If you visited Hapara.com on Saturday, March 24, 2018, you may have noticed things looked a little different. We decided to blackout our website to show our support for student voice. As thousands of students marched on Washington to demand that lawmakers listen to their voices and their experiences, we took a step back and lowered our own adult voices for a day so they could be heard.
Our full statement, standing in solidarity with all students who want to share their voices and take an active, civilized role in the world around them can be found below.
Hāpara Stands for Student Voice
Today, thousands of students from across the United States are gathering in Washington D.C., and in their home communities, to voice their opinions and speak out.
At Hāpara, we applaud students who stand up for their beliefs and the teachers, parents and community members who support them in finding their voices. We believe that student voices, speaking from all perspectives, should be encouraged and valued. No matter what their opinions are, or how they change over time, we should support students as they learn how to navigate the world and craft a future that makes sense to them. That is what learning looks like today, and what success will look like in the future.
Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders, taxpayers, doctors, builders and citizens. We should hear and honor their voices – collectively and individually.
Today we stand for student empowerment, civic engagement, experiential learning, and coming together as a society to have informed, engaged and civil conversations about the issues that matter. Above all else, we need to listen to students.
❤ The Team at Hāpara
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