The Festival of Hope is an event that brings together a community of young change
makers, encouraging students to transform their ideas into ‘positivity and hope’. During the event, many organizations who have partnerships with Curtis High School came to represent their programs and organizations. These organizations included Mercató, CFHSI, Happy Feet, Children’s Aid Society, NYCEM, UAU, TYSA, and Staten Island Social Care Network. Together, these organizations showcased a variety of resources and services with a focus on improving community well-being and supporting individuals and families in need.
What made this event especially meaningful was that it was held at Curtis High School with the goal of inspiring students to become active change makers. IBCP and IBDP student volunteers participated in an activity that encouraged them to engage with the representatives from various organizations and explore both global and local challenges.
Using a prompt question as a starting point, students brainstormed innovative ideas that could promote a meaningful change in the community. Then they had to select one idea and make a creative poster that explained the thought process that led to the solution. After this, students presented their projects to organization representatives and shared how their ideas could contribute to a meaningful change in the community. This activity provided an excellent opportunity to challenge the students’ thinking, creative abilities, collaborative and problem solving skills.
In addition, the Festival of Hope also served as a valuable learning experience for the IB Juniors and Seniors. This event allowed students to connect with a variety of organizations and community programs, helping them gather ideas and establish partnerships for their CAS or Service Learning Projects. Curtis High School’s IB CAS and
Community Engagement Coordinator, Ms. Bilotti believes that the Festival of Hope was a great success for its debut. “Sometimes students hear about community needs but they do not really understand how people’s lives are affected when they do not have access to certain resources. At the Festival of Hope, IB students did not just have a chance to network and develop their IB projects, they were able to see first hand how they can raise each other up when they need help. Students saw neighbors, friends, classmates, and strangers given the opportunity to connect with outside agencies that can help them have better experiences and live better lives even when times get tough. I think the face to face interaction caused many students to sympathize and empathize in a genuine way, as well as understand how to be agents of change that will have a lasting impact.”
Overall, the Festival of Hope successfully encouraged students to think creatively, engage with their community, and contribute to meaningful change for a more positive future.
“I really enjoyed volunteering at the festival of hope this year! I thought it was super exciting to see a ton of different organizations that are willing to help out our school community and the St. George community overall. Ultimately this Festival of Hope brought me joy, happiness and inspiration for future projects,” said Abigail Serrano-Hernandez.
