STORY PREVIEW

2021

Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover

Russell Elementary in Columbia Missouri

Missouri

MENTOR

Patrick Sasser

Step 1 FEEL

List the challenges or problems in your surroundings (school,neighbourhood etc.) that bothered you.

- This project started from a personal experience which I shared with Design for Change USA in a podcast. I wanted people to open up and except me for who I am. - Teachers don’t always use the right pronouns for kids like me, they need to be educated - Alot of people who have raised a certain way, think everyone should be raised that way, and it’s only when you have the experience of meeting someone like me, who is transgendred, then you know how it hurts and how it feels - If everyone had that experience, I don’t think people would be mean to people like me - I wish more people knew more people that are transgendered, so they could appreciate their experiences more - Alot of our systems aren’t built for diverse identities and for people who don’t show up as the norm - I always have to educate people about my pronouns and which bathroom I should go to, just so I can be safe - I wish people knew my labor

State the problem chosen to work and why.

- In the project I will tackle the theme “Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover.” Throughout my life there have been instances where I felt I was unfairly labeled or judged. Whether it's my appearance or name. People desire to get Oliver to fit their perception of what someone like her might look/act like. - I used to go to a private school where I couldn’t really be myself or dress the way I wanted. My teacher said that because I was a boy, I couldn't wear dresses because it would confuse the other kids. I decided to eventually leave that school to go to a different public school where I would be more accepted. - I want people to see me as I am and not what I am supposed to be -

Who were the people affected by the problem? What were their primary concerns?

- Children like me are affected, but also my teachers and community who don’t always understand what it’s like for me

Step 2 IMAGINE

List ALL the different solutions you came up with.

- I wanted to create a movie or a website to share the stories of people like me. I once created a movie in school and I was the Director so I thought that would be a great idea.

Which solution from those listed above did you choose to implement and why?

- I am going to interview people from the LGBTQ+ community and compile these video interviews into a collection and put them into a modern website as a way to share these stories with the world.

Step 3DO

Describe very briefly the process of implementing your solution(s).

I will begin by brainstorming a list of people I can interview, who will be willing to share their experiences with me. I will then come up with a list of questions to ask participants, maybe something like: ○ What is your name? Tell us about yourself. ○ Have people assumed something about you that is not true? ○ Have people treated you differently because you are different? ○ Castle or gingerbread house? ○ Aquarium or zoo? ○ Tag or Hide and seek? ○ What do you want the world to know about you? ○ What are your favorite things about yourself? ○ Who inspires you? I will then work with my dad to get a domain name for my website e.g., oliversbooksdontjudge.com, and come up with a starter theme by looking at different templates. https://kriesi.at/themes/enfold-overview/. I then plan to reach out to the people I want to interview and come up with an interview timeline and then schedule a time to do the interviews. I’ll then work with my dad to create a site map of the website that tells people a bit about myself, the project, and the video interviews. I’ll even have a page where you can see how I shared this project e.g., the local news. I’ll then work with my mom to get images for the site and other resources/content I need. Finally, I’ll start doing the interviews and work with my dad to get some of his students to put together the video interviews for me. I hope to be done the website by mid October! I am still working on my project for now to get it complete.

What was the result or impact of your project?

- I know that people including Hasbro, really liked my podcast and hope to share it with their network - I hope that after my project, I will be able to educate and inspire other students like me! - I hope to reach 100o’s of people like me and share my story with them

How many people were impacted by your solution(s)?

1001

What did the impacted people have to say about your project? Provide 2 quotes or testimonials:

- I once made a video at school and I was the Director. It was a comedy video. When I told my friend, Ingrid, I was going to make a website for my Design for Change project, she thought it was really cool that I’d reach so many people. - I had this one teacher that told people I was a boy who liked to wear dresses, but then I made her realize that I’m a girl who wears dresses. Ever since then, she was all in and she’s been one of my favorite teachers.

What challenges did you encounter while implementing your project, and how did you overcome them?

- I once made a video at school and I was the Director. It was a comedy video. When I told my friend, Ingrid, I was going to make a - I had to constantly shuffle between my parent’s houses and I had alot of work as a student, so I didn’t always have time for this project.

How long did it take to implement your solution?

15-30 Days

Which global goals does your story align with?

Reduced inequalities

Please explain briefly why do you think so?

- Because I think that all students should be who they are and not what people think they should be

Step 4 SHARE

How did you share your project with your school and community? Who did you share your project with? What was their response?

- I plan to share my this project with my school, my teachers, my community, and my friends. When I did tell my one friend, she thought it was so cool that I was representing so many people! - I also shared my story with DFC USA and I was interviewed for a podcast on their website: https://pm.designforchange.us/podcast/transgender_identity

Approximately how many people did you share your story of change with?

More than 100

Briefly share your plan to sustain the impact of your project?

- I will share with my friends, school community, my parent’s network, and through Design for Change USA and Global

BACK TO HOME