Sticking to My Value

Growing up, I was always taught to show kindness and to treat people the way I would want to be treated. That lesson has stayed with me because it is something that I deeply value. I believe that many of the problems we face in society today come from the lack of love, compassion and […]

Jeremiah’s Art Exhibition: The Shelter Experience

“Will I always be poor?” That was the question going through my head when I lived in domestic violence shelters with my mother. Like every other low income people, I am a victim of homelessness. Whenever I see a fence, I think about those folding window gates that I always see. It was like a […]

Mending Me: What it costs to be me

I look at this portrait and see every version of me that fought to survive, the girl who carried too much, the present me who’s stitching herself back together, and the future woman I’m finally allowing myself to grow into. I’ve walked through things I never thought I’d make it out of, and yet here […]

Library Becomes the Heart of Lunchtime Life at CSSJ

At the Community School for Social Justice (CSSJ), students go to play and paint during lunchtime at the library. They also use the computers and spend their entire lunch break there. The students talk with their friends and sometimes play games like Jenga , Doctor, and Sorry! They also play Connect 4. They use the […]

How do CSSJ students perceive math?

Many students at CSSJ experience academic difficulties when it comes to passing their classes. However, one subject that students appear to most struggle with is mathematics. Math can be an enjoyable subject when students fully understand the material, but when the concepts become challenging, it often turns into a source of frustration. To gain insights […]

CSSJ Sores High with New Drones

CSSJ robotics class is about kids learning how to code and fly drones on the 3 floor hallway. This is happing right now in the fall semester of 2025. The students are learning how to program to complete challenges. Alex, who is in the class, said, “[w]hat I learned in robotics includes several things. For […]

The Heart of Photojournalism: Storytelling Through the Camera

In the class known as Photojournalism, these aspiring photojournalists are taught how to capture moments that tell powerful stories. Through the camera lens, students learn to document real life moments with their voices, improving their skills in both technical aspects and storytelling. The class focuses on the importance of ethics, cooperation, and using images to […]