Sojourn to the Past honored by first lady
Staff report
Youngstown
First lady Michele Obama presented Sojourn to the Past with the 2011 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award last week at the White House.
Sojourn to the Past is a civil-rights education program with students participating from across the country.
Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past is part of the program. Under the direction of Youngstown educator Penny Wells, high school students from Youngstown have participated in Sojourn’s 10-day moving classroom.
“This recognition from the White House shows me that the power of programs like Sojourn to change kids’ lives is recognized and valued at the highest level in my country,” said Janae Ward, Youngstown Sojourn student who attends Chaney.
Chosen from a pool of more than 471 nominations and 50 finalists, Sojourn to the Past is one of 12 after-school and out-of-school programs across the country to receive the award, the highest honor such programs can receive.
The awards are administered by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
The award honors community-based arts and humanities programs that make a marked difference in the lives of their participants by improving academic scores and graduation rates, enhancing life skills, developing positive relationships with peers and adults and expressing themselves thoughtfully and creatively.
Created by former history teacher Jeff Steinberg, the mission of Sojourn to the Past is to use the historical lens of the civil-rights movement and the interpretation of history and the humanities to teach, inspire, motivate and empower youth to become aware of their inner strength; to achieve personal success; and, to become a new generation of leaders for social change.
In addition to the national recognition bestowed by receipt of the award, Sojourn to the Past also received $10,000 to support its programming.