YouthWise
What is YouthWise?
YouthWise is a digital platform and tool utilizing the voices of young adolescents as discussion starters for educators and students. They were part of the first cohort of Bank Street College’s Liberty Partnership program,1989- present. These voices are now 28 years old. Yet as timely and prescient as a Greek chorus. When listened to with fidelity, they serve as an echo chamber of important and intentional conversations we should be having with our students in our schools and community spaces.
Themes
The voices have been categorized into themes. Themes that include reflections on language, identity, labels, hope, relationships, trust, belonging, and other components of how we grow as humans, that are rarely examined in schools. In addition to the original recordings from 1997, the themes also integrate those same voices, now middle aged adults, recorded in 2024. Each topic page contains an audio recording, a brief introduction and prompts for reflection and larger group discussion. Themes are accessible from menu on the right.
A Story of Voices
My intention was never to make this a personal narrative, but not embedding my voice in this story of voices seemed an impossibility. Liberty at Bank Street College has all the components of a love story for me. How often do we get to revisit the life journeys of our students, 28 years later? How often are we are able to answer the question, did we matter? Did we have impact?
These voices became a barometer which continues to surprise and replenish me with so many of the reasons that led me to become an educator, while at the same time, rekindling an impatient indignation as to why we don't have tens of thousands of liberty-like programs across this country at this very moment.
-David Penberg