Social Justice

Social justice is a major component of life at Codman Academy. Through the exposure to an expeditionary learning curriculum deeply rooted in social justice, Codman students demonstrate both an awareness of social justice issues and a commitment to give back to the community. Codman's humanities classes, which are organized thematically and integrate English and history, afford students the opportunity to explore differing concepts of justice, learn about resistance movements in and out of the United States, and critically examine common versions of history. Math and science classes also explore issues related to social justice including the study of global warming and sustainable living, the safety of staircases in the community, and ethical dilemmas stemming from advances in biology. Many of Codman's elective style Saturday classes offer additional learning opportunities rooted in social justice.

Students at Codman Academy demonstrate a commitment to social justice and interest in giving back to the community in a variety of ways. As part of the Huntington-Codman collaboration, the entire 10th grade writes and performs their own showcase production, based on the texts read in Humanities 10 that explore a number social justice issues. All seniors complete a capstone Senior Social Action Project as part of the Humanities curriculum. This service learning assignment breaks students into teams of 4-5 and asks that they choose, research, and design a social justice project to benefit the community. Recent topics include the media’s portrayal of race during the Haiti disaster, domestic violence in the community, and the impact of HIV/AIDS in the community. Students have established a number of socially conscious clubs over the years including the Codman Climate Action Network (CCAN) and the Nutrition Action Club.

Recently, students in Joan Green's studio art Saturday class, unveiled their Hope for Haiti art exhibit. Hope for Haiti is a public art installation honoring Haitian culture and history. 14 colorfully painted panels inspired by Haitian art are on display outside The Great Hall on Washington Street in Codman Square.  There is a ribbon of text in Haitian Creole and English. This project was created in response to a request from The Codman Square Health Center to create a public art exhibit to honor Haiti. Students decided to focus the project on “Hope for Haiti” rather than the destruction of Port au Prince. Students interviewed Haitian neighbors, including Health Center staff and students’ families, to learn about Haitian culture. They also looked at Haitian intuitive art and borrowed stylistic elements. Check out the feature video on Boston Network News! BNN Video

Codman Academy Charter Public School has always had a broad vision of social justice and commitment to transforming our community. We believe that the most powerful way do that is by educating and supporting the leadership of our students, alumni, families, and staff. We believe in community transformation through human development. Health and education are seamless sides of the same enterprise: to enhance the quality of life of the body and mind for all those we serve.