Bending the Arc
Twenty high school students from across Sarasota and Manatee Counties thought they were signing up for a history program. What they discovered was something far more powerful: their own capacity to carry forward a legacy of courage and change.
Over six months, these young people from nine different schools didn't just study the Civil Rights Movement—they walked in the footsteps of heroes, learned from Pulitzer Prize-winning authors and renowned historians, and formed bonds that bridged their diverse communities.
A Journey Through Civil Rights History
Their Spring Break trip to Alabama brought textbook learning to life as students stood on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, visited the 16th Street Baptist Church, and walked the same roads where activists organized and marched.
What made this program distinctive wasn't just the powerful locations the young leaders visited but the connections they forged—with history, with each other, across different schools and backgrounds, and with their own potential to create change. They discovered that learning about courage and sacrifice becomes deeply personal when experienced in the places where ordinary people made history.
Bending the Arc is sponsored by Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation.
The program culminates in an unforgettable Spring Break trip to Alabama, where students walked in the footsteps of Civil Rights heroes.
What made BTA transformative wasn’t just the places visited, but the lasting friendships, eye-opening conversations, and personal growth students experienced as they discovered their own power to make change.
Watch their story unfold
What is BTA?
Bending the Arc is an immersive six-month program that redefines how young people engage with Civil Rights history and social justice. Students build lasting relationships while exploring pivotal historical moments through direct engagement with acclaimed scholars, local activists, and the sites where history was made.
The experience includes an inspiring trip to Alabama's key Civil Rights sites and culminates in student-led projects that bring historical lessons into contemporary action.
Building Bridges Across Communities
From different backgrounds and schools across Sarasota and Manatee Counties, our inaugural cohort of 20 students found common ground in their shared exploration of the Civil Rights movement. Through intensive discussions, historical analysis, and collaborative projects, they built friendships that bridged their diverse communities.
The photos above capture key moments from their journey—showing how individual students discovered the power of collective action and their own role in ongoing social justice work.
Scholar Voices
Listen as students share their immediate reactions after their week in Alabama. Their authentic reflections reveal how this experience deepened their understanding of both past struggles and present opportunities for change.
Sharing Their Stories
Students concluded their BTA journey by creating personal projects that reflected on their transformative experiences and evolving perspectives. At a community showcase, the students presented short films, speeches, artwork, and photo essays that captured how walking through Civil Rights history changed their understanding of themselves and their role in creating change.
Anicie Joseph
Venice Senior High School
Lillian Williamson
Booker High School
Noah Hamilton
Sarasota Military Academy
Destiny Jose-Pascual
Southeast High School
The Impact
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.
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Ready to Bend the Arc?
This transformative experience is completely free for selected participants.
We're seeking passionate students ready to dive deep into Civil Rights history, build meaningful connections, and discover their own power to create change.
If you're prepared for a journey that will challenge and inspire you, we want to hear from you.
Applications due September 30, 2025
Questions? Contact us at Info@BoxserDiversityInitiative.org.
Sponsored by
