Venie Gaki, Middle School Faculty
"It all started with a song... 'Imagine all the people living life in peace'... which triggered curiosity and motivation to see what is happening around the world.... which brought frustration, anger, sadness and despair... which turned to grit and passion and eventually motivated students to write their own 'I have a dream speech'...
In quarter 3, ACS Athens ESL 2 students expanded their academic vocabulary and grammar skills by becoming acquainted with two of the most important documents in modern history:
The Declaration of Human Rights, which was drafted in 1948, and Martin Luther King’s speech 'I have a dream...' which was delivered in front of hundreds of thousands of protestors on the march to Washington in 1963.
Breaking down, analyzing the discourse of these documents and doing research on violations of human rights across the globe nowadays, gave students a clear understanding of the reason for the development of the 17 Sustainable Goals and the importance of attaining them by 2030.
Our ACS Athens students are not just dreamers; they are passionate orators and problem solvers...
The speeches they wrote were inspirational and fervent, raising awareness and at the same time providing solutions to stop hunger, to provide education for all, to protect privacy.
I am very proud of them all, and I am pretty sure that I can already see some of them speaking at the United Nations representing not just their nation, but humanity, thriving as global citizens!"
Click on the pdf below to read some of the students’ speeches.