Lise's Lens: April 13, 2023

Lise observes Black Maternal Health Week, reflects on the generosity displayed for this week’s Day of Giving, and — looking ahead to next week’s Boston Marathon — considers the pressures faced by female athletes.

WHAT I’M READING
 
  • Did you know that April 11-17 is Black Maternal Health Week? American Indian/Alaska Native and Black women are 2 to 3 times as likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women. In sync with the theme of this year’s Michael H. Feldman Social Justice Day topic of reproductive justice, I’ve been reading and listening to stories from the CDC’s “Hear Her” campaign, created to spread awareness about this critically important issue. If you are interested in learning more about this topic and how you can get involved, the Black Mamas Matter Alliance has some excellent recommended reading

WHAT I’M THINKING/TALKING ABOUT
 
  • I am still thinking about the way members of this community — students, alumni, parents/guardians, grandparents, faculty, staff, and friends — showed up for our 2023 Day of Giving. We set some ambitious goals for this year, and exceeded them all, raising $268,000+ in support of our great school. This is a testament to our teachers, students, and overall mission, and I could not be more grateful or proud. Thank you. 

WHAT I'M WATCHING/LISTENING TO

  • With the Boston Marathon coming up, I found the content of a Social Justice Day workshop led by science teacher Meredith Mikell this week especially timely and thought-provoking (you can read a description of it here). It inspired me to watch this video Op-Ed from running phenom Mary Cain, which illustrates some of the pressures female-athletes feel to perform, and the impact this has on their bodies. I truly believe it is possible for a woman to be a star athlete while also taking care of her body and her health, and I am glad CSW is a place where our students (regardless of gender) are able to do that. 
WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE
 
I loved seeing Dr. Ruth Berggren, this year’s Social Justice Day keynote speaker (and a close lifelong friend of mine from Haiti) chatting informally with students outside the Kluchman.

 
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CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.