Women Leading the Way Challenges High-School Students to Explore the Fundamental Human Right to Vote
NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- A century ago, tens of thousands of women took to the streets of New York City in what was then the largest rally for women's suffrage of its kind. Stretching nearly five miles along Fifth Avenue, the Parade brought New York City to a standstill, and became the crowning point of suffrage protests worldwide. On November 6, 1917, women across New York State gained the full right to vote.
In honor of these historic achievements, the Lycée Français de New York announces Women Leading the Way, a national research and art project celebrating the Centennial of Women's Suffrage in the United States.
Registration information and further details are available at http://www.suffragettes2020.com.
The Project is a teacher-led initiative open to all high schools in the U.S. and its territories. Women Leading the Way challenges students to explore the fundamental human right to vote by connecting their family history to the Suffrage Movement. Through art and essays, the project invites students to reflect on their personal experience within the larger context of our democracy.
"This project is a way for teachers to take action to inspire young people to be active, engaged citizens," says Mireille Miller, artist, art teacher at the Lycée Français de New York and creator of the Project. "Our aim is to build a collection of stories, memories, research and art that can be shared and engaged with online and through national and local exhibits."
Registration opens today, with teacher and student work taking place during the 2018-2019 school year. Teachers will invite each student participant to write three short essays and create two portraits that will be featured on a poster designed by their school. The project will culminate in an online exhibition of all entries, and 100 entries will be selected to appear in a National Poster Exhibition to be held in New York City in 2020, the year of the centennial of women's suffrage in the United States.
"Teachers are on the front lines of fostering civic engagement in young people," says Sean Lynch, Head of School at the Lycée Français de New York. "Voting is a fundamental human right, and our aim in Women Leading the Way is to inspire all young people always to be active participants in democracy."
The Project is inspired by Mireille Miller's painting, "Women Leading the Way: Suffragists & Suffragettes," which incorporates portraits of leading luminaries of the women's suffrage movement. The Project website features an interactive version of her painting through which students can learn about key figures in the women's suffrage movement.
About Mireille Miller
Mireille Miller is a New York City-based artist and painter, who leads the art program in the Primary School of the Lycée Français de New York. She is known for her commissions and large projects. She has spent over a decade chronicling women's achievements in pictorial form from the eighteenth century onward, with the aim of bringing greater awareness of their contributions worldwide.
About Lycée Français de New York
Welcoming students from over 50 nationalities, the Lycée Français de New York is a bilingual, independent pre-K to 12th-grade school, accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools and the French Ministry of Education. Committed to bilingual French and American education of the highest standard, the Lycée's mission is to prepare students of many origins to be thinkers, innovators and leaders, who are at home in the world and inspired to make a positive difference in the lives of others. More at lfny.org.
Media Contact: Elisabeth King, Lycée Français de New York, 212-439-3859, [email protected]
News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com
SOURCE Lycee Francais de New York
iReach LastName, iReachCompany, 111-222-3333, [email protected]
Share this article