Local Teen Reflects on the First Meeting of the Remember Project 20-21

On August 31, 2020 the second cohort of the Remember Project met virtually. This year's Remember Project cohort is comprised of 20 teens from diverse backgrounds. These 20 teens represent eight local public and private schools in the greater Charleston area. During the meeting the students were given the opportunity to get to know each other and the Charleston Jewish Federation staff through a series of ice breakers. During the meeting students shared their expectations for the experience and what they are most looking forward to. Read below as Carson Frolich reflects on our first meeting.  

What made you decide to join the Remember Project? What made me choose to join the Remember Project was all the opportunities to learn. I wanted to learn more about the Holocaust and other genocides, and the opportunity to bring educational resources to my school. I also want to find a greater sense of community through both helping my school community and finding a deeper understanding of another. 

The above picture represents what all Remember Project participants hope to get out of their expierence this year.

What part of the meeting was most memorable to you? The part of the meeting that was most memorable to me was talking to everyone during the breakout rooms. I got to see some people from my school, but I was also excited to meet new people and hear about who they were and the things that they liked. It was really wonderful.

What are you most looking forward to during your experience with the Remember Project?  I have a lot of things that I am looking forward to throughout my experience in the Remember Project, but it mainly all has to do with education. The first thing I am looking forward to is educating myself through going to sessions on the Holocaust and hearing about people’s personal experiences as survivors. One goal I have is to absorb everything that they have to say. I want to fully immerse myself in listening to these topics so I can gain a deeper understanding of people and a broader perspective of the world. The other thing I am looking forward to is bringing new resources to my school. By doing this I hope to help others learn and broaden their horizons as well. I am hopeful that maybe through more awareness of both past and current events, students at my school might gain a deeper sense of sympathy and understanding towards others' plights.

The above picture represents what all participants are looking forward to throughout this experience. 

What did you find most surprising about the first meeting? What surprised me most about the meeting was the “turn on your camera if” activity. The whole point of the game was to turn your camera on if the answer was yes in response to a question. It was so surprising to me to see how many people turned on their cameras when it came to questions like, “How many of you have felt unsafe in a situation due to your race, gender, able bodiedness, etc.” or “How many of you have felt uncomfortable about a joke made about your race, gender, able bodiedness, etc.”. It was surprising for me to see, but also oddly comforting to find out how similar we all are. I don’t think there was a single question where only one person turned their camera on; it was always more than one.

Anything else? Overall, I’m very excited for the upcoming meetings! I am ready to learn a lot and bring new learning opportunities/ resources to my school community.

*Carson Frolich was selected to participate in the second cohort of the Remember Project. High school students have a rare and unique opportunity to study the Holocaust and other genocides by becoming an ambassador in their school and community through the Remember Project. For high school students looking for a meaningful and profound community service experience, this cohort is an excellent option with monthly meetings to ensure this next generation is committed to ‘Always remembering’. For more information on the Remember Program visit https://www.jewishcharleston.org/remember