a workshop for the athenian school (my high school!)

Meg--
I'm really glad that you used the occasion of this project to "think back" about ways in which class matters might have been more effectively explored @ your high school, than in the current mode of diversity workshops that often have the effect of making the priviledged feel guilty (and so paralyzed, and unable to act). I can see so much evidence here, in the workshop you've designed, of the sort of work we have been doing together in this class, in our work w/ Parkway, and in our on-campus workshop. Thanks for imagining taking it out into the world.

The real challenge, I think, is how to get folks to open up, and share; to reflect both on what they've said and what they've heard; and then to help them know that they can act on those perceptions. You begin this process w/ the third exercise--"Have you ever felt that someone else at Athenian had more money and was able to afford more than you? Have you ever felt guilty or ashamed or just bad about how much money you or your family have? Or have you ever felt like someone else wanted you to feel badly about it?" I'm wondering if folks will be willing to share, w/ this much rawness, this early in the session....and what other ways there might be to get @ this.

Class priviledge is a challenge. As Marian's post suggests, "'people are wealthy BECAUSE other people are poor.' People are poor, in part, because of the concentrated wealth that we have benefitted from." So to have a frank conversation across that divide...

is a real challenge. Thanks for taking it on!