Justice & Sustainability
We teach children to care.
A key component of our school mission is to inspire children to work for a just and sustainable planet. In the simplest terms, this means we want our students to be good human beings who care for the earth and all the people who live here.
Tampa Bay International School students learn about conservationists who have worked hard to protect our planet. They hear presentations from leaders of organizations committed to ridding plastic from our oceans, stopping overfishing and protecting marine life, like Tikkun Ha Yam (Repair The Sea.) They take field trips to visit other marine conservation organizations, like Tampa Bay Watch. Our students participate in beach cleanups. They learn about the importance of conserving energy and living on a planet that moves away from its dependence on fossil fuels.
Our students work in our garden to see where much of our food comes from and to feel a connection to our earth. They are taught to respect the trees that give us much needed shade, and that they love to climb at recess. Our students know that we must all do our part to protect our beautiful planet, because it is the only one we have.
In ways that are sensitive to the ages and developmental stages of the children in our classrooms, we also make sure that issues of social justice are woven throughout our curriculum. We believe that as educators, we have a moral obligation to engage our students in honest and frank discussions about events of historical significance that have shaped American society and the world. Doing so stimulates the development of critical thinking skills and helps students learn to engage in elevated discourse. Depending on the age ranges in a class, TBIS students have studied topics such as the woman’s suffrage movement and the hard fought fight for women to be able to vote in the United States; the slave trade that for centuries forced Africans and their descendents into a life of slavery in the Americas; the US civil rights movement; the struggles of migrant workers to be able to work under safe and fair conditions; the Holocaust; and the internment of Japanese Americans in California during World War II.
We know that children are naturally caring people. They are curious and open. Stories of injustice can be difficult to tell, but ultimately, they help students feel empathy. They motivate students to do the right thing and stand up against injustice. Ensuring that social justice is a part of our educational program allows us to teach children to care for one another.
Tampa Bay International School is proud to serve as the hub for the Jackie Robinson Project, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year. Originally headquartered at George Washington University, in Washington, DC and founded by TBIS board member, Dr. Richard Zamoff, the Jackie Robinson Project educates citizens of all ages about the life and far-reaching legacy of the first African American player in Major League Baseball’s modern era. To date, the project has provided outreach to 97 schools, libraries and community organizations in 13 states, the District of Columbia and Japan. Primarily through site visits by Jackie Robinson Project staff, and enhanced by a bilingual book and feature-length documentary film about Jackie Robinson created by TBIS founder and Head, Bennett Zamoff, the Jackie Robinson Project has taught over 17,000 students about Jackie Robinson’s life, legacy and role as an important figure in American history.
At TBIS, students in all grades are able to increase their knowledge about Jackie Robinson and his impact on America through Dr. Zamoff’s visits to our school. Students in grades four and above take part in a unit of study on Jackie Robinson, team taught by Dr. Zamoff and TBIS Head Bennett Zamoff. And our school continues to serve as the headquarters for the Jackie Robinson Project, providing outreach to other schools and organizations – in the Tampa Bay region and beyond – to educate citizens about the positive and profound impact Jackie Robinson made on American society.