ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nadia Lopez - Educator
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.

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.

More profile about the speaker
Nadia Lopez | Speaker | TED.com
TED Talks Live

Nadia Lopez: Why open a school? To close a prison

Nadia Lopez: Hvorfor åpne en skole? For å stenge et fengsel

Filmed:
1,309,924 views

Våre barn er vår fremtid, og det er avgjørende at de tror det selv. Det er derfor Nadia Lopez åpnet en akademisk oase i Brownsville, Brooklyn, en av de mest underbetjente og voldelige nabolagene i hele New York City -- fordi hun tror på hvert barns talenter og evner. I dette korte, energiske foredraget deler grunnleggeren og rektoren av Mott Hall Bridges Academy (og en stjerne av Humans of New York) hvordan hun hjelper sine lærde visualisere en lysere fremtid for seg selv og familien deres.
- Educator
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.

00:12
When I openedåpnet MottMott HallHall
BridgesBroer AcademyAcademy in 2010,
0
666
4580
Da jeg åpnet Mott Hall
Bridges Academy i 2010,
00:18
my goalmål was simpleenkel:
1
6037
1637
var målet mitt enkelt:
00:20
openåpen a schoolskole to closeLukk a prisonfengsel.
2
8555
3008
åpne en skole for å stenge et fengsel.
00:24
Now to some, this was an audaciousdristig goalmål,
3
12525
2985
For noen var dette et dristig mål,
00:27
because our schoolskole is locatedplassert
in the BrownsvilleBrownsville sectionseksjon of BrooklynBrooklyn --
4
15534
3627
fordi vår skole ligger
i Brownsville seksjonen av Brooklyn --
00:31
one of the mostmest underservedunderserved
and violentvoldelig neighborhoodsnabolag
5
19773
3200
en av de mest underbetjente
og voldelige nabolagene
00:34
in all of NewNye YorkYork CityByen.
6
22997
2066
i hele New York City.
00:38
Like manymange urbanUrban schoolsskoler
with highhøy povertyfattigdom ratespriser,
7
26121
3552
Som mange urbane skoler
med høyt fattigdoms nivå
00:42
we faceansikt numerousen rekke challengesutfordringer,
8
30427
2080
møter vi utallige utfordringer,
00:45
like findingfunn teacherslærere who can empathizevise empati
9
33173
2426
som å finne lærere empatiske
00:47
with the complexitieskompleksiteten
of a disadvantagedvanskeligstilte communitysamfunnet,
10
35623
3597
med kompleksiteten
av et vanskeligstilt samfunn,
00:52
lackmangel på of fundingfinansiering for technologyteknologi,
11
40054
2597
mangel på finansiering for teknologi,
00:54
lowlav parentalforeldre involvementinvolvering
12
42675
1940
lav foreldreinvolvering
00:57
and neighborhoodnabolag gangsgjenger that recruitrekruttere
childrenbarn as earlytidlig as fourthfjerde gradegrade.
13
45433
5924
og gjenger i nabolaget som rekrutterer
barn så tidlig som fjerde klasse.
01:04
So here I was,
14
52886
1406
Så her var jeg,
01:07
the foundinggrunnleggelsen principalrektor of a middlemidten schoolskole
that was a districtdistrikt publicoffentlig schoolskole,
15
55416
5726
grunnleggende rektor av en ungdomsskole
som var en offentlig disktriksskole,
01:13
and I only had 45 kidsbarn to startstart.
16
61728
3127
og jeg hadde bare 45 barn som begynte.
01:18
ThirtyTretti percentprosent of them had specialspesiell needsbehov.
17
66024
2516
Tretti prosent hadde spesielle behov.
01:21
Eighty-sixEighty-Six percentprosent of them
were belowunder gradegrade levelnivå
18
69797
3041
Åttiseks prosent var under klassenivå
01:24
in EnglishEngelsk and in mathmatte.
19
72862
2022
i engelsk og matte.
01:27
And 100 percentprosent were livingliving
belowunder the povertyfattigdom levelnivå.
20
75701
4270
Og 100 prosent levde
under fattigdomsgrensa.
01:33
If our childrenbarn are not in our classroomsklasserom,
21
81258
3309
Hvis våre barn ikke er i våre klasserom,
01:36
how will they learnlære?
22
84591
1346
hvordan skal de lære?
01:38
And if they're not learninglæring,
23
86731
1774
Og hvis de ikke lærer,
01:40
where would they endslutt up?
24
88529
1702
hvor vil de ende opp?
01:43
It was evidenttydelig when I would
askspørre my 13-year-old-år gammel,
25
91402
4970
Det var tydelig når jeg
spurte min 13-åring,
01:48
"YoungYoung man,
26
96396
1261
"Unge mann,
01:49
where do you see yourselfdeg selv in fivefem yearsår?"
27
97681
3337
hvor ser du deg selv om fem år?"
01:53
And his responserespons:
28
101663
1659
Og hans svar:
01:55
"I don't know if I'm gonna
livebo that long."
29
103691
2221
"Jeg vet ikke om jeg
lever så lenge."
01:58
Or to have a youngung womankvinne say to me
30
106971
2876
Eller når en ung kvinne fortalte meg
02:03
that she had a lifelonglivslang goalmål
of workingarbeider in a fast-foodgatekjøkkenmat restaurantrestaurant.
31
111252
4980
at hennes livslange mål
var å jobbe i en hurtigmat-restaurant.
02:08
To me, this was unacceptableuakseptabelt.
32
116800
2169
For meg var dette uakseptabelt.
02:11
It was alsoogså evidenttydelig that they had no ideaidé
33
119862
3237
Det var også tydelig at de ikke visste
02:15
that there was a landscapelandskap of opportunitymulighet
34
123123
2145
at det var et landskap av muligheter
02:17
that existedeksisterte beyondbortenfor theirderes neighborhoodnabolag.
35
125292
2748
som eksisterte utenfor nabolaget deres.
02:21
We call our studentsstudenter "scholarsforskere,"
because they're lifelonglivslang learnerselever.
36
129055
4744
Vi kaller våre studenter "lærde,"
fordi de er livslange lærere.
02:26
And the skillsferdigheter that they learnlære todayi dag
37
134597
1780
Og de ferdighetene de lærer i dag
02:28
will prepareforberede them for collegehøyskole
and careerkarriere readinessberedskap.
38
136401
3321
vil forberede dem for høyskolen
og for yrkeslivet.
02:32
I chosevalgte the royalkongelig colorsfarger
of purplelilla and blacksvart,
39
140931
4141
Jeg valgte de kongelige fargene
lilla og svart,
02:37
because I want them to be remindedpåminnelse
that they are descendantsetterkommere of greatnessstorhet,
40
145786
4774
fordi jeg ville minne dem på
at de er etterkommere av storhet,
02:42
and that throughgjennom educationutdanning,
41
150584
1825
og at gjennom utdanning
02:44
they are futureframtid engineersingeniører,
42
152433
2047
er de fremtidige ingeniører,
02:46
scientistsforskere,
43
154504
1162
forskere,
02:47
entrepreneursentreprenører
44
155690
1363
gründere,
02:49
and even leadersledere who can and will
take over this worldverden.
45
157077
4312
til og med ledere som kan og vil
ta over denne verden.
02:54
To dateDato,
46
162544
1278
Til nå
02:55
we have had threetre graduatingeksamen classesklasser,
47
163846
3502
har vi hatt tre uteksaminerte klasser,
02:59
at a 98 --
48
167959
1386
på en 98 --
03:01
(ApplauseApplaus)
49
169369
4115
(Applaus)
03:10
At a 98-percent-prosent graduationeksamen ratesats.
50
178341
2842
På et 98-prosent uteksamineringsnivå.
03:14
This is nearlynesten 200 childrenbarn,
51
182120
2833
Dette er nesten 200 barn,
03:16
who are now going to some of the mostmest
competitivekonkurranse highhøy schoolsskoler
52
184977
3256
som nå går på noen av de mest
konkurrerende videregående skolene
03:20
in NewNye YorkYork CityByen.
53
188257
1474
i New York City.
03:21
(ApplauseApplaus)
54
189755
5564
(Applaus)
03:29
It was a coldkald day in JanuaryJanuar
55
197675
2511
Det var en kald dag i januar
03:32
when my scholarforsker, VidalVidal ChastanetChastanet,
metmøtte BrandonBrandon StantonStanton,
56
200872
3694
når min lærd, Vidal Chastanet,
møtte Brandon Stanton,
03:37
the foundergrunnleggeren of the popularpopulær blogblog
"HumansMennesker of NewNye YorkYork."
57
205462
3793
grunnleggeren av den populære bloggen
"Humans of New York."
03:42
BrandonBrandon shareddelt the storyhistorie
of a youngung man from BrownsvilleBrownsville
58
210102
3893
Brandon delte historien
om en ung mann fra Brownsville
03:46
who had witnessedbevitnet violencevold firsthandførstehånds,
59
214019
2720
som hadde sett vold på førstehånd,
03:49
by witnessingvitne a man
beingå være thrownkastet off of a rooftak.
60
217977
3525
ved å se en mann
bli kastet fra et tak.
03:54
YetEnnå he can still
be influencedpåvirket by a principalrektor
61
222264
3439
Men han kan fortsatt
bli påvirket av en rektor
03:57
who had openedåpnet up a schoolskole
that believesmener in all childrenbarn.
62
225727
3477
som hadde åpnet en skole
som tror på alle barn.
04:02
VidalVidal embodiesbærer the storyhistorie of so manymange
of our underprivilegedunderprivilegerte childrenbarn
63
230490
5605
Vidal representerer historien av så mange
av våre underprivilegerte barn
04:08
who are strugglingsliter to surviveoverleve,
64
236119
2111
som strever for å overleve.
04:10
whichhvilken is why we must
make educationutdanning a priorityprioritet.
65
238859
3791
Derfor må vi gjøre
utdanning til en prioritet.
04:15
Brandon'sBrandon postpost createdopprettet a globalglobal sensationfølelse
66
243992
3212
Brandons innlegg lagde en global sensasjon
04:19
that touchedberørt the livesbor of millionsmillioner.
67
247228
2379
som rørte livene til millioner.
04:22
This resultedført in 1.4 millionmillion
dollarsdollar beingå være raisedoppvokst
68
250855
3955
Dette resulterte i 1,4 millioner
dollar samlet inn
04:27
for our scholarsforskere to attenddelta fieldfelt tripsturer
to collegeshøyskoler and universitiesuniversiteter,
69
255390
5921
for våre lærdes deltakelse på
utflukter til høyskoler og universiteter,
04:34
SummerSommer STEAMSTEAM programsprogrammer,
70
262001
2278
STEAM sommer-programmer
04:36
as well as collegehøyskole scholarshipsstipender.
71
264303
2291
samt høyskolestipend.
04:39
You need to understandforstå
72
267792
1177
Du må forstå
04:40
that when 200 youngung people
from BrownsvilleBrownsville visitedbesøkt HarvardHarvard,
73
268993
5469
at når 200 unge mennesker
fra Brownsville besøkte Harvard,
04:47
they now understoodforstås
74
275308
1829
skjønte de
04:49
that a collegehøyskole of theirderes choicevalg
was a realekte possibilitymulighet.
75
277161
4270
at en høyskole av deres valg
var en reell mulighet.
04:54
And the impossibilitiesumuligheter
that had been imposedpålagt upon them
76
282457
3438
Og umulighetene som
hadde vært pålagt dem
04:58
by a disadvantagedvanskeligstilte communitysamfunnet
77
286431
2130
av et vanskeligstilt samfunn
05:00
were replacederstattet by hopehåp and purposehensikt.
78
288585
3537
ble erstattet av håp og hensikt.
05:05
The revolutionrevolusjon in educationutdanning
is happeningskjer in our schoolsskoler,
79
293498
4986
Utdanningsrevolusjonen
utfolder seg på våre skoler
05:11
with adultsvoksne who providegi love,
80
299349
3354
med voksne som gir kjærlighet,
05:14
structurestruktur,
81
302727
1176
struktur,
05:15
supportBrukerstøtte
82
303927
1162
støtte
05:17
and knowledgekunnskap.
83
305113
1250
og kunnskap.
05:18
These are the things
that inspireinspirere childrenbarn.
84
306963
2819
Det er disse tingene
som inspirerer barn.
05:22
But it is not an easylett taskoppgave.
85
310806
2303
Men det er ingen enkel oppgave.
05:25
And there are highhøy demandskrav
86
313815
2039
Og det er høye krav
05:28
withininnenfor an educationutdanning systemsystem
that is not perfectperfekt.
87
316709
3244
i et utdanningssystem
som ikke er perfekt.
05:32
But I have a dynamicdynamisk groupgruppe of educatorslærere
88
320893
2957
Men jeg har en dynamisk gruppe av lærere
05:36
who collaboratesamarbeide as a teamteam to determinefastslå
what is the bestbeste curriculumpensum.
89
324756
4270
som samarbeider i et team for å
fastslå det beste pensumet.
05:41
They take time beyondbortenfor theirderes schoolskole day,
90
329553
2870
De tar tid utenom skoledagen,
05:44
and come in on weekendshelgene
91
332447
1297
og kommer inn på helgene
05:45
and even use theirderes ownegen moneypenger
to oftenofte providegi resourcesressurser
92
333768
4453
og bruker til og med ofte sine egne penger
til å bidra med ressurser
05:50
when we do not have it.
93
338921
1703
når vi ikke har dem.
05:53
And as the principalrektor,
94
341804
1848
Og som rektor,
05:55
I have to inspectundersøke what I expectforvente.
95
343676
2886
må jeg inspisere det jeg forventer.
05:59
So I showforestilling up in classesklasser
96
347308
1849
Så jeg møter opp i klasser
06:01
and I conductoppførsel observationsobservasjoner
to give feedbacktilbakemeldinger,
97
349836
3086
og gjennomfører observasjoner
for å gi tilbakemeldinger,
06:04
because I want my teacherslærere
to be just as successfulvellykket
98
352946
3415
fordi jeg vil at mine lærere
er like suksessfulle
06:08
as the nameNavn MottMott HallHall BridgesBroer AcademyAcademy.
99
356385
2315
som navnet Mott Hall Bridges Academy.
06:11
And I give them accessadgang to me
everyhver singleenkelt day,
100
359930
3692
Og jeg gir dem tilgang til meg
hver eneste dag,
06:15
whichhvilken is why they all have
my personalpersonlig cellcelle numberAntall,
101
363646
2864
det er derfor de alle har
mitt personlige mobilnummer,
06:18
includinggjelder også my scholarsforskere
and those who graduatedferdig utdannet --
102
366534
3058
inkludert mine lærde
og de som er uteksaminert.
06:21
whichhvilken is probablysannsynligvis why I get
phonetelefon callssamtaler and texttekst messagesmeldinger
103
369616
2958
Det er nok derfor jeg får
oppringninger og meldinger
06:24
at threetre o'clockklokken in the morningmorgen.
104
372598
1764
klokka tre på morgenen.
06:26
(LaughterLatter)
105
374386
1185
(Latter)
06:28
But we are all connectedtilkoblet to succeedlykkes,
106
376174
2596
Men vi er alle forbundet for å lykkes,
06:30
and good leadersledere do this.
107
378794
1908
og gode leder gjør dette.
06:34
Tomorrow'sMorgendagens futureframtid is sittingsitter
in our classroomsklasserom.
108
382282
3264
Morgendagens fremtid sitter
i våre klasserom.
06:38
And they are our responsibilityansvar.
109
386304
2103
Og de er vårt ansvar.
06:41
That meansmidler everyonealle in here,
110
389526
1977
Det betyr at alle her,
06:43
and those who are watchingse the screenskjerm.
111
391527
2130
og de som ser på skjermen.
06:46
We must believe in theirderes brillianceglans,
112
394649
2370
Vi må tro på deres talenter,
06:50
and remindminne om them by teachingundervisning them
113
398234
2609
og påminne dem ved å undervise dem
06:52
that there indeedfaktisk is powermakt in educationutdanning.
114
400867
4494
at det sannelig er makt i utdanning.
06:58
Thank you.
115
406047
1180
Takk.
06:59
(ApplauseApplaus)
116
407251
10128
(Applaus)
Translated by Ronja Dahl
Reviewed by Marleen Laschet

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nadia Lopez - Educator
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.

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.

More profile about the speaker
Nadia Lopez | Speaker | TED.com