Royal Oak middle school students describe Religious Diversity Journeys program to board

Representatives from the Interfaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit and students from Royal Oak Middle School presented the district's Religious Diversity Journeys program at the March 13 board meeting and described immersive visits to houses of worship and cultural institutions.

Beth Folensky of the Interfaith Leadership Council said the program will be rebranded "Journeys World Religion in Metropolitan Detroit" to emphasize the curriculum alignment and immersive nature of the work. She said the program partners with more than 50 faith communities to bring students to synagogues, Hindu temples, Christian churches, Sikh gurdwaras and Muslim mosques, plus one cultural journey (examples given included the Holocaust center and the Arab American National Museum).

Jen James, also with the Interfaith Leadership Council, told the board this year's cohort included five religious journeys and one cultural visit, and that the council works with public and nonpublic schools across metro Detroit.

Students who participated described favorite visits and personal impacts. Owen Herbis, a seventh-grader, said he enjoyed visiting a synagogue and learning about Jewish traditions. Ari Solomon, a seventh-grader, said the trip to the Holocaust museum connected to his family history and helped him confront an incident of hate speech he experienced at school. Natalie Karpus and other students described friendships formed during the program and said the visits helped them better understand classmates' beliefs and identities.

Board members and the superintendent praised the students for their presentation and encouraged them to share their experiences with peers to increase participation in future cohorts.