Tichon Social Justice Projects

Our CNS Tichon 8th-11th graders have been involved all year in a Social Justice program. Beginning the year meeting with presenters from a wide variety of organizations and in partnership with OJMCHE, our teens are now creating projects based on their own passions for justice, guided by Tichon teachers. Please explore these projects below.

The Projects

Social Justice Project #1: BK Donations

Students: Marla Brenner and Dena Kaufman

About: Right now there are less fortunate people in Portland who can’t afford the proper COVID supplies to keep themselves and other people safe. In these hard times where people are losing their jobs and getting sick, we want to make it easier for them to live a safer and healthier life. BK Donations is a student-run organization that helps people by collecting supplies to donate to those less fortunate for the next three months. Click here to see the website they created.

How you can help: Through the end of April, we are collecting hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, surgical gloves, and either hand-made or store-bought masks. The items will be given to Portland Homeless Family Solutions. The collection bin is located in the Neveh Shalom Courtyard. Collection hours: M-F 10am-2pm, and after 6pm. You can also come anytime over the weekend. Thank you!

  • In May we will be donating to Neighborhood House and will be collecting: canned and other non-perishable food and bottled water.
  • In June we will be donating to the Burnside Shelter and will be collecting gently used or new clothing such as T-shirts, socks, shorts, and hats.

Social Justice Project #2: Wetlands Education Session Walk & Talk

Student: Josh Berkman

About: Join Tichon student Josh Berkman for a walk and talk at the Smith and Bybee Wetlands in N. Portland. Wetlands are a critical, yet diminishing ecosystem that helps protect against flooding and helps to store carbon. At this educational nature walk, Josh will share all about the importance of wetlands as well as the unique history of the North Portland wetland ecosystem. The walk will be easy and slow-paced, and the talk will be rich and informative. Plus, you’ll get to enjoy the blooming flowers of the trees. Due to Covid-19 groups are limited to eight, masks required.

When: Sunday, April 18, 9:00-10:30am

Location: Smith and Bybee Wetlands

How you can help: Interested in joining in on this educational walk & talk? Click here to register.

Social Justice Project #3: Climate Quantum

Students: Avi Horowitz, Ephraim Hale, Jordan Gilbert, Ethan Gilbert

About: Climate Change. It’s a big thing that’s happening all the time, and most people want to help stop it. But how? How can one person make an impact on something so big? You, along with many others willing to help, can follow these simple everyday lifestyle changes, and we can make an impact! So what do you say? Are you willing to join us, to make an impact in Climate Change? Because if you are, then get ready, and follow our advice to lead us to a better, Climate Change free future!

How you can help: Go to the Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages, and support those pages by following, liking, and sharing the content! We will post twice a week from the end of March through the end of April.

Social Justice Project #4: “I have a disability and…” Collaborative Mural

Students: Nava Weingrad with support from Maya Rosman and Ava Silverberg

About: There are a lot of tropes around people with disabilities and often we feel pressured to fit into a box of what is acceptable, likable, or easy for people to understand. This can make us feel like we have to mask our visible symptoms or explain our invisible disabilities. This collaborative art project invites anyone with a disability or disabilities to help shed light on our multi-dimensional identities by responding to the prompt, “I have a disability and…”

How you can help: Anyone with a disability is invited to join Nava on one of three afternoons in April to create an art square with paints, collage, stencils, markers, pastels, or other art media. We will provide these materials.

Please sign up for a spot at the art table using this form to join us. If you would prefer to have a paper mural square sent to you by mail (you provide the art supplies), there is a spot for that request on the form as well. Every square will be added to the mural project. The public is invited to view the final mural exhibit on May 7-9 to meet Nava and hear more about her vision and process.

Final Exhibit: May 7, 12:30-2:30pm | May 8, 4-6pm | May 9, 2-4pm

Social Justice Project #5: Art Mural – Hispanic Teen Immigrants: Riding the Roller Coaster of Emotions | Los inmigrantes hispanos adolescentes: una montaña rusa de emociones

Students: Talia Valdez with support from Maya Rosman and Ava Silverberg

About: The purpose of this project is to bring awareness to Hispanic immigrant teens and their journeys to and in the US. A lot of people don’t pay attention to what they feel or go through, they only pay attention to what they see in the media. We want to paint a mural that uses colors and shapes to bring out some of the emotions these teens feel along the way.

How you can help: The public is invited to view the final mural exhibit on May 7-9 to meet Talia and hear more about her vision and process.

Final Exhibit: May 7, 12:30-2:30pm | May 8, 4-6pm | May 9, 2-4pm

Social Justice Project #6: Meal Donation Project

Students: Isabella Heitner

About: During Covid-19 many people have lost their jobs and become homeless, and this has presented a new need for shelters and meals. This project is centered around providing a group of homeless families with healthy tasty meals, through an organization called Portland Homeless Family Solutions.

How you can help: We are looking for 5 families per date to cook a portion of the 30 meal servings required to serve at PHFS. You can drop off your meal portions to Neveh Shalom, where Isabella will pick them up and deliver them to PHFS. Click here to express interest.

Social Justice Project #7: Curriculum Change Awareness Project

Students: Rose Sapoznikow, Tessa Wolpin-Kohl, Danielle Wolpin-Kohl, Sophia Gilbert with support from Alanna Simkin

About: Our group began with an interest in instigating change in humanities curricula in public schools in the Portland metro area. We wanted to create a petition to add more culturally sensitive material into the schools’ curriculum. We did a deep dive into researching how curriculum is created, adopted, and changed from the school level to the state level, and we found that it can take a lot more to change a curriculum than starting a petition. So, we decided to give those who are inspired to take action the information of 10 important things to know about changing curriculum in Oregon.

How you can help: Click here for the website we built that shares our learning about how curriculum can change in Oregon.

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