When Central High School teacher Caroline John saw the headline “ High School Student Makes
Immigrant Refugee Students Feel Welcome ” on a Today Show Facebook post , she knew she had to read more . What she found was a story about a student in Pennsylvania who started a program called “ Global Minds ,” which sparked an interest in John to start something similar at CHS .
The group describes itself as a for-youth , by-youth organization that inspires students to form social bonds , intercultural friendships , and to consider global issues through youth-led extracurricular activities . Over the summer months , John , an English Language Learner ( ELL ) Academic Intervention teacher , began looking up how to start a chapter at CHS , garnered administrative support , and established the necessary bylaws to get the organization up and running .
Central High School is now the only school in Texas with a Global Minds chapter , and is one of only 10 in the nation .
The first meeting was held in September 2017 with about 15 students in attendance from all over the globe -- Sudan , Venezuela , Honduras , Iraq , Zambia , Thailand , Nepal , Puerto Rico , Philippines , Vietnam , South Korea , and the United States were all represented . Since then , the group has met every Tuesday after school , spending time getting to know one another , participating in teamwork-based activities , and working on special projects . They also hear from special guest speakers who have international backgrounds and global experiences , such as Melanie Rhodes , Keller High School ESL Teacher and immigrant from the Philippines . John herself has an international background , too , as a dual citizen having spent the first six years of her life in Brazil .
Miriam Dubon , a freshman at CHS , moved to Fort Worth from Honduras just one year ago and serves as the Global Minds President . She has enjoyed being part of this program to learn about other cultures .
“ I love to help and do community service ,” Dubon said . “ I ’ m also able to make friends with others who may be new and don ’ t have friends here . I want to make them feel welcome .”
Although new , the group is already making an impact at the campus as students build relationships and create cultural awareness .
“ We ’ ve become a family ,” John said . “ We provide a place that is inclusive , and I ’ m so proud of these students – many have never been part of a club , and now they are stepping up to be leaders . We hope to make a difference and open minds , as we educate , integrate , and motivate .”
Central High Launches Global Minds to Reach Students at Local Level
To see more of the Central High School Global Minds organization , follow them on Twitter at @ globalmindstx or Instagram at @ globalmindstexas .
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