“Teaching Cleveland” isn’t as simple as its name sounds— it’s not just teaching students from the Cleveland area but teaching students about Cleveland—the history, the present, and what the future can be with their help.
Various sponsors in the Cleveland area provide this unique opportunity and have impacted over 70 local school districts. The program began as a space for teachers to gain more insight into the city’s history and incorporate it into their lessons. Over the years and with funding, it has turned into more than that.
From Lakewood High School, six students are participating, along with advisor Joseph Lobozzo. Lobozzo hosts many clubs (club identity, film club, mock trial) here at Lakewood High School—all groups with the common theme of connecting people.
“It’s meeting people who are go-getters, who are doing things, who are shaking things up,” Lobozzo said.
This program revolves around a central theme that fosters connections among students. Influential contributors to the city showcase various opportunities for change, offering tools and guidance on how to implement that change.
Once a month, students attend meetings at the Greater Cleveland Partnership in Playhouse Square, where they have in-depth conversations about Cleveland’s past, work with students from other schools, have dinner, and develop their ideas for the big project.
This year’s theme is equity—specifically where we find it and where we don’t.
“[Equity means] raising or lowering what you’re giving people based on what they have, it’s all kind of a balance,” senior student participant Delaney Ives said.
Each school is given up through March to complete their “project” to present an idea to better the equity in their communities—our community. Lakewood’s students have decided to hone in on the concept of perspective: what it means and where it fluctuates throughout our city.
“It’s unique in the way that we get to talk to different people and get different perspectives,” senior Lee Wilson said.
Exposure to what other school districts look like can bring a lot of this perspective to students; they can learn about what the rest of our corner of the world looks like, and it brings an open mind.
Ives describes having the thought, “Every city is like Lakewood,” but after this exposure to other neighborhoods and districts, she describes seeing how different everything is.
“The more you have perspective the more you can understand other people,” Ives said.
“I think it definitely inspires you because you get to talk to a lot of people who have their own foundations and organizations that help Cleveland,” senior Lilly Benjamin said.
Another aspect of the program is the networking. Changemakers of Cleveland, local people who have done things to bring more equity to the community, come to these meetings and give inspiring introductions to where their inspiration lies.
Speakers so far have included those with knowledge of housing inequities, nonprofit leaders bringing more equitable arts and theatres to Cleveland, and writers who focus on spreading the art to anyone who wants it.
“I feel like [change after the program ends is] definitely possible,” Benjamin said. “I think as long as you talk to other people about things and work together with people in your community you can make a change in it.”
These six participants plan on making surveys to give out to students and truly get a scope on equity, specifically housing and perspective in Lakewood.
“I think there is an aspect of authentic learning,” Lobozzo said.
This learning, more specifically, conversations, is done not in a classroom, not with familiar faces, and not with familiar subjects. The whole point of this program is to step out from the unknown and step into where change can be made.
This unique opportunity provides students with the collaboration and information needed to be the changemakers of tomorrow. They show the real benefit that can be made when you step out of your own perspective for the betterment of yourself and your community.
