Susan Aalderink

“Using Social Media to Create Social Change” is the winning program Aalderink is going to implement at Grace Christian School. As part of the curriculum, the school’s high school students make a semiannual trip to Guatemala where they provide support to an orphanage and build houses for families. Now they will begin learning how to write and publish a blog so they can report on their activities during their trip. The goal is to show how teens can make a difference in the world and to create awareness around social issues. Before going on the trip, students will participate in a social media course, develop the structure for the blog and learn the technical aspects needed to create a blog. In addition to blogging about the trip, the students also will be able to create awareness of local social issues and service opportunities when they return. Ultimately, the program will be able to help students see how technology and blogging can be used to create change and generate awareness. Aalderink, who lives in Cambridge, hopes the program will enhance students’ critical thinking skills and broaden their sense of the power of technology.