A little peace of their hearts

Peace high school, the new Northwest magnet, will welcome 150 incoming freshman in September. About 600 students had applied.

by MICHAEL J. MISHAK

When Philadelphia schools chief Paul Vallas opened the region's first public military academy in West Oak Lane last year, Shelly Yanoff demanded an alternative. Backed by a contingent of Northwest community groups, she suggested a peace school, and much to her surprise, he gave it the green light.

Yanoff, a Mt. Airy resident and executive director of Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth, worked feverishly to build coalitions and form partnerships. Ultimately, about a dozen groups — including the American Friends Service Committee, Arcadia University and Military Families Speak Out — rallied to the cause, forming an advisory committee to shape the school's curriculum.

Now, after months of planning, the school, tentatively dubbed Parkway Northwest High School for Peace, Justice and Conflict Resolution, will open its doors to 150 incoming freshman in September on the site of the New Covenant Campus in Mt. Airy. Part of the school district's "Small Schools Transition Project," it is one of two new magnets slated for Northwest Philadelphia.

The school's theme of peace resonated with many of the city's teenagers. About 600 students citywide applied for admission, said principal Ethyl McGee. Key to the selection process was a student's passion for the school's focus on conflict resolution, she said. While district officials provided few details on the school's academic requirements, McGee said Parkway Northwest would follow a college-preparatory curriculum.

The school expects to enroll a maximum of 400 students by 2008. Given the high level of interest in its inaugural year, organizers hope to replicate the formula throughout Philadelphia.

"In a city where so many children experience violence, we've got to start changing the culture and strengthen peacemaking," Yanoff said.

The school's formation comes at a time when the city and the district itself is struggling to curb youth violence.

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter convened a special Senate hearing on the subject at the National Constitution Center last month. There, Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson told the panel that 63 people age 24 and younger were killed in Philadelphia this year from January to June, compared to 41 during the same time last year.

According to school district records, the number of students caught with handguns has dropped, from 16 last school year to eight this year. Last school year, the city's public high schools reported 1,162 confiscated weapons, including knives, box cutters, scissors, BB guns and handguns. While official statistics for this past school year are not yet available, district officials expect their forthcoming report to show a similar number of confiscated weapons.

"Violence is so prevalent in the world today. And our kids don't know how to negotiate conflicts without bringing harm to someone else or themselves," McGee said.

Parkway Northwest aims to arm students with the knowledge to affect change, both locally and globally. According to Linda Grobman, superintendent of the district's Northwest region, the core curriculum will be infused with the concepts of peace, violence prevention and social justice. Monthly seminars, guest speakers, community service and off-site visits will complement the regular course of study, she said.

Partners like Arcadia University, which offers a peace and conflict resolution program, will play a critical role in the emerging curriculum.

"The school district is really reaching out to create schools that provide meaningful and engaging opportunities," Grobman said. "I think every child needs a chance to shine, and for some of our kids [the peace school] hits their passion."

Officials envision the school producing a generation of government leaders, social workers and public servants. "I can see these kids taking up causes," Grobman said.

The Mt. Airy community has embraced the school. Last week, a special fundraiser, hosted by the Trolley Car Diner, generated more than $600 in support, the largest sum raised for a single cause in the restaurant's four-year history, said owner Ken Weinstein.

Residents like Celeste Zappala, director of the Mayor's Commission of Services to the Aging, are working to develop a network of mentors and tutors. For Zappala, volunteering is also deeply personal. Her son, Sgt. Sherwood Baker, was killed in Iraq last year while guarding weapons inspectors as they searched a suspected chemical facility in Baghdad.

"This is something we've got to do," Zappala said. "It's exactly the right thing."