History Face to Face

I was a fan of Jeff Steinberg’s long before I met him.  I appreciate the interactive, experiential way he approaches working with high school students.  His program, Sojourn to the Past, makes clear that we need to understand history just because things that happened in the past are important but also because we can take lessons from them as we try to make good decisions about how to respond to the contemporary world.  As he explains in this week’s interview, Sojourn is transformative, in part because it facilitates conversations between young people and those who lived through and helped shape an important part of our history. 

The best measure of Steinberg’s work might not lie in what he says about the program, but in what students say.  You can read testimonials on the website, but I also had the change a few weeks ago to hear from students who had been on the journey in previous years.  Their sense of commitment and confidence was impressive, and – as Jeff notes in our conversation – they’ve done some impressive things here in the local community. 

The amazing Penny Wells is organizing another group of students from Youngstown City Schools to participate this April.  If you know someone who wants to attend, she can tell you more about it.  And if you want to help make this journey possible for a local student, Penny is also raising funds.  It’s a cause worth supporting – engaging education that makes a difference for students, their peers, and our community.  You can contact Penny by e-mail or phone, 330-207-4467.