KIPP students join the Million Man March

On October 10, the 20th Anniversary of the Million Man March, 30 young men from KIPP Polaris Academy for Boys will march in Washington D.C. Located in North Forest, KIPP Polaris’ mission is to prepare its boys for college and life and have them become leaders in their communities; and the Million Man March is an experience that sets them on that path.

From this march, the young men will understand the power that they have to be agents of change. They do not need to wait until they are adults to be “the change they wish to see in the world” (Ghandi). The students participating in the trip will learn what justice means, what their roles are, how it applies to them and others, and how they change their community today.

School leader Aaronthomas Green explains the importance of their participation, “At our school, our young men learn that it is their responsibility to fulfill their goals in school, not only for themselves but for their families and as servants for the community. Changing the world begins in the communities where we are; it begins by building up children who will become adults willing to speak their minds and think for themselves.”

Students earned this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by writing reflections on what they hope to learn. They must take their experiences and teach their fellow classmates what they learn through a service plan and presentation for the rest of the school.

The group will fly to Washington D.C. Thursday morning and also visit the Pentagon, Georgetown University, Howard University, the National Mall monuments, and the National Zoo. They are excited and ready for four days of life-changing learning and experiences.

About KIPP Houston Public Schools

KIPP was founded in Houston in 1994 and has since grown to 183 public schools in 20 states and DC serving 70,000 children. Houston is KIPP’s largest region, with 24 public schools serving nearly 12,500 students and an additional 1,000 alumni in college and beyond. While only eight percent of students from low-income communities across the nation graduate from college, KIPPsters boast a 51 percent college graduation rate, tracking from the 8th grade. www.kipphouston.org.