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Simsbury teacher says student‑led Asian‑American studies course spurred civic projects and raised concerns about missing mental‑health data
Summary
Mrs. Henry, an English teacher at Simsbury High School, told an alumni audience that a new dual‑enrollment Asian‑American studies course with the University of Connecticut grew from nine students to a projected 60, produced student oral histories and an NPR appearance, and exposed gaps in reported attendance and mental‑health data for Asian‑American youth.
Mrs. Henry, an English teacher at Simsbury High School, told alumni that a new Asian‑American studies dual‑enrollment course developed with the University of Connecticut grew from nine students to a projected 60 for next year and spurred students to pursue community research and public outreach. "We had the honor of uh hosting best‑selling author Celeste Ing," she said, describing a recent AAPI Heritage Month event that helped launch the work.
The course uses literature and oral history to explore identity and well‑being. Mrs. Henry cited the opening line of one assigned novel, quoting, "Lydia is dead, but they don't know it yet," as an example of how literature prompts students to examine invisible pressures facing teenagers.
Students, Mrs. Henry said, examined district reports and found that some critical measures — including chronic absenteeism for Asian‑American students — were not being reported in public data for certain districts. "What that means is students beginning to ask why I'm just so confused," she said, adding that the class examined disparities in social and emotional supports.
Mrs. Henry told the audience students were alarmed to learn that suicide, she said, "has been the leading cause of death for AsianAmerican teen and young adults" and that the rate has risen over the past decade. She described student projects that included oral‑history interviews with community members and leaders, naming Attorney General William Tong and a "Senator Anoir" among those the students interviewed.
Students also took their work to broader audiences: Mrs. Henry said the group appeared on an NPR program called Where We Live credited as "NPR Simsbury High School students," produced a documentary that was screened publicly, and used those platforms to press for more attention to belonging and mental‑health supports.
The teacher described concrete student outcomes: one student, she said, reconsidered a medical career in favor of journalism; another found her voice and immediate ability to advocate; others emphasized the importance of affinity groups for marginalized students. Mrs. Henry framed storytelling as a civic practice that can build empathy and prompt local action.
She concluded by urging continued attention to students' social and emotional needs and to storytelling as a way to affirm dignity across communities. "When we tell stories, we are able to see ourselves more clearly," she said.
Next steps described in her remarks included screening the student documentary and continuing community outreach; she encouraged alumni and community members to support student projects and public conversation about youth mental health.
