John Lewis Leadership Program

FCPS LAUNCHES INNOVATIVE JOHN LEWIS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

Government and leadership program begins at historically disenfranchised high school

ZAKAREYA HAMED OPINIONS EDITOR

Anew program aimed at providing high school students with government, policy and advocacy education launched this year at John Lewis High School in Springfield, Virginia. The Lewis Leadership Program is expected to transform the face of the school and bring new opportunities to the county.

“This is an opportunity to create leaders who will be locally championing different causes,” at-large school board member Abrar Omeish said. “Young people today are really eager to see change and improvements in social justice.”

The program includes special partnerships with local organizations and universities, such as George Mason University and the Bipartisan Leadership Project, and course offerings from Human Rights to Public Policy. This year, the program launched with a limited number of students and is expected to begin paving the way for more equitable education across FCPS.

Formerly Robert E. Lee High School, John Lewis High is among the most diverse schools in Fairfax County, with a 49% Hispanic student population. Nearly twothirds of its students are eligible for free or reduced lunch.

OUR STUDENTS HAVE A RIGHT TO MEANINGFUL AND SUSTAINED OPPORTUNITIES TO CULTIVATE THEIR SKILLS.”

- MICHELLE REID SUPERINTENDENT

The Lewis Leadership Program began after the formation of the community organization Lewis Academy Now amid mounting pressure to provide opportunities

THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA — A mural featuring late Democratic Congressman John R. Lewis and the Selma Bridge in Alabama is painted on the wall at the main entrance of John Lewis High School, the program’s home. to students of working class backgrounds.

“Our students have a right to meaningful and sustained opportunities to cultivate their skills and innovate by creating...real world solutions,” FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid said at the reception for the program on Oct. 27.

Following the recent equity-geared admissions changes at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, the Lewis Leadership Program is intended to level the playing field and offer rigorous and challenging programs across the board.

“[I hope] this program continues to go forward and pulls students in [in order] to make an impact on the world,” said Henry Lewis, the youngest brother of the late congressman John Lewis.

The Lewis Leadership Program is one of the first comprehensive programs of its kind in a public school, and the program may start pooling students from across FCPS or be replicated in other schools.

“The hope is that [upon] seeing the success [at] Lewis, we can expand opportunities like this across the county,” Omeish said.

One notable featuree of the Lewis Leadership Program is its work with local partner organizations like Edu-Futuro, which offers the Emerging Leaders Program. The program includes projects directed towards Spanish-speaking students and firstgeneration immigrants of Hispanic origin. Curriculum content and class slides are often translated into Spanish for maximum accessibility.

“I really like this program because it is for student voices to be heard,” said senior Dulce Gonzalez Navarro, a student leader in the John Lewis Leadership Program.

Hopes are high across FCPS for widereaching comprehensive programs like the Lewis Leadership Program that can broaden education access and close gaps.

“If we make an impact on their lives,” Henry Lewis said, “then they will make an impact on the world.”