In her rock-band t-shirt, thick striped tights and mid-calf leather boots, Rachael Pream Grenier appears to have more in common with her Edina High School (EHS) students than her adult colleagues.
That's fitting because a passion for international peace, an end to torture and justice for the environment make some EHS students seem more like adults than teenagers.
Perhaps that's why Pream Grenier's Youth Serving Youth (YSY) group at EHS is such a success--kids and adults overcome age barriers and work together to address an array of societal issues, from genocide to gay rights. "I feel like they know so much that I don't --like I learn from them as much as they learn from me," says Pream Grenier, adult coordinator of YSY. "They're on top of it."
YSY is a before-and after-school program that encourages student leadership, service and social awareness. The umbrella program's 11 sub-groups vary in focus: There is Peace Jam, which raises money to build a well for a school in Malawi, Africa; Purple Ground, a non-partisan group; the Gay-Straight Alliance; and Anime Club, to name a few.
"It's about students finding their niche," Pream Grenier says, noting that she doesn't lead or control any groups, merely supervises. "With Anime Club, when they first wanted to start it, I remember thinking, 'What's the deal with anime?' But it was a hug success. I feel that it brought together a group of students with a broad spectrum of interests--including some who might not otherwise get involved in school programs. We're trying to meet the needs, to connect, with every student."
Solving Problems Embracing Change
For example environmentalists can join Project Earth, which spearheaded a massive recycling program at EHS.There was recycling before the group, of course, but it was not well organized or encouraged. When the students wanted to tackle the issue Pream Grenier was initially hesitant.
"I was worried about the follow-through--if I would be the only one picking up recycling from the classrooms," she says. "But they showed me they were committed to this, and they've been a really strong group."
Thanks in part to the groups efforts, classroom recycling is now common at EHS. In fact, the school has had to add more recycling collection bins.
"When you go outside and see seven or nine bins full of recycling and you know that if the group didn't exist [those items] wouldn't have been recycled--that makes you feel really good," says Katie Arneson, 17, leader of Project Earth.
During the last election, Purple Ground sponsored a debate between U.S. Congressman Ashwin Madia and David Dillon, which more than 100 students attended--students who were, for the most part, too young to vote.
And YSY students are not only making a difference in their own back yard, they are also thinking globally. In February, a new group called STAND worked with the City of Edina's Human Rights and Relations Commission to host two presentations by Dr. Ashis Brahma, a physician serving 27,000 Darfur refugees in Chad.
"Emma [Weisberg, STAND co-chair] and I worked really hard on that event--it shows how even a few individuals can do a lot to help others," says Shara Mohtadi, STAND co-chair and EHS student. "I think, as stupid as it sounds, we are the future and we will solve these problems."
Pream Grenier says YSY's success could not be possible without the staunch backing it receives from EHS--in fact, through involvement with YSY, students can earn a school letter in community service.
EHS Principal W. Bruce Locklear says he supports YSY completely: "Any opportunity we, as a school, have to not only expose, but enlighten students perspectives around political or environmental domains is an obligation YSY embraces."
Activism in the Cafeteria
The hardest part of Pream Grenier's job is allowing the kids to learn from their own mistakes. "There are moments where I catch myself pooh-poohing ideas," she says. "It's sometimes very hard to hold my tongue. Sometimes I need to let a group fail or not be productive."
The student's agree it's vital that they have control, so that YSY participants feel empowered not obligated.
"We're picking our own groups, deciding what needs to be done and how we can serve our fellow students," says Bethany Powell, 17, leader of Writer's Club. "If we didn't do YSY, people would be interested in these things but not know what to do about it."
Last January, YSY members raised nearly $350 by organizing Environmental Jamnesty, an annual concert featuring five EHS bands. Students are now planning another concert next month in Centennial Lakes Park to raise money for Darfur genocide survivors.
"It's really cool to see people come to these clubs and actually want to make a difference in our own community," says Kaitlyn Fryzek, 17, a leader of Amnesty International, which has organized events such as Human Rights Day and Rock for Darfur. "It's interesting to see that happen in our own cafeteria."
For Pream Grenier, one of the most important aspects of YSY is that it allows kids to understand their power to make a difference now, rather than waiting for someone else to forge the way.
"The students are not necessarily the leaders of tomorrow, they're leaders of today," she says. "They're powerful, and they're doing some amazing things."
