Swimming Against the Current: Why Representation Matters

Grades 4-12

Growing up with a passion - and what would become a world-class talent - for swimming, Simone was frequently made to feel like an outsider in a sport where virtually no one looked like her. Centuries of laws and stereotypes had created the expectation that she didn’t belong--even after she won her first Olympic gold medal. In this class, students will explore the importance of inclusion and representation: why it should matter to everyone that people can see themselves represented in sports, in the arts, and positions of power and influence, and why it matters to everyone that diversity is celebrated in all facets of life.