DONATE NOW
DONATE NOW
14 MayNews

Meet Thomas Rachele: “Partner for Justice” & Tireless Student Advocate

0 Comments

Meet Thomas Rachele: “Partner for Justice" & Tireless Student Advocate

“Thomas Rachele is the embodiment of an exceptional educator, district leader, and partner of Discovering Justice. He is a hands-on leader who knows what students deserve and believes in what they can achieve. His genuine care and respect for each student in Springfield drives every piece of his work.”
Laura Brenner
Discovering Justice Education Director

As Director of Humanities for Springfield Public Schools, Thomas has been an ardent champion of Discovering Justice programs in Springfield since 2021. 

In Tom, we have an invaluable collaborator and ambassador for our programs. He has played vital roles both in conceptualizing our K-3 Children Discovering Justice (CDJ) curriculum and helping Discovering Justice expand our programs to students across Springfield in grades K-8.

Tom’s dedication to his students drives his ongoing partnership with Discovering Justice. Teaching students how to advocate for themselves and others, Tom believes, is vitally important – and it starts with our youngest learners in CDJ.

“All students need to be able to recognize what justice is,” he explains, “so they can recognize when it’s not present.”

“Thomas Rachele has been a pivotal figure in our district. His advocacy for innovative educational practices underscores his commitment to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to succeed. He is a visionary leader who is shaping the future of education in our community, and I have no doubt that his continued efforts will inspire generations to come."
Daniel Warwick
Springfield Superintendent of Schools

Tom’s dedication to his students drives his ongoing partnership with Discovering Justice. Teaching students how to advocate for themselves and others, Tom believes, is vitally important – and it starts with our youngest learners in CDJ.

“All students need to be able to recognize what justice is,” he explains, “so they can recognize when it’s not present.”

You can meet Tom and all of our 2024 Partners for Justice Awardees at our Annual Gala on June 26th.

Through Tom’s hard work and persistence, Discovering Justice has expanded our reach through Springfield and beyond. After just three years, we’re proud to report that every elementary student in Springfield Public Schools has access to four years of our CDJ civics curriculum, and five Springfield middle schools host teams of ‘student attorneys’ in our Mock Trial & Mock Appeal Program. That means we impact thousands of students in Springfield every year!

Tom has also been instrumental in introducing our programs into West Springfield and Worcester Public Schools. Says Stefania Raschilla, Superintendent of West Springfield Public Schools:

“Tom is tireless in his efforts in ensuring that all students have access to lasting and meaningful student learning experiences. He always has students at the forefront of his decision making and uses student learning outcomes as the compass for his work.”
Stefania Raschilla
Superintendent of West Springfield Public Schools

Tom’s work with students and the community began long before his current role as SPS Director of Humanities. In his two decades working with students in Springfield, he began as a classroom teacher, then broadened his reach as an academic coach with SPS, before transitioning to the Supervisor of Secondary ELA and Libraries, allowing him to have an impact on students across the district. He is passionately committed to promoting equity through literacy, English language arts, history, and social science by providing all students with impactful teaching and learning experiences.

“Discovering Justice teaches students not only that they have a voice and how to use it,” he says, “but also that using their voice means something.”

—

Discovering Justice is grateful for Tom’s incredible partnership over the years. We’re looking forward to presenting Tom’s award, as well as hearing from all our Awardees on the importance of doing work they believe in, at our Annual Gala on June 26th.

PURCHASE GALA TICKETS / BECOME A SPONSOR
Read More
03 MayNews

Meet Hannah Esquenazi: A “Partner for Justice” Who Goes Above and Beyond

0 Comments

Meet Hannah Esquenazi: A “Partner for Justice” Who Goes Above And Beyond

Discovering Justice has been honored to partner with Hannah as volunteer Legal Mentor in our Mock Trial & Mock Appeal Program since 2019.

From mentoring middle school ‘student attorneys’ in Boston, to leading the mentoring team at Jones Day, to helping recruit and train new volunteers, Hannah has been an instrumental partner in Discovering Justice’s work to double the size of the program in the last four years.

Teaching Massachusetts students about the law and their rights has been particularly rewarding for Hannah. “It is a gift each semester to watch the ‘student attorneys’ gain confidence, face their fears, stand in front of a judge, and successfully grapple with complicated legal questions,” Hannah says.

Hannah and a middle school ‘student attorney’ hard at work in 2021.

Derek Doherty, teacher at Boston’s Mildred Ave K-8 School, reports that Hannah’s passion for this work inspires her students:

“Hannah is an amazing educator. She knows the law on a deep level - but she also knows how to scaffold that knowledge in ways that make it accessible to middle school students. And Hannah makes learning fun and engaging – students sense her passion and interest, which leads to our students being more engaged and interested in their work.”
Derek Doherty
Teacher, Mildred Ave K-8 School

You can meet Hannah and all of our 2024 Partners for Justice Awardees at our Annual Gala on June 26th.

Hannah says that “witnessing that tangible moment when the students gain confidence, latch onto their arguments, and are able to advocate successfully” is one of her favorite aspects of volunteering with the program.

“In the end,” she reflects, it is often hard to get them to sit back down, because they become so passionate and confident about the issues!”

Hannah looks on as a ‘student attorney’ presents his work during a spring 2023 Mock Appeal Final Event.

Discovering Justice staff Malia Brooks describes Hannah going above and beyond in her work in support of both our Mock Trial & Mock Appeal Program and its participants:

“Hannah cares so much about the students she volunteers with, and it shows in the extra effort she puts in to support the program. As the point person for her team, she recruits and trains new volunteers and is eager to share her expertise and experience. When school’s out for the summer, she has even served as an extra set of eyes on our curriculum and helped us coordinate an in-person orientation event. When I think of Hannah, I hear her saying, “Let me know how I can help!”
Malia Brooks
Discovering Justice staff

As an attorney, Hannah works as an Associate at Jones Day in their Financial Markets practice group. There, she advises and represents financial institutions in litigation matters, with a particular focus on evolving legal and regulatory risks and disputes related to complex commercial transactions and consumer products. She also maintains an active pro bono practice, representing women and minors seeking asylum, and proudly serves as chair of the Hispanic National Bar Association’s (HNBA) Special Committee for Community Outreach and Pro Bono Services. In January, Hannah was named one of the HNBA’s “Top Lawyers Under 40.”

Discovering Justice is enormously grateful for Hannah’s hard work and support over the last five years. We’re looking forward to presenting Hannah’s award, as well as hearing from all our Awardees on the importance of doing work they believe in, at our Annual Gala on June 26th.

PURCHASE GALA TICKETS / BECOME A SPONSOR
Read More
18 AprNews

Discovering Justice Board of Trustees Updates

0 Comments

Discovering Justice is excited to announce two updates to its Board of Trustees: Sarah Frazier (left) of WilmerHale is our new Vice Chair of the Board, and Louis Lobel of Goodwin (right) is our new Board Treasurer.

We’re grateful for Sarah and Louis’s years of support as members of Discovering Justice’s Board, and we’re excited to deepen our work with them in their new roles. Thank you, Sarah and Louis!

Read More
12 AprNews

Introducing Two New Discovering Justice Staff

0 Comments

Emily Dall'Orso - Courthouse Programs Manager

Emily Dall’Orso believes in the power of object- and place-based learning to engage students of all ages in American history, civics, democracy, and the work towards a more equitable society. Emily is currently completing her MSEd in Learning and Engagement in Museums and Cultural Organizations at Bank Street College of Education.

Since joining in February as Courthouse Programs Manager, Emily oversees Discovering Justice’s innovative Field Trip Program, including leading field trips herself, and works with the Moakley Courthouse to implement speaker events for the public.

Kiley Hartman - Mock Trial and Mock Appeal Programs Manager

In March, Kiley Hartman was brought on to lead our growing Mock Trial and Mock Appeal Programs.

A former Mock Trial participant herself, Kiley believes that Mock Trial is an excellent tool to foster student confidence and autonomy. Before joining Discovering Justice, she worked as a middle school teacher at Brooke Charter School Mattapan. Kiley is passionate about providing students with the knowledge necessary to navigate an increasingly complex justice system.

Read More
06 AprNews

Meet Our Spring 2024 Fellows

0 Comments
Our Spring Fellows will spend a semester working on Discovering Justice programs.
Hanna Bregman

Hanna Bregman

Program Fellow

Hanna believes that all young people deserve equal access to a comprehensive civic education curriculum and the space to act as engaged community members. She is eager to facilitate student-facing civic programming with Discovering Justice. Hanna graduated from Tufts University in 2023. As Program Fellow, Hanna works with Mock Appeal Program Manager Kiley Hartman to manage the 29 Mock Appeal teams and their final events in May and June. In addition, she works with Courthouse Programs Manager Emily Dall'Orso to lead field trips and tours.

Kayla Nordman

Kayla Nordman

Civic Education Advocacy Fellow

Kayla Nordman believes strongly in expanding access to comprehensive civic education to provide the next generation with the resources they need to uphold and expand upon the values of American democracy and create a more equitable future. She graduated from Suffolk University in 2023. As Advocacy Fellow, Kayla works with Executive Director Matt Wilson to coordinate the MCLC's public education and advocacy work to ensure funding for state and district civic education through the Civics Project Trust Fund.

Read More
21 MarNews

Discovering Justice Reaches 3,500 Students During Massachusetts Civic Learning Week

0 Comments

Discovering Justice was honored to host four events as part of the Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition’s (MCLC) Fourth Annual Civic Learning Week, March 11-15. Three of these events invited K-12 classrooms across the Commonwealth to “Zoom with a Judge” to explore the justice system, and the fourth event engaged Massachusetts students, teachers, legislators, and their staff at the Massachusetts State House to speak on the importance of civic education in schools.

More than 3,500 students and teachers from across the Commonwealth logged into the “Zoom with a Judge” virtual events. More than 80 classrooms attended the Kindergarten-Grade 2 event, which was hosted by United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit Chief Judge David Barron and Judge Gustavo Gelpí.

Meanwhile, 70 classrooms signed into the Grades 3-5 event hosted by Judge Lara Montecalvo and Judge Ojetta Thompson of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (below).

In the third “Zoom with a Judge” event, for Grades 6-12, students learned about their Fourth Amendment rights in schools from Chief Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court Donald Cabell and Associate Justice of the Massachusetts District Court, Brockton Michelle Fentress. Joining from classrooms across the state, students were able to think like judges themselves, explaining if they believed different scenarios were violations of students’ fourth amendment rights. 

Teachers in attendance praised the events as “engaging,” noting that students “were really excited to see the judges,” and they left the events excited to engage in nuanced conversation with their students.

Read More

Kayla Nordman

Kayla Nordman believes strongly in expanding access to comprehensive civic education to provide the next generation with the resources they need to uphold and expand upon the values of American democracy and create a more equitable future. Before joining Discovering Justice, she worked as a Legislative Intern at the Massachusetts State House and as a Program Manager for the Massachusetts Center for Civic Education. Kayla graduated from Suffolk University with a BA in International Relations.