At the May 12 public meeting, the Great Neck Public Schools Board of Education recognized 20 eighth graders for their participation in the Adolescent Advocates club at Great Neck South Middle School.

Since the club’s inception in 2018, Adolescent Advocates has worked together with South Middle’s No Place for Hate committee and the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County to promote inclusivity and honor diversity in the school community.

Student honorees, in alphabetical order, are: Natalie Aung-Harjanto, Elaine Bai, Caitlin Chan, Anaya Chaudhry, Sofia Gurtman, Yu Ye He, Lawrence Ho, Emma Kandalaft, Trevor Lee, Leeann Lee, Iris Liu, Elsa Mathai, Ruhan Mirza, Henrietta Smith, Kaitlyn Tai, Adrian Travers, Ryan Tsai, Sofia Tse, Anthony Wu, and Linda Yue. Adolescent Advocates are led by South Middle English teachers Katie Dervin and Kirsten Kuhn.

Adolescent Advocates are selected based on recommendations from team teachers, who identify students that demonstrate leadership among their classmates and show an interest in working to make South Middle an inclusive and welcoming place. Students participate in a two-day training, equipping them with strategies to promote upstander behavior at South Middle.

Throughout the year, Adolescent Advocates develop activities and lead discussions with peers to promote respect and combat hate. In her remarks to the Board, Principal Dr. Gina Cartolano provided several examples of the club’s activities on campus and at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center to encourage kindness, compassion, and empathy. “We are so proud of the hard work that our Adolescent Advocates are doing to ensure that SMS is a safe, welcoming place for all,” praised Dr. Cartolano.