“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead (1901-1978), anthropologist
The Rotary Club of Michigan City believes that as the world has become more interconnected, it’s more important than ever to inspire people of all ages to create positive social change. Lance Werner, President of the Michigan City Rotary Club , said Rotary members enjoy partnering with the schools to help students engage in our local community.
To help inspire area teens to become active on social issues, the club is funding the printing of 11 posters to create exhibits at Michigan City High School and Krueger and Barker Middle Schools.
The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) has partnered with Facing History and Ourselves to develop the poster set based on a national initiative called Choosing to Participate. This poster exhibit, created primarily for middle and high schools, is designed to encourage dialogue, engagement, respect, and participation in communities.
The posters are intended to inspire people of all ages to create positive social change. They present the experiences of individuals and communities, explore the impact of cultural differences, and encourage viewers to consider the consequences of everyday choices—to discover how “little things are big”—and to make a difference in their own communities. They direct viewers to visit the “Choosing to Participate” website for more information; the site (www.sites.si.edu/choosingtoparticipate) features a host of resources, including downloadable files of each poster and links to various educational resources for teachers, families, and communities.
SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for nearly 60 years. It connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science, and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. For exhibition descriptions and tour schedules, visit www.sites.si.edu. Special thanks to the Walmart Foundation, the National Sponsor of Choosing to Participate. Support for distribution to Teaching Tolerance made possible by the Malka Fund.
Founded in 1976, Facing History and Ourselves is an international educational and professional development nonprofit organization whose mission is to engage students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice, and anti-semitism in order to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry. By studying the historical development of the Holocaust and other examples of genocide, students make the essential connection between history and the moral choices they confront in their own lives. For more information, visit www.facinghistory.org.