Rising Weston High School senior Aubrey Hankin is passionate about social justice, political science, sociology and helping others.
She has been an activist. But she is frustrated by interference from school administrators, or “adults not caring enough.”
She wants the chance to talk about important issues, with people her own age — and “actual change.”
Aubrey Hankin
“Gen Z is a powerful generation that is deeply motivated to address important issues,” she says of her cohort.
But she’s noticed an inability by some to follow through with plans. Others simply repost activist stories on social media, without any action.
“This needs to change,” Aubrey says.
So — like any good activist — she has created an organization to address that issue.
And many other issues too.
The EmpowerHer Collective is a way for members to educate themselves by reading the works of respected writers. Members will then plan events that “truly make change in our community.”
All high school students in the area — whatever their political leanings or gender — are invited to join.
The format is intriguing. Every week, one member will choose a reading, or excerpt from a piece by a well-respected author or academic, related to the work the group is focused on. Topics could include feminism, mental health, LGBTQ+ issues, and others.
The next week, they’ll spend 30 to 45 minutes discussing what they’ve read (“debriefing and educating ourselves,” Aubrey says).
EmpowerHer Collective logo
She aims for college-level readings. “We will fully dissect them in meetings, so it’s okay if not everyone gets every single part” of an essay, she notes.
“But I hope they push us to think critically, and truly analyze the deep impacts and meanings behind social issues.”
They’ll also plan activism: creating events, working with non-profits, raising money or trying to affect legislation.
The readings and discussions will ensure that the decisions the Empowerment Collective makes are “well informed, and have the perspectives of many people with different backgrounds,” Aubrey says.
She has asked the Westport Library for meeting space.
To learn more about the EmpowerHer Collective, click here.
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Hooray! Great initiative.
Here’s how to make the biggest difference- your career.
Take a look at https://80000hours.org/
This is a great idea. Getting people to “think critically” considering all points of view is what a liberal education used to be all about.
Including people of “all political leanings or gender” certainly helps. However, this will take a lot effort since, as a practical matter, discussions will be held from a privileged, elite, white and, generally, progressive perspective given the population being drawn from. It is quite easy to come up with the “right” conclusion/consensus when discussions occur in an echo chamber. But it will take real effort to source thoughtful readings from across the spectrum of opinions to ensure a truly balanced discussion on the “big issues” of the day.
Might I suggest the topic of “affordable housing”. Westport/Weston could easily choose to allow the construction of more affordable housing however they have historically affirmatively chosen to limit it via restrictive zoning. The solution is relatively simple – density. But, of course, that would interfere with “character” of the town not to mention would cost money to construct proper infrastructure to support significantly increased density as well as massive increases in the education budget. How does one reconcile Westport/Weston’s progressive leanings vs its actions? And what should be done about it?
The “affordable housing” topic leads to a great topic for self examination. How does a group of white privileged elites that, for the most part, live insulated from the practical realities of the greater mass of the population really come to valid practical conclusions without having experienced the realities of life outside of their bubble. In other words, getting to talk the talk without having walked the walk.
Other fun topics might be examining “trans rights” vs “womens rights” when it comes to participation competitive sports or “religious/cultural tolerance” vs “sexual/gender tolerance” and whether it matters if you are talking about Muslims vs Christians.
Good luck with your endeavor. I would think there could be some lively discussions, particularly if everyone comes in with an open mind.
I’m hope impending nuclear war is a topic as well as a planet on fire.