Some communities are accidental, others are intentionally created. At the Morris Academy for Collaborative Studies (MACS), students have the opportunity to participate in Peer Group Connection (PGC) — a mentoring initiative for juniors and seniors, and a unique space for students to foster community and expand their leadership skills.

In The Heart of the Matter, PGC members use the themes of pathos, logos and ethos to celebrate the value they place on their community and the growth they experience as members. This collection offers a mix of reflections, research, and personal narratives to demonstrate why peer connections are so critical for personal development.

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USING THIS PUBLICATION IN THE CLASSROOM
As you contemplate community-building opportunities for your students, consider these questions:

• How can your school build a strong community, while fostering the leadership skills of students? 
• What initiatives might inspire the mentorship of student leaders at your school?
• What peer connections will support student growth?

We invite you to use this book to honor the communities that exist in your life. Consider creating a project for students to explore the histories of their communities and the rituals, characteristics, and values they celebrate. Challenge your students to compose spoken word poems or songs about their communities, inviting outsiders to become insiders. Go public by creating a space for these creations to be performed and celebrated within your school community. Opportunities for peer collaboration and mentorship are incredibly valuable, and we believe your students will step up to the challenge!

In this diverse book of suggestions, tips, and words of wisdom, students share their knowledge on the topics they care about most. Want to know about love? Apps? A young man's perspective on makeup? What it takes to be good at your sport? The students of Glenbard East High School have it covered. The student authors of So You Wanna Know... tackle the angst and uncertainty of high school with humorous, heartfelt tales that reflect their own individual experiences.


USING THIS PUBLICATION IN THE CLASSROOM
​We encourage you to use So You Wanna Know… to spark discussions among students who are new to your school, or about topical issues within your classroom. Use this text to generate ideas for cultivating community within your school, such as launching a school webpage of student resources or creating a class blog.

When students take on the role of experts and share their ideas in the public domain, they can experience a powerful sense of community and ownership over their choices. We believe all students have expertise to share, particularly when it comes to their lived experiences, and they can be valuable resources to one another as they navigate the difficulties of high school. 

Most of us are curious about our beginnings, but the student authors of Truth That Lies Behind a Face went a step further by asking how their origins have shaped who they are today. From Harlem, to Guinea, to a Brooklyn shelter, to the Dominican Republic, these reflective and moving autobiographical pieces frame student identity in new ways.


USING THIS PUBLICATION IN THE CLASSROOM
We invite you to use this book as inspiration for students as they map their lives and origins. Who will they celebrate from their family tree? What stories are told over and over at home? How have they made it to where they are now? Ask students to learn the art of synopsis alongside a storyline structure, inviting their audience to see how the past informs present experience. Personal histories are powerful learning opportunities for students and as they discover the past, with its many achievements and complexities, they form pathways to understand current events.