Earlier this month, MTN News returned to Central Catholic High School to see how One Class At A Time was helping 9th and 10th graders.
Teacher Anne Schmidt purchased a number of small novel sets she considers modern classics and that are written by female authors from diverse backgrounds.
“Stories from around the world and other points of view really broaden our perspective and I think it’s important to hear that in a literature point of view because it’s accessible and it’s stories about teenagers who are their contemporaries and who are living a very different life than what they’re living in Great Falls, Montana,” she said.
She hopes the books will expose students to new ideas and cultures.
“Because I grew up in this town, I grew up in Montana and I didn’t experience multiculturalism until I went and taught in Western Washington, and the experiences that I had listening to my students from all over the world and understanding their lives and hearing their stories was really fascinating to me, and I like to have my students just hear other peoples’ stories,” she said.
Schmidt said she hopes the books will also teach students empathy and critical thinking.
Click here to learn more about One Class At A Time.
