Fleming Island, Florida – July 13, 2021 — Citizens High School (CHS), a leader in online education, and Reflecting Freedom Network have partnered to launch CHS Nelson Mandela Electives to support the Truth and Reconciliation Conversations (TRC) Global Summit to be held on Nelson Mandela International Day, July 18-19, 2021.
The focus of the TRC Global Summit is to begin the challenge of having difficult—but necessary— conversations between friends, family, and strangers about “breaking down barriers through conversations about Racism.” The Summit will premiere a series of thought-provoking stories of men and women who have confronted racial challenges throughout their lives.
At this year’s Summit, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in conversations and workshops to understand racism. They can register through CHS’s Nelson Mandela Electives to earn a certificate of completion option and/or continue the conversation to earn continuing education units (CEUs) or enroll in a “blog-centered” Truth and Reconciliation Conversation Course to earn transferable high school or college credit.
“This is a momentous time in our country, where we are divided politically and in terms of race relations and social justice,” says Dr. Jim Etter, CEO of Citizens High School.“The CHS Nelson Mandela Electives fully supports the TRC Global Summit message that engaging in an honest discussion about race and justice is the way to bridge our differences and right wrongs—and that our TRC blog course will help to facilitate those conversations in the US and Internationally, both online and in person.”
The role of the CHS Nelson Mandela Electives is a natural and appropriate one. Nelson Mandela famously stated that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” In its way, the CHS Nelson Mandela Electives, with its focus on online education, is pioneering the use of blogging as a way to continue the conversation and to earn high school or college credit for activism centered around racial equality and social justice. “We hope to amplify even the smallest voice,” says Khalil Osiris, Founder of Reflecting Freedom Network.
The TRC “conversational blog” course initiative can serve as a high-quality civic learning opportunity that can be used by millions of students in tens of thousands of schools as part of their Civic Learning Plan to teach civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Thousands of teachers can use it for professional development, and as a resource to support their civic outreach. The “conversational blog” course can serve to cultivate conversations around the globe where rigorous and challenging topics and questions can be explored deeply and courageously.
Brian Morris, CHS’s Director of Strategic Initiatives, says, “Being the title sponsor of such an high-profile event puts CHS at the forefront of an important conversation.” Morris is part of the Citizens High School team that develops curricula and coursework. “It’s incumbent on us as a leader in online education to facilitate that conversation so that an open and honest dialogue in the blogging space works to break down barriers in the real world.”
To learn more about the TRC Global Summit and to sign up for the free event, visit TRC GlobalSummit.org or citizenshighschool.com/academies/continue-the-conversation/.
Contact Information for the TRC Global Summit:
Brian Morris
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Citizens High School
Bmorris@citizenshighschool.com
Maureen Stephens
maureen@reflectingfreedomnetwork.com
Resources for media
Logos
Truth and Reconciliation Conversation Course
https://citizenshighschool.instructure.com/courses/2045
