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: Per què obrir una escola? Per tancar una presó

Filmed:
1,309,924 views

Els nostres joves són el nostre futur i és crucial que creguin en ells mateixos. Per això, la Nadia Lopez va obrir un oasi acadèmic a Brownsville, Brooklyn, un dels barris més desatesos i violents de tota la ciutat de Nova York: perquè creu en la genialitat i les capacitats de cada jove. En aquesta xerrada curta i enèrgica, la fundadora i directora de la Mott Hall Bridges Academy (i una de les estrelles d'Humans de Nova York), comparteix com ajuda els seus alumnes a visualitzar un futur més pròsper per a ells mateixos i per a les seves famílies.
- 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 openedobert MottMott HallHall
BridgesPonts AcademyAcadèmia in 2010,
0
666
4580
Quan vaig obrir la Mott Hall
Bridges Academy al 2010,
00:18
my goalobjectiu was simplesenzill:
1
6037
1637
el meu objectiu era simple:
00:20
openobert a schoolescola to closea prop a prisonpresó.
2
8555
3008
obrir una escola per tancar una presó.
00:24
Now to some, this was an audaciousaudaç goalobjectiu,
3
12525
2985
Per a alguns, aquest era
un objectiu agosarat,
00:27
because our schoolescola is locatedsituat
in the BrownsvilleBrownsville sectionsecció of BrooklynBrooklyn --
4
15534
3627
perquè el nostre centre està
a Brownsville, a Brooklyn,
00:31
one of the mostla majoria underservedateses
and violentviolent neighborhoodsbarris
5
19773
3200
un dels barris més desatesos i violents
00:34
in all of NewNou YorkYork CityCiutat.
6
22997
2066
de tota la ciutat de Nova York.
00:38
Like manymolts urbanurbà schoolsescoles
with highalt povertypobresa ratestarifes,
7
26121
3552
Com tants centres escolars urbans
amb alts índexs de pobresa,
00:42
we facecara numerousnombrosos challengesdesafiaments,
8
30427
2080
ens enfrontem a nombrosos reptes,
00:45
like findingtrobar teachersprofessors who can empathizeempatitzar
9
33173
2426
com ara trobar professorat que
pugui entendre
00:47
with the complexitiescomplexitats
of a disadvantageddesfavorits communitycomunitat,
10
35623
3597
les complexitats
d'una comunitat desafavorida,
00:52
lackfalta of fundingfinançament for technologytecnologia,
11
40054
2597
la falta de finançament per a tecnologia,
00:54
lowbaix parentalparental involvementimplicació
12
42675
1940
la baixa participació dels pares
00:57
and neighborhoodbarri gangsbandes that recruitcontractar
childrennens as earlyaviat as fourthquart gradegrau.
13
45433
5924
i que les bandes recrutin
canalla de 9 o 10 anys.
01:04
So here I was,
14
52886
1406
Així que allà em trobava jo,
01:07
the foundingfundació principalprincipal of a middlemig schoolescola
that was a districtdistricte publicpúblic schoolescola,
15
55416
5726
directora i fundadora d'un centre públic
de barri de secundària obligatòria,
01:13
and I only had 45 kidsnens to startcomençar.
16
61728
3127
i només tenia 45 nois i noies
per començar.
01:18
ThirtyTrenta percentpercentatge of them had specialespecial needsnecessitats.
17
66024
2516
El 30% tenia necessitats especials.
01:21
Eighty-sixEighty-Six percentpercentatge of them
were belowbaix gradegrau levelnivell
18
69797
3041
El 86% estava per sota
del nivell que els corresponia
01:24
in EnglishAnglès and in mathmatemàtiques.
19
72862
2022
en anglès i mates.
01:27
And 100 percentpercentatge were livingvivent
belowbaix the povertypobresa levelnivell.
20
75701
4270
I el 100% vivia per sota
del llindar de la pobresa.
01:33
If our childrennens are not in our classroomsaules,
21
81258
3309
Si la nostra canalla
no és a les nostres aules,
01:36
how will they learnaprendre?
22
84591
1346
com aprendrà?
01:38
And if they're not learningaprenentatge,
23
86731
1774
I si no aprenen,
01:40
where would they endfinal up?
24
88529
1702
on aniran a parar?
01:43
It was evidentevident when I would
askpreguntar my 13-year-old-anys,
25
91402
4970
Era evident quan li preguntava
a un dels de 13 anys:
01:48
"YoungJoves man,
26
96396
1261
"Noi,
01:49
where do you see yourselftu mateix in fivecinc yearsanys?"
27
97681
3337
on et veus en cinc anys?"
01:53
And his responseresposta:
28
101663
1659
I la seva resposta:
01:55
"I don't know if I'm gonna
liveen directe that long."
29
103691
2221
"No sé si viuré tants anys."
01:58
Or to have a youngjove womandona say to me
30
106971
2876
O aquella altra noia que em deia
02:03
that she had a lifelongdurant tota la vida goalobjectiu
of workingtreball in a fast-foodmenjar ràpid restaurantrestaurant.
31
111252
4980
que el seu objectiu a la vida era treballar
en un restaurant de menjar ràpid.
02:08
To me, this was unacceptableinacceptable.
32
116800
2169
Per a mi, allò era inacceptable.
02:11
It was alsotambé evidentevident that they had no ideaidea
33
119862
3237
Era també evident que no tenien ni idea
02:15
that there was a landscapepaisatge of opportunityoportunitat
34
123123
2145
que hi havia tot un món d'oportunitats
02:17
that existedexistit beyondmés enllà theirels seus neighborhoodbarri.
35
125292
2748
més enllà del seu barri.
02:21
We call our studentsestudiants "scholarsbecaris,"
because they're lifelongdurant tota la vida learnersaprenents.
36
129055
4744
Anomenem els nostres estudiants "escolars"
perquè aprenen al llarg de tota la vida.
02:26
And the skillshabilitats that they learnaprendre todayavui
37
134597
1780
I les habilitats que aprenen avui
02:28
will preparepreparar them for collegeuniversitat
and careercarrera readinessDisponibilitat.
38
136401
3321
els prepararan per a la universitat
i la seva carrera professional.
02:32
I chosetriar the royalReial colorscolors
of purpleporpra and blacknegre,
39
140931
4141
Vaig escollir el violeta i el negre,
colors de la realesa,
02:37
because I want them to be remindedrecordat
that they are descendantsdescendents of greatnessgrandesa,
40
145786
4774
perquè vull recordar-los que
descendeixen de la grandesa,
02:42
and that througha través educationeducació,
41
150584
1825
i que a través de l'educació,
02:44
they are futurefutur engineersenginyers,
42
152433
2047
són futurs enginyers,
02:46
scientistscientífics,
43
154504
1162
científics,
02:47
entrepreneursempresaris
44
155690
1363
emprenedors,
02:49
and even leaderslíders who can and will
take over this worldmón.
45
157077
4312
i fins i tot líders que poden
i que prendran el relleu.
02:54
To datedata,
46
162544
1278
De moment,
02:55
we have had threetres graduatinges gradua classesclasses,
47
163846
3502
tenim tres promocions graduades
02:59
at a 98 --
48
167959
1386
amb un 98
03:01
(ApplauseAplaudiments)
49
169369
4115
(Aplaudiments)
03:10
At a 98-percent-per cent graduationgraduació ratetaxa.
50
178341
2842
Amb un índex del 98%
d'alumnes que acaben els seus estudis.
03:14
This is nearlygairebé 200 childrennens,
51
182120
2833
Això són gairebé 200 nois i noies,
03:16
who are now going to some of the mostla majoria
competitivecompetitiu highalt schoolsescoles
52
184977
3256
que ara aniran a alguns
dels instituts més competitius
03:20
in NewNou YorkYork CityCiutat.
53
188257
1474
de la ciutat de Nova York.
03:21
(ApplauseAplaudiments)
54
189755
5564
(Aplaudiments)
03:29
It was a coldfred day in JanuaryGener
55
197675
2511
Era un dia fred de gener
03:32
when my scholarbecari, VidalVidal ChastanetChastanet,
metes va reunir BrandonBrandon StantonStanton,
56
200872
3694
quan el meu estudiant, Vidal Chastanet,
es trobà amb Brandon Stanton,
03:37
the founderfundador of the popularpopular blogbloc
"HumansÉssers humans of NewNou YorkYork."
57
205462
3793
el fundador d'"Humans de Nova York",
el famós blog.
03:42
BrandonBrandon sharedcompartit the storyhistòria
of a youngjove man from BrownsvilleBrownsville
58
210102
3893
En Brandon va compartir la història
d'un jove de Brownsville
03:46
who had witnessedva ser testimoni violenceviolència firsthandde primera mà,
59
214019
2720
que va ser testimoni de la violència
de primera mà,
03:49
by witnessingassistint a a man
beingser thrownllançat off of a roofsostre.
60
217977
3525
quan va veure com un home
era llençat des d'una teulada.
03:54
YetEncara he can still
be influencedinfluït by a principalprincipal
61
222264
3439
Però ell encara pot ser influenciat
per una directora
03:57
who had openedobert up a schoolescola
that believescreu in all childrennens.
62
225727
3477
que ha obert un centre escolar
que creu en tota la canalla.
04:02
VidalVidal embodiesencarna the storyhistòria of so manymolts
of our underprivilegedpersones desfavorides childrennens
63
230490
5605
Vidal personifica la història
de tanta de la nostra canalla desafavorida
04:08
who are strugglinglluitant to survivesobreviure,
64
236119
2111
que lluita per sobreviure,
04:10
whichquin is why we musthaver de
make educationeducació a priorityprioritat.
65
238859
3791
raó per la qual hem de fer
de l'educació, una prioritat.
04:15
Brandon'sDe Brandon postpublicació createdcreat a globalglobal sensationsensació
66
243992
3212
La publicació d'en Brandon
va ser un èxit mundial
04:19
that touchedtocat the livesvides of millionsmilions.
67
247228
2379
que va commoure milions de persones.
04:22
This resultedcom a resultat in 1.4 millionmilions
dollarsdòlars beingser raisedaixecat
68
250855
3955
Això va resultar
en la recaptació d'1,4 milions de dòlars
04:27
for our scholarsbecaris to attendassistir a fieldcamp tripsviatges
to collegesescoles universitàries and universitiesuniversitats,
69
255390
5921
per a què els nostres estudiants puguin
fer viatges d'estudis a universitats,
04:34
SummerL'estiu STEAMVAPOR programsprogrames,
70
262001
2278
als campaments d'estiu científics STEAM,
04:36
as well as collegeuniversitat scholarshipsBeques.
71
264303
2291
així com
per a beques universitàries.
04:39
You need to understandentendre
72
267792
1177
Han de pensar
04:40
that when 200 youngjove people
from BrownsvilleBrownsville visitedvisitat HarvardHarvard,
73
268993
5469
que quan els 200 joves
de Brownsville van visitar Harvard,
04:47
they now understoodentès
74
275308
1829
per fi van entendre
04:49
that a collegeuniversitat of theirels seus choiceelecció
was a realreal possibilitypossibilitat.
75
277161
4270
que una universitat de la seva elecció
era una possibilitat real.
04:54
And the impossibilitiesimpossibilitats
that had been imposedimposades upondamunt them
76
282457
3438
I que els obstacles
que els havien estat imposats
04:58
by a disadvantageddesfavorits communitycomunitat
77
286431
2130
per pertànyer
a una comunitat desafavorida
05:00
were replacedreemplaçat by hopeesperança and purposepropòsit.
78
288585
3537
eren substituïts
per esperança i metes.
05:05
The revolutionrevolució in educationeducació
is happeningpassant in our schoolsescoles,
79
293498
4986
La revolució educativa
està succeïnt a les nostres escoles,
05:11
with adultsadults who provideproporcionar love,
80
299349
3354
per adults que donen amor,
05:14
structureestructura,
81
302727
1176
estructura,
05:15
supportsuport
82
303927
1162
suport
05:17
and knowledgeconeixement.
83
305113
1250
i coneixements.
05:18
These are the things
that inspireinspirar childrennens.
84
306963
2819
Aquestes són les coses
que inspiren la canalla.
05:22
But it is not an easyfàcil tasktasca.
85
310806
2303
Però no és una feina fàcil.
05:25
And there are highalt demandsdemandes
86
313815
2039
I hi ha grans exigències
05:28
withindins an educationeducació systemsistema
that is not perfectperfecte.
87
316709
3244
en un sistema educatiu
que no és perfecte.
05:32
But I have a dynamicdinàmic groupgrup of educatorseducadors
88
320893
2957
Però tinc un dinàmic grup d'educadors
05:36
who collaboratecol·laborar as a teamequip to determinedeterminar
what is the bestmillor curriculumcurrículum.
89
324756
4270
que col·labora com a equip
per fixar quin és el millor currículum.
05:41
They take time beyondmés enllà theirels seus schoolescola day,
90
329553
2870
Ocupen el seu temps
després de la jornada escolar,
05:44
and come in on weekendscaps de setmana
91
332447
1297
i vénen els caps de setmana
05:45
and even use theirels seus ownpropi moneydiners
to oftensovint provideproporcionar resourcesrecursos
92
333768
4453
i fins i tot utilitzen sovint
els seus diners per oferir recursos
05:50
when we do not have it.
93
338921
1703
quan no els tenim.
05:53
And as the principalprincipal,
94
341804
1848
I com a directora,
05:55
I have to inspectinspeccionar what I expectespera.
95
343676
2886
he d'inspeccionar el que espero.
05:59
So I showespectacle up in classesclasses
96
347308
1849
Així que, aparec a les aules
06:01
and I conductconducta observationsobservacions
to give feedbackcomentaris,
97
349836
3086
i duc a terme observacions
per donar la meva opinió,
06:04
because I want my teachersprofessors
to be just as successfulreeixit
98
352946
3415
perquè vull que els meus professors
siguin tan competents
06:08
as the namenom MottMott HallHall BridgesPonts AcademyAcadèmia.
99
356385
2315
com ho és la Mott Hall Bridges Academy.
06:11
And I give them accessaccés to me
everycada singlesolter day,
100
359930
3692
I els atenc tots els dies,
06:15
whichquin is why they all have
my personalpersonal cellcel·la numbernúmero,
101
363646
2864
raó per la qual tots tenen
el meu número de mòbil,
06:18
includingincloent my scholarsbecaris
and those who graduatedes va graduar --
102
366534
3058
incloent els meus alumnes
i també els que ja s'han graduat,
06:21
whichquin is probablyProbablement why I get
phonetelèfon callstrucades and texttext messagesmissatges
103
369616
2958
raó per la qual probablement
rebo trucades i missatges
06:24
at threetres o'clocka les onze in the morningmatí.
104
372598
1764
a les tres de la matinada.
06:26
(LaughterRiure)
105
374386
1185
(Rialles)
06:28
But we are all connectedconnectat to succeedtriomfar,
106
376174
2596
Però estem tots connectats per triomfar
06:30
and good leaderslíders do this.
107
378794
1908
i és el que fan els bons líders.
06:34
Tomorrow'sDemà futurefutur is sittingassegut
in our classroomsaules.
108
382282
3264
El futur del demà
s'asseu a les nostres aules.
06:38
And they are our responsibilityresponsabilitat.
109
386304
2103
I en són la nostra responsabilitat.
06:41
That meanssignifica everyonetothom in here,
110
389526
1977
I amb això vull dir a tots els presents,
06:43
and those who are watchingvigilant the screenpantalla.
111
391527
2130
i els que ens estan veient.
06:46
We musthaver de believe in theirels seus brilliancebrillantor,
112
394649
2370
Hem de creure en la seva genialitat,
06:50
and remindrecorda them by teachingensenyament them
113
398234
2609
i recordar-los, quan els ensenyem,
que hi ha poder de debò en l'educació.
06:52
that there indeeden efecte is powerpoder in educationeducació.
114
400867
4494
06:58
Thank you.
115
406047
1180
Gràcies.
06:59
(ApplauseAplaudiments)
116
407251
10128
(Aplaudiment)
Translated by Vicky Lara Labaila
Reviewed by Júlia Ramírez Rubio

▲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