Better Together

A wish is always stronger when you wish together. What does your class wish for and what is possible through collective action and organization?

Start by asking your class to write down or think of a wish that they have for their classroom, school or community. This could be something small, like a new snack in the school cafeteria, or something large, like fighting climate change.

Gather all these wishes to create a bank of collective dreams your students have. Together, decide on one or two communal goals that seem feasible for your class to achieve by the end of the year. Next, begin to brainstorm some actionable items that could help make that dream a reality. Some ideas to get you started are: writing letters to your school administration or community leaders, planning an event or creating a campaign.

From there, sketch out a long-term plan on a timeline to spread out the work in a way that feels realistic for your students and yourself. Each month, check in on the progress of your class’s wish, remembering that small change over time can lead to something big! At the end of the year, reflect on the experience with your students. Remind your students that their wishes can extend beyond their classroom, and the power of collective action and coming together can make a difference everywhere.

To support this unit, use the Celebrating our Uniqueness Activity.