During the school year, I spend my days with children at an elementary school. Not a day passes that I don’t learn something from one of them. Snack times, for example, are incredible moments in which children see a need and fill it, often without prompting. I witness children met each other’s needs. In a third grade classroom, it’s common for a student to not have a morning snack. And, almost daily, other students will subtlety place part of their own snack on his or her desk to share. These simple acts of kindness from children have much to teach us about the readiness of their hearts to care for others and seek things like equality and food for all, even at a young age.
Young people are smart, curious, and deeply thoughtful. Children have a unique way of seeing the world and this makes them especially equipped to engage in the work of social justice. As adults in their lives, we have a special role to play in empowering these gifts. Here are four practical ways that we can do this.
Surround them with an Expansive Worldview
First, consider: What are you listening to, reading, watching, and learning together? What stories are being centered in your life? Kids connect to stories. If you watch children’s faces during a read aloud, you’ll see their smiles, their anxious expressions during tense moments, and the subtle acting out of what they hear. They make connections to their own lives, and their world broadens. This is why it’s important for us to introduce our children to a diverse cast of authors, stories, and issues. Stories invite kids (and adults) into other peoples’ worlds; it makes their struggles and their joys personal; and instills within us a desire to respond. For example,a sweet book club of young girls once read the book I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, and, in response, they organized a bake sale to contribute money to the Malala Fund promoting education for girls globally.
Equally important is the need for our children to connect with people outside their own cultural group. One day my reading small group sat together in the hallway, as snow fell heavily out the window. A student shared with us that it was his first time seeing snow. He had just immigrated from Laos. His parents had come to the United States before him and he had stayed behind with his grandparents. He shared about his favorite foods in Laos, his dog, and how hot it was there, and we were given the gift of understanding an immigrant experience. Our lives broadened from this boy’s willingness to share his culture and story with us.
Let’s help kids see beyond their immediate world. If we don’t teach young people, how will they know? Proximity to need changes us. Our kids need a mixture of literature, listening, visiting, and serving in the same measure adults do. When we consistently draw up close to hard things, it also doesn’t seem as scary or different any longer. This is how we begin to recognize disparity, inequality, and injustice in the first place.
Listen to their Thoughts and Ideas
Second, offer young people opportunities to share their feelings, opinions, and insights. Jesus welcomed children. Matthew 18:1-5 states, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a little child to him, and place the child among them. And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” Jesus illustrated the importance of children. Welcoming a child is equated to welcoming Jesus into our lives. And, interestingly, Jesus calls us to become like children. Their honesty, vulnerability, and ability to see the world differently than adults has much to teach us. Listening and watching their actions can lead us closer to the heart of Christ and inevitably the pursuit of social justice for all.
As Jesus welcomed children, so too should we welcome children by creating space for hard conversations. Set aside time to talk about current events, ask what needs your particular community faces, and how you might contribute to or incorporate diverse voices into your conversation. Then, take these conversations and respond by actively working on justice-related projects, like attending a multicultural event in your community, writing a letter expressing your opinion to a state representative, choosing a local nonprofit, and becoming involved in their work.
Once, in a fifth grade classroom, I was helping students prepare for a wax museum project. A student from India was portraying Nelson Mandela and mentioned his time in jail. Another student wondered if he was meant to be a wax museum hero if he had been in jail. The student from India replied without missing a beat- a lot of people who fight against injustice end up in jail. They went on to have a conversation about other historical figures who were persecuted for seeking a just world.
I also interviewed numerous young people to include their insights in my book about teaching kids about social justice. Answers from the local Boys and Girls Club surprised me. Several students shared that a fair trade would be giving someone else a toy that needed it. I was struck by the generosity of this answer, not trade a toy or even share one, but completely give a toy away. Listening not only allows kids space to practice social justice, but it teaches us just as deeply.
Cultivate their Creativity
Third, kids create amazing things. I once watched a third grader create a mini solar system mobile from discarded eraser caps and a paper clip. Allow young people the gift of play and time to create. Examples include allowing a young writer to create a play about hunger in your community, giving preschoolers a sensory area with items from nature, and encouraging young inventors to create and build things. When guided, they will be able to connect their explorations to social justice issues, and find usable solutions that stem from their own interests and passions.
Ruby, age 7, is endlessly resourceful. When considering how she would welcome refugees, she decided to create a pink and purple welcome sign. She went beyond practicalities and thought about how she could offer a beautiful piece of art that would communicate her love for refugees. Aliya, age 16, has a rare disease called dysautonomia, and when asked about health care, she said, “I care about finding a cure for rare diseases.” Her own experience with illness prompts her to find solutions of others who have had similar struggles. Eli, age 10, an avid reader said this about peace, “We should have branches of politicians in every country’s government that strengthens alliances with other countries and make new alliances with other countries.”
Young people have specific interests and experiences to build from when engaging in social justice, and this is something we should lean into and cultivate. Sometimes, it might be as simple as talking to them about current events and asking them, “What would you do to help?” We, as parents, grandparents, and teachers, can encourage them understand their own strengths and gifts, and how this might relate to making a difference.
Be an Example
Finally, never forget that young people are watching us. When we rise, they rise too. If you read Malala Yousafzai’s journey to education, you will meet her father, who was a tireless advocate, often pushing against societal norms as well. In Elizabeth Suneby’s book Razia’s Ray of Hope: One Girl’s Dream of an Education (CitizenKid), her grandfather, Baba gi, intervenes for her education. In the film Girl Rising, Azmera from Ethiopia is protected from an early marriage by an older brother. Kids see what is important through the adults in their lives, and they respond to our examples.
Be willing to ask hard questions. Things like, “Where do our family’s time and resources go?” 1 Peter 4:10 says, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” We can ask: What are we giving our best too? Does it cost us anything or do we just skim off the top? When we are intentional about standing up to injustice, the young people in our lives will follow and even lead the way.
I would love to send you resources to further incorporate social justice into the lives of your family members, students, and church family. Send me an email at lisavanengen@gmail.com for a Social Justice Inventory, 52 Social Justice Habits, and hundreds of free printables to accompany And Social Justice for All.
Give kids the gift of play. When guided, they will be able to connect their creative explorations to social justice issues, and find usable solutions that stem from their own interests and passions. Click To Tweet
