Nadia Lopez: Why open a school? To close a prison
Nadia Lopez: ¿Por qué abrir una escuela? Para cerrar una prisión
Nadia Lopez is the founding principal of Mott Hall Bridges Academy, where she is showing the world how underprivileged communities can beat the odds and create positive institutions that have a global impact. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
Bridges Academy in 2010,
Mott Hall Bridges en 2010,
para cerrar una prisión.
un objetivo audaz,
in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn --
la sección Brownsville de Brooklyn,
and violent neighborhoods
más desatendidos y violentos
with high poverty rates,
con altos niveles de pobreza,
que pudieran empatizar
of a disadvantaged community,
comunidad en desventaja,
children as early as fourth grade.
niños desde cuarto grado.
that was a district public school,
escuela media pública estatal,
were below grade level
below the poverty level.
por debajo del nivel de pobreza.
ask my 13-year-old,
a un chico de 13 años,
live that long."
of working in a fast-food restaurant.
en un restaurante de comida rápida.
because they're lifelong learners.
porque son aprendices de la vida.
and career readiness.
y carrera profesional.
of purple and black,
that they are descendants of greatness,
son descendientes de grandeza,
take over this world.
y van a tomar las riendas del mundo.
competitive high schools
de las escuelas más competitivas
met Brandon Stanton,
conoció a Brandon Stanton,
"Humans of New York."
"Humanos de Nueva York".
of a young man from Brownsville
de un joven de Brownsville
de primera mano,
being thrown off of a roof.
be influenced by a principal
influenciado por una directora
that believes in all children.
que cree en los niños.
of our underprivileged children
de muchos niños sin privilegios
make education a priority.
la educación una prioridad.
creó una sensación mundial
dollars being raised
USD 1,4 millones
to colleges and universities,
campamentos de escuelas y universidades,
from Brownsville visited Harvard,
Brownsville visitaron Harvard,
was a real possibility.
era una posibilidad real.
that had been imposed upon them
se les habían impuesto
por propósito y esperanza.
is happening in our schools,
está ocurriendo en nuestras escuelas,
that inspire children.
que inspiran a los niños.
that is not perfect.
que no es perfecto.
de educadores
what is the best curriculum.
formar el mejor plan de estudios.
to often provide resources
para dar recursos
to give feedback,
generar una retroalimentación,
to be just as successful
sean tan exitosos
Academia Mott Hall Bridges.
every single day,
my personal cell number,
and those who graduated --
y los graduados...
phone calls and text messages
llamadas y mensajes de texto
conectados para el éxito,
in our classrooms.
se sienta en nuestras aulas.
poder en la educación.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nadia Lopez - EducatorNadia Lopez is the founding principal of Mott Hall Bridges Academy, where she is showing the world how underprivileged communities can beat the odds and create positive institutions that have a global impact.
Why you should listen
Dr. Nadia Lopez is pioneering a path of inspired leadership. The founding principal of Mott Hall Bridges Academy, a New York City Public School, Lopez became a viral sensation after one of her students was featured on the popular blog, Humans of New York. Millions of people around the world discovered the positive learning environment, high expectations and growing success rate at her school, which is located right in the middle of one of the most under-served communities in America. In 2015 a Humans of New York fundraiser raised $1.4 million to take Lopez's students on college trips that include Harvard University, Summer STEAM programs and college scholarships.
Lopez's story was shared across numerous media outlets and resulted in her guest appearing on the Ellen Show, visiting President Barack Obama at the White House and receiving the Medal of Distinction from Barnard College. In addition, Lopez was honored alongside First Lady Michelle Obama with the Change Agent Award at the Black Girls Rock show hosted on BET Networks.
Lopez's passion, belief in children and strong conviction has been unwavering in her belief that her community needs strong leadership. Despite the adversities she faced in opening Mott Hall Bridges Academy in 2010, Lopez is encouraged and inspired to see children overcome the "beautiful challenges" of Brownsville and ensuring that they are admitted into some of the most competitive high schools in New York City. Understanding the power of programming, Lopez continues to impact the lives of children through her "She Is Me" and "I Matter" initiatives, which have served thousands of youth throughout Central Brooklyn by providing workshops, forums and mentoring. Lopez continues to influence and inspire the world through her company The Lopez Effect, which offers a blueprint for personal and organizational success.
Nadia Lopez | Speaker | TED.com