Listing of events from last year and planned projects and programs for this year that IB Students at Myers Park will be leading and actively involved with.
This information was also presented at the IB-PAC meeting October 16, 2003.

  Topping everything was the #7 ranking of Myers Park High School by Newsweek which rated high schools by the % of students taking advance dtests such as AP and IB. IB students contributed significantly to  both the IB and AP test totals at Myers Park

Tolerancematters.org is the online website dedicated to all the initiatives undertaken by Myers Park Students. The site includes:

  • STAND - The international Online Magazine.
  • Links to Online Video and Audio of Past Events
  • Current projects
  • Location of access for live chats and threaded discussions
  • Duke Dialogs Link
Student Tolerance and Non-Discrimination (STAND) - The Online Magazine - Focuses on issues of diversity, medicine and the environment. It is a publication in which students write, edit and publish the entire magazine and it is readily available 24/7. All events initiated at Myers Park are covered on STAND in detail.
Past Event:
Through the Echo Foundation, we were able to receive Syl Cheney-Coker, a poet in exile from Sierra Leone read poetry and held a dialogue with students. He spoke about freedom of speech and his cultural experiences.
Past Event:
World Renown Jane Goodall visited Discovery Place where MP students were able to ask questions and hear her speak. She has done primate research all over Africa and focuses on wildlife studies. This event was covered on MPR and is also available on STAND.
Past Event:
Controversial and highly liberal Julia Butterfly Hill spent a year up in a tree in California. As an advocate for the environment, she also spoke with students about political ideas and challenged students to think about one's role in the world.
Past Event:
The IB Program hosted the school portion of the Echo Foundation's Voices Against Indifference Program.  Students from around the county attended a Tolerance Day workshop in January  at Myers Park  and returned in February to hear Internationally renown speaker, Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, head of Columbia University’s Earth Institute and recently a professor at Harvard.
Past, Present and Future:
Students have had the opportunity to interact with some professors and notable individuals from Duke University. Our partnership is called: Duke Dialogues. We have a continued partnership with Duke which will be extended to include storytelling and Japanese anime experts as well as programs which focus on leadership, cancer, and environmental sustainablilty.

Duke Dialogues Speakers:
Eric Myln - we had a videoconference with Eric Mlyn on the topic of Nuclear Disarmament
Read more about Myln a the Duke Dialogues Site.
Duke Dialogs Speakers:
Natalia Mirovitskaya - Russia concerning international environmental terrorism.
Read more about Mirovitskaya a the Duke Dialogues Site.
Duke Dialogs Speakers:
Maureen Maguire-Lewis – China’s development and economy;
Read more about Maguire-Lewis a the Duke Dialogues Site.
Students had the chance to have 2 of the Lost Boys of Sudan visit Myers Park. Students discussed the experiences that these two young men had to endure in their pursuit of a life free from civil war. Charlotte is home to many Lost Boys who continue to share their experiences with the meckelenburg community.
Last year, A team of students traveled to the University of Connecticut to compete for the world title in community problem solving. Myers Park came in 3rd place for Project STAND which was aimed at making social change in the areas of tolerance and discrimination.
STAND Article on Award
Visit the Award winning Website: STAND
Past Event:
Through this relationship, we recruited Polish President and Nobel Laureate Lech Walesa to come and speak in our auditorium on December 13 about his experiences in Poland as he led a great freedom movement.  Our Polish students asked all questions in Polish and the event was videotaped and posted to the web.  Our students were also interviewed by local television stations.  Walesa answered questions (though his translator), encouraged students to get involved in local initiatives and politics, and inspired students by describing his own actions as a teenager.

Present and Future:
Myers Park students have initiated an Arts In Action program in collaboration with the music therapy dept at Queens University. The program, chaired by student, Kristian Ring, works with special needs classes and other students at the middle and elementary school level.  Musicians from Myers Park shared their talents with two autistic classes at Alexander Graham Middle school while art students there participated in the 1000 Cranes origami project, taught by Myers Park Arts in Action students. The program will eventually  expand to include drama, storytelling in addition to the music and visual art areas.
Present and Future:
IB Student Advisory Council was formed as a supplement to the IB Parent Advisory Council (IB-PAC). This group will focus on developing leadership skills as they serve as the representatives of the IB program. A freshman council has also been created for the same purpose
Present and Future:
A partnership with Queens University has created the World Leadership insititute. Dr. William Sparks from the McColl School of Business visited students to help them identify what type of leader they were how to become an even more effective leader.
Present and Future:
September 11th events. Every year we have a memorial at the front circle which includes a moment of silence and a visit from a guest speaker. Last year we had Elizabeth Dole help erect the twin tower display in the front circle. This year we had the Mayor visit to speak and plant a tree.
Present and Future:
Cancer Awareness Project (Breast Cancer) was kicked off this year with several events which mostly focused on Breast cancer. We challenged Providence to see who could make the best button chair in memory of Breast Cancer victims and survivors as well as which school could raise the most money to cancer research and awareness. Combined with all the cms schools who participated, the total raised was over $7,000.
Present and Future:
Representative Sue Myrick visited Myers Park Students to give an account of her struggle with Breast Cancer as well as offer insight for women to get checked for signs of cancer. She will continue to visit Myers Park students and demonstrate her leadership potential.
Past, Present and Future:
The Thousand Cranes project which started the "What do you know about Asia?" initiative focused on Japanese culture, Leukemia and Peace. Students in all grade levels folded Japanese Origami Cranes to be strung and displayed as a symbol of peace. The cranes were then sent to Hiroshima in memory of Sadako Sasaki who developed Leukemia from the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima.
Present and Future:
The Smoking Cessation project will be part of the cancer initiative this year. In partnership with Duke University as well as local oncologists, Myers Park students aim to make MP a tobacco free campus by revealing the truth behind the cigarette phenomenon. The link to cancer might help to stop younger students from picking up the habit. This program will focus on what smoking does to the body later and helping reality be recognized.
CROP WALK graphic Present and Future:
Myers Park Volunteers students every year to be part of the largest crop walk in the world. Students can help to get others ready to walk or they can themselves raise money and do the walk. The crop walk month always is part of the World Hunger focus project done to demonstrate how much in food resources many others do not have.
Past, Present and Future:
Each year, MP students get the attention of the school wide population by dumping "trash" in the middle of the quad. The garbage is arranged in terms of countries and represents the amount of resources wasted or consumed by a country relative to others. The U.S. always seems to have the most trash...Project is referred to as resource distribution and this year was part of the sustainable charlotte project.
Present and Future:
Students videoconferenced with Benjamin Zander ( conductor of the Boston Philharmonic orchestra) and his wife Rosamund Zander. They discussed their book: The Art of Possibility and answered questions the students had about their  involvement in making the world sustainable.
Present and Future:
The Sustainable Charlotte initiative headed by Anna Wyatt focuses on how to make Charlotte a better place to live environmentally. This includes sustaining human life through positive building procedures and close attention to environmental effects. The Project is done win partnership with IDCE, the Zanders and Duke University.
Future:
Animal Rights project has not had any major events for the school wide community. Part of this project will be giving grant money to any organization which has a strong plan for protecting animal rights and guaranteeing that sustainability of life does not discriminate against animals as well.
Present and Future:
After having Novello childrens' writer, Chris Crutcher, MP will take part in a literacy program which will move to make children more literate and have access to reading material. Part of this will be the program: Charlotte Reads.
Future:
As part of our Japanese program, the first drama production this year will be done in the style of Benshi, an interpretation of a silent movie. The Shiek will be performed.
Please feel free to email: IB Student Council President Stesha Doku Steshiz@aol.com or
IB Coordinator Ron Thomas r.thomas@aol.com for more information about any of these initiatives.