The Harvard Public Schools Alumni Coalition, a group of Bromfield alumni involved in social justice work in the community, is launching a new award for graduating seniors.
The award will recognize students who show a commitment to advancing social justice in the town and school community. The coalition is currently fundraising for the award, which will be presented at Bromfield’s annual senior awards night, June 1.
Alumni from the coalition said the foremost reason for the award is to recognize the activism of Bromfield students, but it is also a way for community members to stay involved in the cause by making a donation.
Emily Erdos, a 2015 Bromfield graduate, said the coalition began planning the award early this year as a way to encourage community involvement in issues of racism and discrimination.
Elise Bilodeau, another alumnus and part of the coalition, said the stigma of being a “social justice warrior” sometimes casts a shadow on the efforts of social justice advocates. That’s something she hopes the award will counter.
“We really want to lend a positive recognition to students who are very engaged in this way and doing this work, just the same way that students who are very engaged in athletics … [and] other forms of leadership in the town are,” said Bilodeau.
Alumnus Sam Peisch said providing financial support to students engaged in social justice activism is also important from an institutional standpoint. “It’s really important for the school to show solidarity with, particularly BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students, but also allies who are focused on this work. And I think [this award is] one way to do that.”
Jennie Ives, also a Bromfield graduate, said she follows the student-run Instagram account bipocbromfield, which posts anonymous submissions about students’ experiences with racism and discrimination at Bromfield, and the posts illustrate ongoing issues. “That continues to be a really upsetting and simultaneously invigorating channel, and … it makes abundantly clear that there’s ongoing racism and microaggressions at Bromfield and in the town of Harvard.”
In addition to fundraising through Instagram, the alumni plan to run ads on the social media site Nextdoor and on Facebook in hopes of reaching a wider audience.
The number of awards is not yet determined, but the coalition set a fundraising goal of $3,000 and would like to give between one and three awards of $400 to $1,000. The coalition also plans to continue the award in coming years, so some donations may go to a fund for future seniors.
Seniors who applied for the award were asked to submit a résumé and a short essay detailing a moment when they advocated for positive social change in the community. Applications will be reviewed by a committee composed of coalition members, a few teachers, and community members who have been active in social justice work. The committee will look for examples of leadership, including involvement in related clubs, organizations, and volunteer work; participation in discussion groups; and partnership with the school to work toward change.
Donations are being accepted through DonorBox, an online fundraising software system. Donors can choose to make either a one-time or a recurring contribution to this year’s award, future years’ awards, or to Students for Justice.
Students for Justice is a student organization focused on discussion, activism, and outreach that was established in October 2020.
