her communication skills to speak to a variety of community groups. In order to begin this program, Rachel authored a presentation that she has taken to a number of community organizations, parent groups and non-profits. She has given talks, written grants to many funding institutions and found the seed money to begin a pilot program this year. This caring young woman is pushing forward to ensure that the project will be sustainable after her graduation.

In order to accomplish these projects, Rachel has had to develop strong interpersonal skills with both her peers and adults. She has worked with students, teachers, administrators, non-profit organizations and community organizations. Rachel has become knowledgeable concerning the difficulty starting a project of such immense proportion, yet willing to take the risks to make it a reality.

As an IB Diploma candidate, Rachel has balanced many pursuits. She is a self-motivated young woman who maintains excellent grades, is active in many school activities, performs community service, and carries a part-time job as a lifeguard and a Water Safety Instructor at Lorain County Splash Zone, a county metro-park.

Entering the Ohio Global Youth Institute the fall of her sophomore year inspired Rachel to think more deeply about the problems resulting from poverty and hunger. This principled young woman has inquired into many hunger issues both locally and globally. Rachel’s commitment to world hunger and food security embodies what it means to be an IB student. I am moved by her passion for these issues and her genuine compassion for those who suffer poverty and hunger. Rachel has already had such a tremendous impact on our school and in our city. I look forward to watching her carry her energy and passion into the larger, global community to continue her work to improve the lives of others. Rachel says, “Taking a risk to write my first paper for the Ohio Global Youth Institute changed my life. It ignited a drive in me to make a difference in the world and to join others, like Norman Borloug, to improve the quality of life for those who suffer from hunger. I would encourage every high school student to be open-minded about researching and writing an essay on the problems related to food security and where that may lead you.”

Ms. Donna M. Shurr is the DP CAS Coordinator, MYP IB Coordinator and teacher at Oberlin High School who recently completed the MYP IB Academy. Shurr has been Rachel’s mentor/advisor during her high school years.

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GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT THROUGH SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP Segovia, Spain, 2-6 July 2012

THE NEW SUSTAINABILITY: MAKING THINGS BETTER, NOT JUST “LESS BAD” Vancouver, Canada, 23-27 July 2012

These conferences are designed to invigorate the learning process for your students, expand their world beyond the classroom, and allow them to make lifelong friendships with their peers worldwide. We encourage you to consider your Diploma Programme students for this unique and life-changing experience.

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Updated China Price Quote

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OAIBWS 2012 AGM flyer and Agenda A 2-15-12

Diploma with Honors Comparison Chart 2012

Friday, February 24     10:00am-2:30pm, Dublin Coffman High School, 7030 Coffman Road, Dublin, OH 43017

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Visual Arts Round table – Download Flyer