Case Study: Allegheny County
Using the Film to Inspire Student Leadership
Students from 14 high schools in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania watched Repairing the World at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit and swiftly turned their attention to answering the question What can we do now?
150 high school students participated in a moving post-screening discussion with survivors from the Tree of Life attack and Not In Our Town leaders at the first-ever Eradicate Hate Student Summit in 2023. Students then broke out into groups for design sprints, brainstorming concrete actions to bring the film’s message back to their schools. Inspired to push back against bigotry and discrimination and celebrate their different cultures, the school groups developed year-long programs that included community screenings of the film and the formation of an Eradicate Hate Club, among many other activities.
2024 Eradicate Hate Global Summit
300 students gathered at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit on October 22, 2024 for the Student Summit. The event kicked off with a screening of Repairing the World, a documentary produced by Not In Our Town (NIOT), which explores the Pittsburgh community’s response to hate and antisemitism in the aftermath of the killing of eleven people at the Tree of Life synagogue.
Watch the video below to learn how students in Allegheny County were empowered to lead a movement to stand up to hate.
The Eradicate Hate Global Summit is documenting the students’ activities so leaders around the world will understand how students can take the lead in the fight against hate. In addition, a working group at the Summit is collaborating with six school districts to host community-school screenings of Repairing the World. Check back here for updates and find some additional related resources below.
Watch an inspiring 3-minute video about South Allegheny's Eradicate Hate Club:
AIU Connections: Eradicate Hate (PDF)
Read more about the year-long, district-wide programming students are leading in Allegheny County.
How can your school use this example to empower students to take the lead in responding to hate and building inclusive environments?
NIOT is grateful to Film Pittsburgh’s Teen Screen program for initially presenting Repairing the World to students, and to the Eradicate Hate Global Summit, LIGHT Education Initiative, and the leaders and educators of the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. Learn more from Allegheny Schools about how the film was presented and students organized activities at the Eradicate Hate Student Summit.
Also in this section (For Schools):
Case Study: Allegheny County (this page)