In our first year, Bending the Arc (BTA) brought high school students from across Sarasota and Manatee Counties together for an extraordinary journey through civil rights history. Over six months, 20 students from nine different schools didn’t just study history—they lived it, forming lasting friendships while learning directly from Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, renowned historians, and local civil rights leaders.

The adventure reached its peak with an unforgettable Spring Break trip to Alabama, where students walked in the footsteps of heroes at some of the most significant sites of the civil rights movement. What made BTA special wasn’t just the incredible places these students visited, it was the life-changing connections they made with history, with each other, and with their own power to create change. They discovered that learning about courage, sacrifice, and determination becomes transformational when experienced firsthand in the places where ordinary people made extraordinary choices.

Bending the Arc is an intensive program that transforms how young people understand and engage with civil rights history and social justice. This isn’t your typical classroom experience—students don’t just learn about history, they live it through adventures, meaningful conversations, and hands-on projects that matter.

What makes our program special starts with six months of intensive learning that builds lifelong friendships. Students learn directly from Pulitzer Prize winning authors and renowned historians, while receiving mentorship from inspiring local civil rights leaders. The experience includes an unforgettable travel adventure to significant historical sites in Alabama, and students create meaningful projects that connect past lessons to present action.

From different backgrounds and schools across Sarasota and Manatee Counties, our inaugural Bending the Arc cohort of 20 students found common ground in their shared journey through history. These young leaders from nine different schools came together to explore the Civil Rights movement firsthand, building bridges across communities while deepening their understanding of social justice.

Through immersive experiences and meaningful dialogue, they discovered how past struggles connect to today’s ongoing work toward justice. Their transformative journey created lasting bonds and inspired a new generation of advocates committed to change.

The photos below capture some of the moments that defined this inaugural program—showing how 20 individual students discovered the power of ordinary people to create extraordinary change.

Listen as students share their immediate reactions after an incredible week in Alabama. These authentic voices capture the power of walking where history was made and the profound impact of experiencing civil rights history firsthand.

Our students didn’t just study change—they created it. Here are some of the powerful final projects that emerged from their year-long journey:

The transformation in our first cohort was remarkable. Students developed leadership skills and confidence through their engagement with renowned historians and authors, gaining a deep understanding of civil rights history through firsthand experience. They formed lasting friendships across diverse backgrounds and schools, discovering tools for connecting historical lessons to contemporary action while building college and career readiness through intensive academic engagement. These students didn’t just learn about the past—they began to see themselves as part of the ongoing story of justice and change.