The presentation represents part of the curriculum for “Education Reform and Politics,” a Bates education and sociology course in which students study promising practices in civic and citizenship education. Bates has hosted the Unity projects in Lewiston since 2001.

The Unity Project began in 1999 in response to a need expressed by Portland High School. The project places students at the center of its process because it views them as the key agents of school change. In fall 2001, the program expanded its work to include schools in Lewiston, and the project expanded in 2003 to include Portland’s Lyman Moore Middle School and several schools in Auburn.

According to Unity Project, its workshops have helped to produce a significant decline in the amount of worry and concern expressed by students in their schools. Students have reported a reduction in harassment and bullying and an increase in positive academic, extracurricular and social interaction across social groups.