From 5th grader Theo Richman’s passionate plea to protect the planet’s bees to 7th grader Nala May’s deeply personal account of her battles with anxiety and the need for more school counselors, students at the spring One World Middle School Challenge outperformed expectations.
They spoke powerfully about the issues that matter most to them and backed up their arguments with hard evidence. Nala started her presentation by highlighting that 40% of parents were reporting that their children were having emotional challenges before discussing her own. We applaud her courage and the courage of so many of our students this year.
The winners are:
Stage Presentations
1st Place
Alix Bonelli, E.L. Haynes, Grade 6
Sexual Assault
2nd Place
Anya Lilly, DC International, Grade 7
Book Banning
3rd Place
Ian McPherson, Creative Minds, Grade 6
Homophobia
Honorable Mention
Bobby Cavanagh, E.L. Haynes, Grade 6
Gun Violence
Board Presentations
1st Place
Theo Richman, Creative Minds, Grade 5
The Environmental Importance of Bees
2nd Place
Natalie Padre, E.L. Haynes, Grade 6
Peer Pressure
3rd Place
Makiyah Davis, Friendship Southeast, Grade 8
Stereotypes in Media
Honorable Mention – Grades 5/6
Maya Ramirez, DC International, Grade 6
Plastic Pollution Affecting Marine Life
Honorable Mention – Grades 7/8
Parker Mullen, Inspired Teaching, Grade 7
LGBTQ+ Rights
Essays
1st Place – Grades 5/6
Kira Lilly, Washington Latin, Grade 5
Gun Violence and Mental Health
2nd Place – Grades 5/6
Felix Santiago, Washington Latin, Grade 5
Gun Violence
1st Place – Grades 7/8
Hatcher Pitts, Inspired Teaching, Grade 7
Water Crisis
2nd Place – Grades 7/8
Maniya Smith, Center City, Grade 7
Teen Drug Abuse