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Ep. 9: Are Our Schools Going to Be OK? At 16, cops kneeled on Jerome Hunter's neck. Now he's a teacher.

As the U.S. reckons with the Black Lives Matter movement, Seattle School For Boys co-founder Jerome Hunter says the time is now for Problem Based Learning and listening to youth.

What is it like to be a Black education leader during this time of uprising and crisis? How is the Black Lives Matter movement and COVID-19 an opportunity to transform our schools? What can students learn about toxic masculinity from the mishandling of a global pandemic?

In this hour, KUOW's Are We Going to Be OK? explores education, racism, gender roles, and innovative possibilities for youth engagement during this unprecedented moment of uprising and crisis. We're joined by former Seattle Public Schools teacher and Seattle School for Boys co-founder Jerome Hunter.

Jerome Hunter is the co-founder and head of academics at Seattle School for Boys, which encourages and inspires students to become compassionate and intellectual leaders. A proponent of healthy boyhood and its importance in an equitable society, Jerome believes that young men can move beyond the confines of traditional masculinity and toward a holistic version of themselves. After teaching humanities in Seattle Public Schools and volunteering with My Brother’s Keeper, Jerome was driven to address the unique challenges facing boys today. Seattle School for Boys is in its inaugural year and serves a diverse community of middle-school-aged boys in the Central District.

caption: Seattle School For Boys co-founder Jerome Hunter
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Seattle School For Boys co-founder Jerome Hunter
Lidia Wiens

To watch all of our Are We Going to Be OK? episodes, visit our series page at KUOW.org/OK.

Our Are We Going to Be OK? hosts are Jeannie Yandel and Zaki Hamid. This show is produced by Kristin Leong. Our events team is Charlotte Duren and Bridget Anderson. The show's graphics designer and tech guru is Teo Popescu. Our marketing manager is Michaela Gionnatti and our social media strategist is Juan Pablo Chiqiza.

This episode of Are We Going to Be OK? originally aired live on Facebook and YouTube on Thursday, June 4, 2020. This web story was originally published on June 23, 2020.

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