High school student Jon Yturralde is launching a social awareness week at Morse High School, taking on issues from genocide in Darfur to earthquake relief in Peru.
Yturralde dreamed up the action week after returning to San Diego from Uganda, where he spent the summer. The social justice week serves as his senior project. To make it happen, Yturralde met with all 23 student clubs on campus, each of which has adopted an issue and planned a campus activity to raise awareness and funds for the cause.
Next Tuesday, the “Week of Consciousness” kicks off at lunchtime with a silent sit-in protesting the millions of people who die each year from preventable causes. The week continues with a “Consciousness Fair,” when student clubs take to the quad with displays, information and activities, including fundraisers and drives for canned food and school supplies. Friday, the campus trades its Friday football pep rally for a peace rally.
According to a press release issued by Morse High teacher Ellen Bergan, this is the first event of its kind at Morse High School.
“The students as well as teachers are committed to showing our community that young people do care about the world and are willing to work to affect change,” the press release states. “Jon made this happen, and has showed us all that one person can make a difference.”