CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS HIGH SCHOOL, MIAMI FLORIDA

Student Interfaith Holocaust Awareness

Unite Against Racism

Purpose: stretch boundaries and spend time with other people you normally wouldn’t sit with at lunch.

Mix It Up

Purpose: Students and teachers take a stand for something they believe in

Students and teachers stood up for a variety of issues, ranging from individuals who had been persecuted for their beliefs to the water crisis in Africa.

All day event, and after school

Stand Up

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Special Guest Speaker – David Mermelstein Prayer Service and Readings

INTERNATIONAL DAY TO COMMEMORATE THE VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST

We collected lightly used shoes to be sent to lower income families in Alabama

We collected 90 pairs of shoes

LEND A HAND

SOLES 4 SOULS SHOE DRIVE

Purpose: to raise money to buy mosquito nets for children in Africa

Mosquito nets are critical to stemming the spread of malaria among children

LEND A HAND

NOTHING BUT NETS

Columbus High teacher gives important lessons after school When the last bell rings at Christopher Columbus High School, a

group of young men files in the opposite direction of the exit signs and into room C21, headquarters for three different clubs -- Student Interfaith Holocaust Awareness, Unite Against Racism and Erase Hate.

Leading the students in tackling racism, poverty, homelessness and other social-justice issues is Mary McCullagh, a 51-year-old teacher who has spent the past 18 years teaching history and government at the school.

''Ms. McCullagh teaches us it's not about how old you are, anyone can stand up for a cause,'' said sophomore Roly Calderin.

The lessons learned in room C21 of the all-boys Catholic school have not gone unnoticed. McCullagh has been given a $2,000 grant from Teaching Tolerance, a national program dedicated to reducing prejudice.

The money is being used to host Student Awareness Day for the sophomore class Tuesday. The event was created by the South Florida Holocaust Documentation and Education Center 25 years ago for high-school students to learn the perils of hatred and bigotry during discussions with survivors of the Holocaust.

Miguel Figueiras, a junior who sang an original song at a luncheon over the summer, had the opportunity to speak with survivors one-on-one.

''When you meet them it becomes more real,'' he said. ``It's not the same as reading about it in a textbook.''

McCullagh agrees, which is why she also incorporates live podcasts with Holocaust survivors in her lesson plans and invites students to hear them speak.

'I've had students ask me after meeting with a Holocaust survivor, `What can I do to not be a bystander?' ''

Brother Michael Brady, the school's principal, credits McCullagh for encouraging students to think about issues facing the communities around them.

''Students are being exposed to something they would otherwise only read in history books,'' Brady said.

McCullagh credits her students, ``They just really want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.''

SPEAK OUT Members of the group have taken the

responsibility to write elected officials and local news organizations to SPEAK OUT against injustice and intolerance.

Alessandro responded to a logically misguided comment left on the web

Members have signed on to STAND STRONG AGAINST HATE at http://www.splcenter.org/center/petitions/standstrong/

Prom Project◦ Raise enough money to sponsor a Prom for

homeless students Sports Equipment and Art Supplies Drive

◦ Encourage students collect sports equipment and art supplies to donate to local elementary schools that are facing closure

ON-GOING AND FUTURE PROJECTS

HELP RAISE FUNDS FOR CASTAWAYS AGAINST CANCER

EFFORTS TO FIGHT CANCER