O'Brien Students got healthy dose of Tolerance

06/27/2008
O'Brien students got healthy dose of tolerance
By Patricia Villers , Register Staff

ANSONIA - Mary Parady teaches English as a second language and career development at Emmett O'Brien Technical High School. She also teaches tolerance, respect and understanding.
She received a $2,500 grant from the Southern Poverty Law Center to participate this past school year in a nationally known program, Teaching Tolerance. The Southern Poverty Law Center, of Montgomery, Ala., combats hate, intolerance and discrimination through education and litigation. Parady used the funding to broaden an exchange program between O'Brien students and students from High School in the Community in New Haven. The project to teach tolerance stems from two incidents several years ago at O'Brien when students were charged with hate crimes for bullying. Parady just completed her third year of teaching at O'Brien, and the second year of teaching tolerance. "This year, the students had anonymous pen pals with High School in the Community," she said. "They enjoyed it. In their own way, they realized they're not so different" from students at an urban school. The two schools also came together through a program with Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven. She commended the theater's staff, in particular the work of Jacob Stoebal, resident education fellow, who worked with students based on their reading of Toni Morrison's play, "The Bluest Eye." In April, students from both schools attended a production of the play and a "talk back" after the performance. Students met with the director and actors, Parady said, and posed questions about the play and the multicultural issues Morrison addressed. Stoebal had students incorporate their shop skills into the production. "Students from hairdressing designed the hairstyles for the characters," she said. Drafting students designed plans for two houses as they would appear for the families in the play. "Kids learn by doing," she said. The theater will continue the tolerance education next year, Parady said. Another program featured Aaron Washington, associate dean of students at the multicultural center at Southern Connecticut State University. "He worked with the freshmen on diversity issues," Parady said. Training will continue to start with students when they enter O'Brien as freshmen. "It's not just about diversity. It's (about) the bullying and the name calling," she said. "People just want to be comfortable when they go to work or to school." Parady said her peers at O'Brien have supported her efforts. "We can't change the world, but maybe (we can) just a little," she said. "I'm just hoping that I inspired (students) to look and think outside the box."



For information, visit www.teachingtolerance.org. Patricia Villers can be reached at pvillers@nhregister.com.