Educators, administrators, and students around the country work tirelessly each year as thought leaders and advocates to innovate and improve their communities and school culture. In partnership with Schools That Can, RFK Human Rights annually recognizes and celebrates the exemplary work of those who have demonstrated moral courage and commitment to bettering their communities. Nominated by their peers and both organizations’ teams, these winners are considered exemplars of the following quote by Robert F. Kennedy: “The future is not a gift: it is an achievement. Every generation helps make its own future. This is the essential challenge of the present.” 

One of the ways to tackle this “essential challenge” is by providing students multiple pathways to future success. “Fulfilling the ability to expose all students to college and career exploration earlier is priceless,” stated Kevin Bednar, Future Ready NYC Team Lead and CUNY Liaison. Dr. Wayne Jones, CEO of Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship, agrees and is helping his students make their own future through strong mentorship programs that match area entrepreneurs with students, offering them insight into the business world, access to important resources, and a model for success. “Winning the 2024 RFK Education Award,” he said, “was an incredible honor for me. It signified that the impact my team and I are making extends beyond our school community, recognizing our efforts to transform the lives of future leaders through education.”  

Schools That Can is a nonprofit that builds an education to employment pathway through career readiness programming that’s culturally relevant, youth-centered, and prioritizes real-world experiences and connections. Their Career Readiness programming includes 125 hours of tested curriculum with a unique co-teaching model designed to support teachers and build the capacity of schools. Additionally, their thought leadership series, a virtual series of live conversations, brings together K-12 education, higher education, and workforce leaders to share best practices, explore challenges and solutions, and put into practice a future of education that ensures every student has the skills and support needed to thrive.

Mentoring and leadership opportunities for students are integral to the success of these efforts. Myah Talia-Blair, a student at Gateway Academy Charter High School who is passionate about creating a better world, noted that “a good leader fights to help get to their goals, and helps others as well.” Recent Clairton City High School graduate Noris Sophia Bernard was recognized as a leader in her community for her work sharing her time and skills as a mentor for young students by tutoring in the elementary school. She reflected that “a good leader isn’t the most intelligent person in the room; they’re not the loudest person in the room. They’re the person who listens to other people.” This act of listening and focus on relationship building helps students begin to imagine themselves as community leaders and take action. 

Developing innovative solutions to the many challenges to student achievement is a foundational value of these winners. Bronx Theatre High School approaches these challenges by providing multiple opportunities for students to engage with mentors and participate in internships and career readiness programs starting in ninth grade. Their recognition of the power of student voice combined with their performing arts curriculum and focus on students’ social-emotional needs also helps students realize their goals. Principal Shoundel McIntosh related that recognition of efforts and accomplishment is as important to educators and administrators as it is to their students. “Being a principal,” she said, “often places you in a lonely space and place figuratively and literally at times. Therefore, having one’s ministry be acknowledged in such a way makes the challenges worthwhile.”

Jason Boll, a high school English teacher at Perry Traditional Academy, invests time in organizing opportunities for his students and pushing for equitable experiences for them. In addition to the work he arranges with Schools That Can, Boll serves as a partner teacher for the Justice Scholars Institute at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education which views educational opportunity as a social justice priority. Boll notes it is a huge trust that the public, and parents put in teachers. “I spend 180 days with the same kid,” he said. “That time is not lost on me, just the amount of growth that takes place for a 15 to 18 year old person over 180 days. The most fulfilling part is just seeing somebody grow up and watching them change and iterate and make different decisions and helping students grow academically and personally.” 

“I’m really, really hoping that a few of [these students] will be my boss one day,” Boll said in his acceptance speech. “Thank you for helping us push the rock, the big heavy rock that is education up the mountain.”

To learn more about Schools That Can or to nominate an educator, administrator, or leader, please visit www.schoolsthatcan.org. 

For more information about the RFK Human Rights Education program, please contact Karen Robinson at robinson@rfkhumanrights.org or visit our website.  

Winners

School Leader Category: 

• Shoundel McIntosh, Bronx Theatre High School, Bronx, NY
• Dr. Wayne Jones, Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship, Penn Hills, PA

Teacher Category:

• Jason Boll, Perry Traditional Academy, Pittsburgh, PA 
• Kevin Bednar, Queens Prep Academy, Queens, NY 

Student Category:

• Noris Sophia Bernard-Hierro, Clairton City High School, Clairton, PA
• Myah-Talia Blair, Gateway Academy Charter High School, Newark, NJ