Creative Brief

1. What is this project? What form will it take? What's the task at hand?
This project on race and social justice is designed to take a deeper look into an issue at hand in middle schools. The central focus is the issue of middle school students separating themselves from each other on the basis of racial identity as they learn to develop a sense of self. 
We will create a digital platform to display our message, findings and sources to the audience. Our topic that we chose is the issue of race and social justice in schools.

2.Why are we doing it? What is the problem or opportunity?

We chose this topic as failure to address the issue of discrimination based on race will only further deepen inequality among different identities. As we have progressed and diversity in the United States has increased, there are still many issues relating to discrimination and racism. Race and discrimination is a huge problem today for young adolescents emotional  and social development, but if the topic of race and social justice is discussed more, this could progress into an opportunity for a more peaceful world.

3. Who is it really for? And why should they care?
This project is for our fellow middle school teacher candidates as well as teacher candidates of other levels as well. This information is important because the issue of race and social justice in schools is at an all time high in the current political climate, and is an issue that has permeated public education from the beginning.

4. Where and how will it be used? When?
This website will be used in our MLED 310 class for the purpose of presenting our research to the class. It will be used as an interactive tool to introduce our classmates to the idea of social justice and race in education and how they can assist their students in navigating this topic. We will present on December 1st.

5. Who will be engaged with it directly and indirectly?

Directly, our classmates and ourselves will be engaged in the information and the discussion. Indirectly, other people in the education world who happen upon our blog will then be engaged in the information and the discussion of race and social justice in education.

6. How will it be remembered and retold?
This project on Racial disparity and social justice within the classroom will be remembered by getting listeners to think about the significance of racial inequality among schools and how it impacts the future of students regardless of race and background. Hopefully the impact left will inspire discussion towards their friends and other peers to further drive public knowledge of such an issue. Through role play of difficult situations involving hateful speech or symbols, and through guided discussion in the classroom, this topic will be remembered and hopefully retold into our peers own middle school classrooms.

7. What needs to be done?By whom? By when?

Schools need to begin including curriculum that provides multiple perspectives and multicultural learning opportunities. The curriculum also needs to allow students to have a safe way to discuss their feelings on race and how the tension in the media makes them feel. Parents also need to be given tools to teach their children how to navigate racial separation and discrimination in the world, and how to be an ally for fellow students they feel are being faced with racial separation at school. This needs to start immediately, and if not immediately with the next generation of teachers who are coming into schools. In the wake of the racist attacks of the past year, this discussion in schools and the development of tools and strategies needs to begin now more than ever.