Warm Summer Wishes!
The COSLI newsletter is written and edited by students on the COSLI Student Advisory Board.
Enjoy student updates, perspectives, events, and opportunities.
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Letter from the Student Advisory Board President
Good friends of COSLI,
I would first like to begin by introducing a piece of my life that has strongly shaped my current presence in the community and in the fight for equality. My parents are both Palestinian immigrants who fought from rock bottom to provide a better life for their six children in the United States. Muaatasem, my father, has described countless times how he was racially oppressed for the religion he followed or the very little English he spoke when he first arrived in the US. Stories of him being punched, threatened with a gun, called a terrorist, and much more resonated within my heart at a young age when he was beginning to explain the hatred that was evident in my community, as we were the only Muslim family in a town of majority white people. Entering the sixth grade, my religion never interrupted the way I approached school or made friends. However, while I was walking to class in middle school, an upper class student uttered the words, “I don’t hold doors for Muslims.” At first, I struggled to understand the origin of such words and hatred that came from a fellow student. Ever since, the barrier of racism and oppression has not impeded on my ability to perform as a minority scholar.
With that, I cannot stress the importance of the current election and privilege to vote that so many of you have access to. If we desire change and reform, we must fulfill our civic duty and help better the nation in the voting booth. For the young teens advocating for change, I commend you all for the countless hours you have invested, and urge you to continue your efforts as we approach instrumental moments in our nation’s future.
Thank you and all the best,
Mohamed Ibrahim
COSLI Class of 2019
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Letter from the Founding Executive Director
Friends of COSLI is proud to be a Project of the Rose Community Foundation
Dear Friends,
While folks who look like me are working to understand what it means to be an ally in the fight for racial equity, I feel weary in the knowledge that I have been so since I was in 5th grade and turned in an essay on civil rights--receiving a stern rebuke. Or, maybe it actually started a little bit before, when I saw marchers walking to Memphis on a country road, seen from my family's farmhouse. My grandfather, an attorney in Little Rock, Arkansas, didn't explain them to me but he also didn't disparage them. I'd like to think he was considering my youth, but as I have reflected through the years, I think it was because he was a bystander--not part of the solution, but purposely not part of the problem. In Little Rock in the 60s, that was a matter of safety--physical, financial and social. He did a number of things that only we knew about and that can be considered as some small attempt to be part of the solution.
My first teaching job was in a school that was called "Last Chance HS" by most. It is a cherished time for me.The population of the school was 97% students of color. There are 2 very real memories that I want to share with you. On my first day, the principal, a woman of color, let me know about a few students who might be the most trouble. One of them was a young black student who she wanted me to "get graduated so they can work at Burger King, that's all they'll do." It was so shocking to me, but at the same time felt surreal. There are many parts to this story. The ending is different than the principal had predicted--the student is now an amazing criminal defense attorney in Houston with a darling son of their own. We remain close friends today.
The other is about a field trip I took with these same students. We went to visit a replica of the Forbidden City. It was in a very white community about 35 minutes from our school. I'd told my students that if the field trip was a success, we would stop at one of the Mills Malls for lunch and they could spend some time shopping and eating. The trip was perfect so the mall stop was a go. There were very strict directions to meet me in a very specific spot, with an understanding that if they were late, there would be days of detention for each minute tardy. No surprise that 3 busses of black and Hispanic teens stormed me at the exact time I had demanded. Staff at the store where we were meeting called the police, fearful for my safety. I overheard their conversation as they described why they were calling. The weight of the situation was visible on all of the student’s shoulders. I was shocked, angry and indignant. The store management was visibly embarrassed when they realized their mistake, but hesitated to make a statement at that moment. They repented--fifteen of my students attended Close-Up in Washington, D.C. at the expense of the store. And, all of the employees enjoyed cultural sensitivity training. My students received a letter of apology and they were engaged by the store to serve as lobbyists--meaning my students were representatives of this very large store chain whose client base looked nothing like them.
At the time, I thought these were isolated incidents, of which there might be a handful each year. Then, shortly after, a man was drug to his death behind a truck because he was black, in a town just 100 miles north. That was 20 years ago. The story is beginning to feel like one on repeat.
For some, it doesn't feel true--certain that issues of race have long been handled. As it happens, I am writing this letter on the day we acknowledge the birth of our nation. I see and hear many Coloradans struggling with how to celebrate. The play Hamilton started live-streaming in honor of the holiday. A play that gloriously celebrates the timeless principles upon which our nation was founded--one historian proclaimed today that American History could be succinctly taught by simply viewing this majestic work.
But, it is an editorial in the Philadelphia Inquirer yesterday that spoke loudly, part of which I’d like to share with you: “All men are created equal. The United States remains the only nation in the world founded on (this) principle. And we rise and fall by our fidelity to that principle... Human equality requires that we treat others as we would have them treat us. And in this, we have failed. There can be no better time than now for people on all sides to take a long, hard look at themselves and to aspire to be better. The birth of our nation was itself an aspiration, and there is still time to live up to it. On the 244 thanniversary of American independence, we can pledge this to each other, just as the signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged to each other their ‘lives, fortune, and sacred honor.’ It’s only fitting.” You can read the entirety of that article here.
Celeste
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Lesson Learned: Dr. Antwan Jefferson
Authors: Timi Kola-Abiola and Bryce Li
America is at a very monumental stage of history in regards to race, following countless protests advocating for the equal treatment of black Americans. COSLI Student Board Members Timi Kola-Abiola and Bryce Li interviewed one of COSLI's favorite speakers on racial justice, Dr. Antwan Jefferson, to discuss the current race situation in America.
Dr. Jefferson is an Assistant Professor in the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Education and Human Development. He teacher in the Urban Community Teacher Education program in the Human Development and Family Relations program, and in the Urban and Diverse Communities concentration of the Leadership for Educational Equity EdD program. Dr. Jefferson's work revolves around diversity, social justice, and education.
Recent protests have been a fundamental part of trying to find answers to racially-charged questions and spreading this information to Americans and their legislators across the nation. These protests have demonstrated how the sheer power of the people in America can begin to create real, fundamental change--even though that change has not come yet. When asked about the most important lesson to take away from these recent protests, Dr. Jefferson responded, "An important lesson is that all of the work of the last century and a half still has not resulted in the goal of the protests, which is seeing black Americans and other marginalized groups receiving full, equal humane treatment in the U.S." He notes that the limited legislation that has passed has been helpful, but not adequate, and that Americans need to continue these protest efforts to ensure that a more equal future is secured.
That being said, Dr. Jefferson notes that he has already seen positive change come directly as a result of these protests. Specifically, he describes how all sorts of diverse people--black, white, latino, etc.--have consistently shown up, day after day, to push for change. He describes his gratitude towards members of non-black communities showing up, stating that "It's tiring for black Americans to be fighting for their own causes without the support of allies." And while Dr. Jefferson notes that there has been a "sustained focus on demanding policy change," he understands that time will be the best indicator of whether these protests have been effective enough to persuade policymakers.
Protests have been fueled by the passion of so many across the nation. Importantly, young people have been a critical force in this movement. Timi and Bryce asked Dr. Jefferson about what young people need to understand about these times. Dr. Jefferson explained: first, the youth must recognize that much of the energy put into these protests is intended to benefit the youth and the future; second, many youth are finally learning racial activism for the first time, as it is not present in the educational curricula; third, the youth should be prepared to carry on this work into the future and not presume that the system will fix itself. Dr. Jefferson hopes that all youth feel invited to fight until equality is real.
Dr. Antwan Jefferson (left) with William Anderson and City Councilman Chris Herndon during a panel at the 2018 Student Board Retreat.
Timi and Bryce also asked Dr. Jefferson what the most powerful way to get engaged and involved would be. He responded that people must be willing to “learn and listen” to the stories and experiences of the protestors that are protesting on their OWN behalf, and also to attempt to understand the core issues that have driven so many more to protest. After all, Dr. Jefferson says, education is the first step to civic engagement.
Every year, Dr. Jefferson speaks to the COSLI class about leadership. One of Dr. Jefferson's core principles of leadership is respect and understanding. Why? Dr. Jefferson explains, "You cannot lead those you cannot see; true leadership does not stem from self-interest, but rather compassion for the people who you are leading.” Moreover, that is what Dr. Jefferson believes is very important about the COSLI program: the fact that COSLI allows young people to believe that they don't have to wait for some "magical age" before they can be a leader. Rather, COSLI can empower the youth to lead anywhere and to believe that anything is enough for leadership. Finally, Dr. Jefferson explained that he appreciates COSLI students because they are not passive, but active learners. He explains how COSLI students will oftentimes challenge his ideas and assumptions, and Dr. Jefferson believes that level of thinking, questioning, and curiosity is very promising.
Dr. Jefferson is an incredibly important figure in these unpromising, unpredictable times. Thank you to Dr. Jefferson for this interview, and for his continual work and support for the COSLI program.
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Student Features
Note that all students who successfully complete COSLI are given automatic acceptance to the University of Colorado Denver.
Samantha Townsley (2020, Parker) received the Outstanding Activity Scholar Award from Chaparral HS.
Grace Schulte (2020, Gunnison) competed in this year's Speech and Debate Nationals, the first time it has been held as a virtual contest.
Elora Smith (2016, Monte Vista) made the President's List at Shenandoah University!
Ewan Wummel (2018, Denver) is now a Hispanic Scholarship Foundation Scholar. Congrats Ewan!
Drew Smith (2018, Monte Vista) is attending a Discipleship Training School in New Zealand. Congrats Drew!
Happy Birthday to our COSLI Alumni! May your day be full of smiles!
Love, your COSLI Family.
Diana Garcia - 7/2
Joey Vongphasouk - 7/2
James Vongphasouk - 7/2
Bella-Analise Brown - 7/5
Bedha Neopaney - 7/8
Elena Dunn - 7/8
Valeria Miramontes-Alonzo - 7/10
Prash Satish - 7/10
Ashley Gurrola - 7/13
Rafael Lutz - 7/13
Kevin Nguyen - 7/15
Elena Fierro - 7/21
Greta Cahill - 7/23
Mirabelle Riley - 7/24
Colorado History
What else happened in July?
Did you know these historical events occurred in July?
July 9, 1868 - The U.S. Congress ratified the fourteenth amendment, which allowed citizenship for all people born in the United States.
July 13, 1993 - The first Chipotle Mexican Grill opened in Denver.
July 11, 1955 - The U.S. Air Force Academy holds its first graduation ceremony for 306 cadets.
July 12, 2007 - Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge is created by the US Fish and Wildlife Organization.
We are so proud of our COSLI alumni! Contact Izzy McCarty (imccarty2021@esdk12.org) or Sheila Ta (sheilata93@gmail.com) with college acceptances as they start rolling in and any other cool projects or successes!
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NEW: COSLI Book Club
Dinner with COSLI, Join Our New Book Club!
Let’s dive deep into what the country is experiencing right now, and take the time and commitment to further educate ourselves through this newfound book club. This club will be open to COSLI friends, alumni, and current members who are willing to be open-minded, civil, and inclusive within the discussion. With each new book, new perspectives will be taken into consideration as we discuss relevant issues in society.
The first book we will be reading is Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-Winning Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds. Please note that there are two editions of this book, double-check the title to ensure you get the right one.
If you have a financial barrier to access the book and would like to be involved in the book club, please contact Celeste Archer at CELESTE.ARCHER@ucdenver.edu.
Here are some places where you can get it:
- Audiobook has a free trial for 30 days (if not already used)
- Amazon is selling hardback and kindle copies for $11.39 here
- eBay is also selling less expensive options here.
- Always check with your local independent bookstores as well.
This book club will be Zooming every other week on Sundays from 5:00 to 6:30 pm.
The starting date: July 19, 2020.
If you are interested in joining, please reach out to Celeste to receive the link for the Zoom group call. Please have read chapter 1 before our first meeting. We will summarize chapters at the beginning of the meeting in order to make sure everyone is on the same page. Afterward, we will transition into an open discussion led by Drew Smith, Sophia Truex, and Sheila Ta (COSLI, 2018).
Additionally, you can join a virtual talk given by the author of the book, Ibram X. Kendi on July 20 from 5:00-7:00 pm. For more details and to register, click here.
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Alumni Feature: Veniece Miller
Venice Miller (2017) published an article in Medium called, "We've Marched, We've Protested, Now Gen-Z Must Vote," encouraging Gen-Z to get out and vote in this upcoming election and why it's important to vote.
Read the full article:
In the age of COVID-19, Gen-Z faces a crisis that spans beyond apathy. It is a crisis of our communities and democracy: not showing up to the 2020 election. With the school year ended for millions of students and the National Conventions approaching, the 2020 election is the most consequential decision Gen-Zers have confronted.
November is a referendum on who the United States wants to become, a question that should invariably be answered by the future leaders, parents, and problem-solvers of the nation. However, countless peers struggle with the notion that they do not know enough to vote — a harmful perception for a group that has been the hardest hit with a loss of employment in pandemic times.
The unprecedented circumstances for the 2020 election have turned into an apprehension of low engagement in November. These fears are not unfounded: Gen-Z’s vote is under attack. The Brennan Center–a nonpartisan law and policy institute at New York University–found that ahead of the Georgian primary in June, there was an enormous difference in the age demographics of those requesting absentee ballots. 47.6 percent of Georgian residents aged 65+ requested ballots compared to a measly 10.6 percent of those 40 and below.
The occurrence of COVID-19 has only exacerbated and deepened the already present deficiencies of the U.S. elections system. The U.S. has one of the lowest youth voter turnout rates in the world. Throughout the years, a failed system of civic education and election day barriers has left Gen-Z without the tools to effectively navigate political participation.
One of the biggest culprits — the high school civics class. Eleven states have no civics class requirement at all, thirty require only a semester, and a mere nine states require a yearlong class. Under this dismally low bar, many students do not learn about the voting process until after their first chance to vote as an 18-year-old has passed. Schools have traded a responsibility to inform students of their great duty as a citizen for a higher ranking in math and science. The problem is, without a strong sense of efficacy in our youth, democracy is weakened. Efficacy is the foundation of a constructive and thoughtful electorate.
For young adults’ other barriers that contribute to a low voter turnout include frequent change of address, distant polling locations, and registration identification barriers. This is not a partisan problem; it is a peer group problem.
The United States’ civic crisis can be mitigated, even in pandemic times. Research shows teaching citizens about voting before they are eighteen encourages them to learn these behaviors, establish a lifelong habit, and influence others to fulfill a civic responsibility. Through education, barriers facing Gen-Z voters can be lifted. Historically, apathy has been the most powerful tactics used against youth’s interests in elections. But the jury is still out for November — school administrators, community organizers, and Gen-Zers can take ownership in our collective, communal responsibility to prosperity in this nation.
Gen-Zers have the most to lose in 2020. Combined with Millennials, Gen-Zers make up the largest collective constituency eligible to vote. It is crucial Gen-Z votes on tangible problems that have a disproportionate effect on young people from dismally funded education, to sky rocking youth suicide rates, to faltering healthcare.
This Novembers’ most eligible voters are a generation marked by ongoing wars started before we were born, two devastating recessions, and a global pandemic. Gen-Z is also markedly a generation of unparalleled civic activism. Two years ago, we marched for our lives to end gun violence, today we protest for Black lives, in November we must vote for our future.
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Opportunities and Events: June 2020
The National History Academy Online is offering four one-week programs centered on the Case Method Institute’s “History of American Democracy” curriculum. These weekly cases focus on critical events in our history--the creation of the Constitution, political division leading to the Civil War, Martin Luther King’s fight for civil rights and voting rights, and women’s struggle for equal rights in America. Classes, guest speakers, and virtual site visits allow students to relate these defining events of our history to the serious challenges we face as a country today. This opportunity is completely free for high school students. More info here.
The Amazon Future Engineer Program is a series of free online courses being offered for kids and teens interested in computer science. There are different challenges and opportunities for anyone, and you can get involved very easily. These are all being offered for free until the fall! More info here.
TeensGive is a program made entirely to promote teens volunteering. It is a huge database of volunteer opportunities for youth across the country, including many online positions. Check this out if you are interested in getting involved in some way, but aren’t sure how. More info here.
The United Nations has a program for anyone to get involved and volunteer digitally. This is open to anyone who wants to help out, including teens, and is full of many different opportunities. There is work for people interested in translation, research, COVID-19 response and many other areas. More info found here.
The Smithsonian has an online transcription volunteer program. Teens can become part of the effort to transcribe huge parts of the Smithsonian archives, getting to interact with many different historical documents and work to transcribe them for digital access. This is open to both teens and adults! More info here.
Translators Without Borders is a program for people who speak multiple languages to do translating jobs as volunteer work. Teens can sign up for this too! More info found here.
Points of Light is the biggest provider and database of volunteer opportunities in Colorado. There are many opportunities available for teens here.
Johns Hopkins University and many other colleges are providing free courses and resources for anyone interested in joining. There are one-day classes and full courses available here, all open to people of any ages.
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COSLI Reads
Need book recommendations? Well here’s a list of what the COSLI alumni are reading- take a look, you might find one you like! Enjoy!
See what your COSLI alumni have been reading!
Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
A Generation Rising by Gerald N. Lund
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba
Son by Lois Lowry
Spillover by David Quammen
The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Stolen by Lucy Christopher
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario
Native Son by Richard Wright
Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
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Meme of the Month
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COSLI Newsletter Contributors
Sophia Truex, Editor (Crested Butte, CO)
Drew Smith, Editor (Monte Vista, CO)
Hagan Archer (Denver, CO)
Iris Courtney (Thornton, CO)
Emma Davis (Aurora, CO)
Mohamed Ibrahim (Wiggins, CO)
Timi Kola-Abiola (Denver, CO)
Bryce Li (Broomfield, CO)
Emma Logan (Denver, CO)
Izzy McCarty (Elizabeth, CO)
Valeria Miramontes (Denver, CO)
Sheila Ta (Pueblo, CO)
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