Kent State Salem students Austin Cope and Daniel Koehler recently facilitated a Justice Talking seminar for science club members at East Palestine High School.
Cope is a junior majoring in psychology and Koehler is a senior majoring in early childhood education. Both are mentors with the Kent State Rural Scholars Program and were invited to the high school by Dr. Lisa Bircher, the faculty advisor for the school’s science club.
She said she wanted to encourage her science club members to reflect on the importance of fostering relationships between children and the natural world, especially since the club plans to host a science camp for local elementary students this summer.
As part of their presentation at EPHS, Cope and Koehler encouraged the science club members to read Ray Bradbury’s short story “All Summer in a Day.” The high school students then offered many insights while discussing the power of empathy and the importance of discovery in learning.
Justice Talking is a program offered by the Ohio Humanities Council, which trained Kent State Rural Scholars mentors to facilitate thoughtful discussions using literature and visual media to reflect on community service experiences. The training was offered through a collaboration with the Columbiana County Educational Service Center.
Justice Talking seminars are offered by trained Kent State students who are available to all Columbiana County school districts’ service clubs and classes. For information about the program, contact Wendy Pfrenger at wpfrenge@kent.edu or Danielle Dillon at ddillon@ccesc.k12.oh.us.