​Dear Friends of Humanities Amped,

We are excited to share with you the enormous success of our 2019 Conference, “Resilient Roots”! In particular, this year’s conference serves as a concrete example of not only what our students are able to achieve, but how much the Humanities Amped program has grown in just five years: the 2015 conference featured four research and action project presentations by 25 students, and these numbers have increased steadily. This year’s conference consisted of nearly 90 student-created presentations, workshops, and dialogues, and was attended by LSU students and faculty, East Baton Rouge Parish School District faculty, staff, and students, community members, and over 300 McKinley High School students both within and outside of the Humanities Amped program.

Artist and educator Donney Rose delivered the event’s keynote address in which he remarked that “the young people of Humanities Amped [...] through research and social action, dare to challenge the status quo of educational structures to create a more substantive learning experience for themselves and for their peers.” This address was followed by the presentation of several awards to Humanities Amped supporters. Megan Sheehan-Dean received the Bobby Thompson Humble Hero of Social Justice Award for her selfless volunteer support of the program, and Dr. Solimar Otero, director of the LSU Program in Comparative Literature, received the first annual Susan Weinstein Greenhouse Award for cultivating growth and facilitating development to support our student community. Finally, the first annual Kaiya Smith True Blue Senior Action Research Award was given to graduating student Mya Donahue for her excellence in critical research, civic action, and community building.

The Humanities Amped students continue to engage in research and action in preparation for the April 11th Conference.

Two teams of McKinley High School juniors have been working with alumni and community members on projects focused on South Baton Rouge, the neighborhood around the school. The students identified a need in the area--the lack of a grocery store offering fruits, vegetables, and fresh meat--and are taking the necessary steps to bring in such a business. Their process to realize this huge and important dream for the area has involved several meetings with city development professionals and representatives from the mayor’s office. On Monday, March 31st, the team canvassed the area of South Baton Rouge along with members of the South Baton Rouge Civic Association to gather input from those in the neighborhood. They have also been considering the potential impact a new grocery story could have on local businesses.