We all know that money is powerful, but it’s not just because of its purchasing power that it is so important. Money represents status, and on U.S. currency the people represented in the center of the bills have almost always been men. A 5th grade class in Cambridge MA has been working all year to encourage the inclusion of women on U.S. currency. Thanks in part to a letter from one of the students in the class to President Obama, there is a strong chance that Harriet Tubman will become the face of the 20 dollar bill.
Each year the graduating 5th graders in the school create a legacy project, something to make their mark on the school and tell their own stories before they graduate. Connection Lab helped this 5th grade class make a large wooden bill that tells the stories of each member of the class and includes a group photo that they took with the Secretary of the Treasury when she visited them. Most importantly, each student designed a small bill with a self-portrait, a number that’s special to them, and story about something that is important to them. These bills form the background of the large image. The class chose to make the piece a 100 bill because this year is the school’s 100th anniversary.
Take a look at the impressive final product. Quite a legacy, and a good reminder that advocacy, especially from children, can work.
