Past and Present:

2023-2024

Our Story Project is on to a strong start this school year. Scholars are partaking in project-based learning with Buffalo State College's Anne Frank Project. They also got to see The Color Purple at Shea's 710 Theater and at a special pre-screening event. In October of 2023, exemplary OSP scholars told their stories at the NYS Superintendent Board Association's Annual Convention and spoke about their experiences in the program. In the Spring, students will attend University of Buffalo's Distinguished Speakers Series as author and antiracist activist Heather McGhee comes to speak in Buffalo. They will also get to attend the Distinguished Speakers Session with Amanda Gorman, National Youth Poet Laureate. The end of year OSP travels will take scholars on field excursions throughout historic Philadelphia, PA, with select OSP scholars representing Buffalo Public Schools at the Racial Equity in Education Convention.

2022-2023

Featured events this year included: Buffalo State College Tour, immersive cultural experience in Cleveland, Ohio, painting workshop with Paint the Town, and theater performances at Ujima Theater. The culmination trip was to San Juan, Ponce and El-Yunque National Forest (tropical rainforest) in Puerto Rico where students learned the local history, the history of the Taino people, local recipes, and the contributions of the rainforest to the world.

2021-2022

Throughout the 2021-2022 school year, the Our Story Scholars focused on telling their own story in a modality of their choosing. Through a variety of immersive experiences, such as theatrical experiences, workshops, and field excursions, scholars learned about their own histories, legacies, and culture's contributions and greatness, as well as those of other's cultures. The phenomenal work of these scholars culminated with a presentation of their scholarly work in March 2022 and a cultural field excursion to Washington, D.C. in April 2022.

The success demonstrated by each scholar’s deep, rigorous, and engaging learning culminates with the presentation and showcase of their final project which highlights their own personal story, history, culture, and identity. Scholars are encouraged to use multiple modalities to present their projects including writing, spoken word, and art. Scholars also hone their public speaking skills as they present these final projects at an official ceremony attended by a multitude of district stakeholders, including teachers, administrators, parents, central office staff, board members, and community members.

2020-2021

In the 2020-2021 school year, Our Story Scholars engaged in deep conversations about historical influences on current events, including that of the inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris. The scholars also read and discussed the student version of Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-Winning Stamped from the Beginning by Jason Reynolds, based on writings from Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. Through this reading analysis, students and teachers explored the history of systemic racism and how it impacts our society today. The scholars concluded the year by showcasing their intellectual greatness and new learnings through the creation of social justice projects.

The intersection of culture, history, and the arts is a key component of the Our Story Project Curriculum.

Highlights from the Our Story Project Program

During the Our Story Project's Cultural Excursion to Alabama in April 2019, the scholars walked in the footsteps of greatness as they explored and reenacted moments from Civil Rights History, such as the infamous walk over the Edmund-Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Click to view a video of the Our Story's Cultural Excursion to Alabama (April 2019).

BUFFALO

CLRI Scholar Programs

Big Sister, Little Sister (BSLS)

Global Scholars

Jesse Ketchum

Lorna C. Hill Speaking Contest

My Brother's Keeper (MBK)

MBK Fellows

MBK Leadership Academy

My Sister's Keeper (MSK)

Our Story Project (OSP)

Scholars for Social Justice