Education Matters: The peace garden at a Fresno school becomes a lesson in civic engagement
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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE) – Civic engagement projects in Fresno County schools are producing leaders of tomorrow.
A senior at Edison High School, Matthew Pitcher had a big moment when United States Congressman, Jim Costa, a state legislator, and other dignitaries showed up to honor something he and his classmates accomplished.
“We say thank you, thank you for setting the stage, thank you for remembering the better angels in all of us,” Costa said.
The Edison High Peace Garden was established in honor of Ali Shabazz, a member of the Edison High family and beloved community leader who died in an accident.
‘To honor his legacy’: High school garden to remember Fresno man killed in crash
“He would take night shifts with the Department of Transportation so that he could serve his community during the days and weekends and that’s something that I really do admire about him,” Pitcher said.
For Pitcher, the construction of this peace garden was a lesson in civic engagement.
“Getting approval for the space in the first place was super challenging. I would go out here in the summertime with the principal and I’d be looking around different spaces and he’d tell me oh no this can’t work, this can’t work for reasons,” Pitcher said.
Student advisor Janina Schulz says Pitcher had to engage district officials at all levels to get things done.
“For this project, Matthew had to talk with not only school administrators but also district-level administrators. we experienced some red tape along the way,” Schulz said.
Students who take on community projects can get help from the civic education center. Many schools no longer teach civics and this organization helps bridge the gap.
“We have to teach people what that is and show kids what they have to do with it by bringing them together,” said Dr. Stephen Morris, the CEO of the Civic Education Center. “Let them use their creative thinking skills, collaboration skills and being creative about solving a real problem.”
Morris, who is working with a group of students from Sanger Unified on a clean up project at Lost Lake, said when they reached out to Edison High School, Pitcher had already done much of the work on the peace garden. The student body president says while he has always been engaged he knows many students aren’t.
“I don’t know too many students who really even know their local congressman. It’s pretty sad,” Pitcher said. “To get students involved in education and civic engagement is critical because they’re going to be the ones making decisions 10, 20, years from now.”
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