Why open a school? To close a prison | Nadia Lopez

Translator: Vicky Lara Labaila Reviewer: Júlia Ramírez

When I opened Mott Hall Bridges Academy in 2010,

Quan vaig obrir la Mott Hall Bridges Academy al 2010,

el meu objectiu era simple:

my goal was simple:

open a school to close a prison.

obrir una escola per tancar una presó.

Now to some, this was an audacious goal,

Per a alguns, aquest era un objectiu agosarat,

because our school is located in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn --

perquè el nostre centre està a Brownsville, a Brooklyn,

one of the most underserved and violent neighborhoods

un dels barris més desatesos i violents

in all of New York City.

de tota la ciutat de Nova York.

Com tants centres escolars urbans amb alts índexs de pobresa,

Like many urban schools with high poverty rates,

we face numerous challenges,

ens enfrontem a nombrosos reptes,

com ara trobar professorat que pugui entendre

like finding teachers who can empathize

with the complexities of a disadvantaged community,

les complexitats d'una comunitat desafavorida,

la falta de finançament per a tecnologia,

lack of funding for technology,

low parental involvement

la baixa participació dels pares

and neighborhood gangs that recruit children as early as fourth grade.

i que les bandes recrutin canalla de 9 o 10 anys.

So here I was,

Així que allà em trobava jo,

the founding principal of a middle school that was a district public school,

directora i fundadora d'un centre públic de barri de secundària obligatòria,

and I only had 45 kids to start.

i només tenia 45 nois i noies per començar.

El 30% tenia necessitats especials.

Thirty percent of them had special needs.

Eighty-six percent of them were below grade level

El 86% estava per sota del nivell que els corresponia

in English and in math.

en anglès i mates.

And 100 percent were living below the poverty level.

I el 100% vivia per sota del llindar de la pobresa.

If our children are not in our classrooms,

Si la nostra canalla no és a les nostres aules,

how will they learn?

com aprendrà?

And if they're not learning,

I si no aprenen,

where would they end up?

on aniran a parar?

It was evident when I would ask my 13-year-old,

Era evident quan li preguntava a un dels de 13 anys:

"Young man,

"Noi,

where do you see yourself in five years?"

on et veus en cinc anys?"

And his response:

I la seva resposta:

"I don't know if I'm gonna live that long."

"No sé si viuré tants anys."

Or to have a young woman say to me

O aquella altra noia que em deia

that she had a lifelong goal of working in a fast-food restaurant.

que el seu objectiu a la vida era treballar en un restaurant de menjar ràpid.

To me, this was unacceptable.

Per a mi, allò era inacceptable.

It was also evident that they had no idea

Era també evident que no tenien ni idea

que hi havia tot un món d'oportunitats

that there was a landscape of opportunity

that existed beyond their neighborhood.

més enllà del seu barri.

Anomenem els nostres estudiants "escolars" perquè aprenen al llarg de tota la vida.

We call our students "scholars," because they're lifelong learners.

And the skills that they learn today

I les habilitats que aprenen avui

will prepare them for college and career readiness.

els prepararan per a la universitat i la seva carrera professional.

I chose the royal colors of purple and black,

Vaig escollir el violeta i el negre, colors de la realesa,

because I want them to be reminded that they are descendants of greatness,

perquè vull recordar-los que descendeixen de la grandesa,

and that through education,

i que a través de l'educació,

they are future engineers,

són futurs enginyers,

scientists,

científics,

entrepreneurs

emprenedors,

i fins i tot líders que poden i que prendran el relleu.

and even leaders who can and will take over this world.

To date,

De moment,

we have had three graduating classes,

tenim tres promocions graduades

at a 98 --

amb un 98

(Applause)

(Aplaudiments)

At a 98-percent graduation rate.

Amb un índex del 98% d'alumnes que acaben els seus estudis.

Això són gairebé 200 nois i noies,

This is nearly 200 children,

who are now going to some of the most competitive high schools

que ara aniran a alguns dels instituts més competitius

in New York City.

de la ciutat de Nova York.

(Applause)

(Aplaudiments)

It was a cold day in January

Era un dia fred de gener

when my scholar, Vidal Chastanet, met Brandon Stanton,

quan el meu estudiant, Vidal Chastanet, es trobà amb Brandon Stanton,

the founder of the popular blog "Humans of New York."

el fundador d'"Humans de Nova York", el famós blog.

En Brandon va compartir la història d'un jove de Brownsville

Brandon shared the story of a young man from Brownsville

que va ser testimoni de la violència de primera mà,

who had witnessed violence firsthand,

by witnessing a man being thrown off of a roof.

quan va veure com un home era llençat des d'una teulada.

Yet he can still be influenced by a principal

Però ell encara pot ser influenciat per una directora

who had opened up a school that believes in all children.

que ha obert un centre escolar que creu en tota la canalla.

Vidal embodies the story of so many of our underprivileged children

Vidal personifica la història de tanta de la nostra canalla desafavorida

que lluita per sobreviure,

who are struggling to survive,

which is why we must make education a priority.

raó per la qual hem de fer de l'educació, una prioritat.

Brandon's post created a global sensation

La publicació d'en Brandon va ser un èxit mundial

that touched the lives of millions.

que va commoure milions de persones.

This resulted in 1.4 million dollars being raised

Això va resultar en la recaptació d'1,4 milions de dòlars

for our scholars to attend field trips to colleges and universities,

per a què els nostres estudiants puguin fer viatges d'estudis a universitats,

als campaments d'estiu científics STEAM,

Summer STEAM programs,

as well as college scholarships.

així com per a beques universitàries.

You need to understand

Han de pensar

that when 200 young people from Brownsville visited Harvard,

que quan els 200 joves de Brownsville van visitar Harvard,

they now understood

per fi van entendre

que una universitat de la seva elecció era una possibilitat real.

that a college of their choice was a real possibility.

And the impossibilities that had been imposed upon them

I que els obstacles que els havien estat imposats

by a disadvantaged community

per pertànyer a una comunitat desafavorida

were replaced by hope and purpose.

eren substituïts per esperança i metes.

The revolution in education is happening in our schools,

La revolució educativa està succeïnt a les nostres escoles,

with adults who provide love,

per adults que donen amor,

structure,

estructura,

support

suport

i coneixements.

and knowledge.

These are the things that inspire children.

Aquestes són les coses que inspiren la canalla.

But it is not an easy task.

Però no és una feina fàcil.

And there are high demands

I hi ha grans exigències

within an education system that is not perfect.

en un sistema educatiu que no és perfecte.

But I have a dynamic group of educators

Però tinc un dinàmic grup d'educadors

who collaborate as a team to determine what is the best curriculum.

que col·labora com a equip per fixar quin és el millor currículum.

They take time beyond their school day,

Ocupen el seu temps després de la jornada escolar,

and come in on weekends

i vénen els caps de setmana

and even use their own money to often provide resources

i fins i tot utilitzen sovint els seus diners per oferir recursos

when we do not have it.

quan no els tenim.

And as the principal,

I com a directora,

I have to inspect what I expect.

he d'inspeccionar el que espero.

So I show up in classes

Així que, aparec a les aules

and I conduct observations to give feedback,

i duc a terme observacions per donar la meva opinió,

because I want my teachers to be just as successful

perquè vull que els meus professors siguin tan competents

as the name Mott Hall Bridges Academy.

com ho és la Mott Hall Bridges Academy.

And I give them access to me every single day,

I els atenc tots els dies,

which is why they all have my personal cell number,

raó per la qual tots tenen el meu número de mòbil,

including my scholars and those who graduated --

incloent els meus alumnes i també els que ja s'han graduat,

which is probably why I get phone calls and text messages

raó per la qual probablement rebo trucades i missatges

at three o'clock in the morning.

a les tres de la matinada.

(Laughter)

(Rialles)

Però estem tots connectats per triomfar

But we are all connected to succeed,

and good leaders do this.

i és el que fan els bons líders.

Tomorrow's future is sitting in our classrooms.

El futur del demà s'asseu a les nostres aules.

And they are our responsibility.

I en són la nostra responsabilitat.

That means everyone in here,

I amb això vull dir a tots els presents,

and those who are watching the screen.

i els que ens estan veient.

We must believe in their brilliance,

Hem de creure en la seva genialitat,

and remind them by teaching them

i recordar-los, quan els ensenyem,

that there indeed is power in education.

que hi ha poder de debò en l'educació.

Gràcies.

Thank you.

(Applause)

(Aplaudiment)