Project SUCCESS at NMAAHC: “I wanted to be a part of history.”

“It’s more than a building. It is a dream come true.” – U.S. Rep. John Lewis NMAAHC Dedication Speech

At Project Success, we spend a lot of time discussing dreams and ways to make them come true.

Through our classroom workshops and experiential learning opportunities, we encourage students to dream with their eyes open and help them take steps to plan and succeed. Dreams are at the very core of our mission.

The weekend of September 24, we had the honor of realizing one of our organization’s own dreams – to bring a group of our students to the grand opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington, D.C. 

Above, students reflect on their experience in D.C.

Thanks to the generous support of Sun Country Airlines and donor Ronald A. Morton Jr., MD., we were able to send eight students to D.C. – one representing each of our partner high schools. They were among some of the first people in the world to visit the museum during its historic opening weekend.

Project Success believes that all young people deserve access to opportunities that help them develop the global competencies and 21^st century skills needed to be successful in their lives now, and after graduation.

Building on our partnership with Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) to expand global experiences for students, Project Success asked principals at each of our partner high schools to nominate one student from their school to join us in Washington, D.C. They will return to their schools to share their experience with their peers and their communities.

“We need something like this. It helps us grow to understand.” – Shar, Roosevelt High School

Students attended Saturday’s dedication ceremony, where they had the opportunity to hear speeches from President Obama, museum founding director Lonnie Bunch, civil rights leader and U.S. Representative John Lewis, Oprah Winfrey, and other trailblazers as they marked the historic occasion. They also had the great fortune of meeting Director Bunch, Rep. Lewis and Rep. Betty McCollum, among other honorable attendees and speakers.

For students, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity they will continue to reflect on for years to come.

“[Young people], come here and see your ability to make your mark.” – President Barack Obama, NMAAHC Dedication Speech

Jada, a student from Edison High School, reflected on the museum as a retelling not only of historical facts, but also the emotional history of African American heritage and culture unlike anything she’d seen before. She’s already hoping to return to D.C. and bring her father with her to the museum.

“I wanted to be a part of history. I want to tell my grandchildren that I was there when the museum opened.” – Max, North High School

Not only did the students learn more about themselves and their history, they also learned from each other, and bonded as a group in this transformative experience.

Our visit to D.C. was an inspiring addition to a series of experiences with Minneapolis Public Schools helping students develop into global citizens – other initiatives have brought students to a showing of Pericles at D.C.’s Folger Theater, our student-created musical on a tour of Mexico, and a group of English Language Learner students to Harvard and Boston University.

Students with U.S. Rep. John Lewis before the museum dedication.

Learn more about our D.C. trip and follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter) for more photos and a deeper look into this and other global experiences for students.

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