It is difficult to teach about social inequality in a suburban Indianapolis school but on the South Coast a small investment of time can make a huge difference, according to Shannon White, Puente’s Summer Teacher. Here’s the rest of the story, in her own words: The mostly white, upper-middle class students at the suburban Indianapolis high school believe they deserve privileges because that’s all that they know. They cannot understand their own privilege because many of them have never seen or met someone who does not share their same opportunities or access to resources. So many of them believe as one of my students did, “Everyone in the United States gets an equal opportunity to be successful.” I ask every student in the classroom to stand up and push in his or her chair.  I explain to my students that I am going to give them each an “equal opportunity” to reach high school graduation in this simulated experience.  I point to my classroom door and say, “That door represents high school graduation.  If you can touch the door by the end of the simulation, you have earned your high school diploma and graduated.” I then present the students with their equal opportunity.  “Some of you may think that because everyone has access to public education, everyone has equal access to … Continue reading Mentors needed!