Program

Implementation

Border Crossers accomplishes its mission by creating sister-school relationships between schools in diverse New York City neighborhoods, bringing together classrooms from demographically distinct schools and neighborhoods. Students are paired up as pen pals and communicate around a shared curriculum. Several face-to-face Meet-Ups occur during the course of the year with both classes of students including visits to each other’s schools.

Over time, Border Crossers will integrate its program at every grade level in the 2nd to 6th grade continuum so that students re-encounter the same students from their sister-school every year. Moreover, Border Crossers will extend sister-school opportunities for contact by supporting both school communities to participate in shared activities, such as assemblies and community events.

The social justice-based curriculum focuses on four program areas:

  1. Establishing community
  2. Understanding the concept of crossing borders
  3. Student leadership
  4. Social action projects that students define and develop

Program Logistics:

As part of the program, students will:

  • Attend Meet-Ups with sister-school
  • Participate in culminating program events with parents and community members.
  • Participate in Pre and Post Meet-Up lessons.

    • Program Benefits:

  • Students are exposed to distinct communities of people and different parts of New York City, expanding their worldview and eliminating stereotypes.
  • Students gain leadership and social action-building skills.
  • Students develop the language to talk about race, class, inequality, and social justice – and the ability to use language to cross borders.