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GEM to Advise in Creation of New High School for Peace
Yes, it’s true. A high school for peace will open as part of the Philadelphia School District this coming September. It will be phased in over four years beginning with approximately ninety 9th graders. It will be located at 7500 Germantown Avenue in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia.
The school is supported through an advisory committee made up mostly of local organizations. Through UNA-Greater Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY), GEM was asked to be part of an advisory board of 23 citizens to help in this development. This ”Peace Academy” was initiated through the leadership of ShellyYanoff, Executive Director of PCCY when she knew that a Military Academy was being established. If there was going to be a military academy established as part of the Philadelphia School District, Ms Yanoff said there should also be a Peace Academy. Shelly Yanoff has made it happen.
The high school is designed to help students develop a vision on how to decrease violence and advance peace in the local community and the world. The school will eventually house approximately 400 students and have its first graduating class in 2009. The school principal and staff have been selected and student enrollment is underway. The school will follow the school district’s core curriculum guidelines and various peace components will be developed to fit into it. There will also be elective courses, after school programs, school wide and community supported events to support it.
GEM was originally created to use communication exchanges across cultures as a key to world peace. It is hoped that this will be an integral part of this new high school.
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