AEC celebrates International Day of Living Together in Peace

Alternative Education Center, Odessa, TX, celebrated the International Day of Living Together in Peace on May 16, 2022. Students studied the number of United Nations peacemaking missions from 1947 to 2021 and used regression to describe the trend mathematically. As their final exam review, students solved math problems by completing a math peace poster. They also completed a peace word puzzle for fun. They then wrote an essay on how the Russia-Ukraine war affected the global sustainable development goal of peace, justice, and strong institutions and what should be done to help end the war. Through the activities, students learned the purpose of the UN peacemaking missions, which is to prevent future conflicts between countries and support global stabilization and rebuilding efforts. They realized that peacemaking efforts to stop the Russia-Ukraine war unfortunately failed, but the world's prayers and wishes to end the war continue. 

AEC participates in 2022 World Needs Challenge

Through the leadership of Arts Teacher Valerie Stewart, students from the Alternative Education Center, Odessa, TX, participated in the 2022 World Needs Challenge with the theme, "Sparking global change through art⁠–⁠ivism." Students created posters incorporating their Arts or Math lessons and covering any global causes they support, such as clean oceans, humanitarian aid for refugees, hunger relief, overcoming bias, and arts activism. All these causes promote the global goals for sustainable development. For every artwork a student creates until June 3, 2022, the Bezos Family Foundation makes a donation to programs meeting global needs. AEC entry can be accessed by clicking any of the pictures below.

AEC joins PenPal Schools

For the first time, Alternative Education Center, Odessa, TX, joined PenPal Schools this month to interact with other schools in the world on curricular activities that support global sustainable development goals. The first activity students from the Alternative Education Center participated in was Financial Literacy and Money Management. AEC students interacted with other students from all over the world as they completed the following assignments: Meet PenPals!, Earning Money, Spending Money, Saving Money, Borrowing Money, Reflection, and Project. As their culminating activity, students wrote an essay, discussing how the activity helped meet the global goal of sustainable cities and communities. 

PenPal Schools connects students from different countries to make friends and discover the world. Students interact with PenPals from various countries to read, write, collaborate, and create original projects on topics that are relevant to them and the world. All PenPal Schools topics can be integrated into core classroom lessons and utilized to promote the global sustainable development goals.

AEC donates used clothes, grocery items to Philippines

Alternative Education Center, Odessa, TX donated a box of used clothes and grocery items to a village in the Philippines affected by Typhoon Odette (known internationally as Typhoon Rai) that hit the country on December 12-22, 2021, with 410 total fatalities and 80 people missing according to international news.

Principal Adam Portillo volunteered to donate bags of used but decent clothes and shoes. IJWC adviser bought some grocery items and paid for the shipping fee. The package was sent to the Philippines through a cargo shipping service early this month, which may be delivered to the recipients a little late due to COVID. 

No poverty is the leading global sustainable development goal. Sharing blessings especially with poor countries like in Asia is one of the many ways we can help meet this global goal. By modeling it, students will see and apply the value of the noble and humanitarian gesture of sharing. Blessings to be shared do not need to be material or expensive as long as they come from the heart, wrapped with good intentions.