The AMAZEworks Secondary program embeds Anti-Bias Education Theory.  The program empowers teachers by giving them the tools and weekly lessons to have regular, intentional conversations around identity, difference, and bias and establishes patterns for respectful conversation and taking action against injustices. It engages students to consider the following questions:  Who do I want to be in this world?, How do I want to be in this world?, and How do I want others to see me?

The Secondary program includes a broad spectrum of themes, ensuring that each student will have a windows/mirrors experience. Based on research and best practice, the program engages teachers as adult learners, with questions for teacher reflection before each lesson. By promoting the understanding of everyone’s uniqueness and each person’s right to fair treatment, the program builds a positive classroom and school community as adults and students become more aware, respectful, and inclusive.

The lessons in the Secondary program contain videos, picture books, poetry, and activities that invite reflection and discussion. To give you an idea of what the program looks like, click here for a video about labels. In the lesson that contains this video, teachers are asked to reflect prior to the lesson on the following questions:   

• How have you been labeled by others in the past? Do you have positive or negative associations with these labels? Where do these associations come from?
• What labels has society put on your students and their families?
• How might these labels affect your students at school and at home? 
• How might these labels affect your expectations for and interactions with students and their families?

This lesson starts with watching the video. Then, students are asked to reflect on at least one of three journal prompts. The last part of the lesson is a discussion including the following questions:

• What is the connection between labels and identity?
• What is the connection between labels and stereotypes?
• What are some positive things about holding on to labels?
• What are some negative things about labels and labeling others?
• How are labels given to us by others/society? How can we choose labels for ourselves?

Adolescents need and want to talk about identity, difference, and bias, and the AMAZEworks anti-bias Secondary Curriculum provides the structure and support for educators to create brave spaces where those conversations can happen regularly and intentionally.

Please contact us at 651-493-8702 for more information about the Secondary Program.