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: Përse të hapim një shkollë? Që të mbyllim një burg

Filmed:
1,309,924 views

Fëmijët janë e ardhmja jonë, dhe është e rëndësishme që ata të besojnë në vetvete. Për këtë arsye, Nadia Lopez ka hapur një "oaz" akademik në Brownsviille, Brooklyn, një nga lagjet më të lëra pas dore dhe të dhunshme në qytetin e New York-ut -- sepse ajo beson në ngritjen dhe aftësinë e çdo fëmije. Në këtë fjalim të shkurtër dhe plot energji, themeluesja e Mott Hall Bridges Academy (dhe një yll nga "Humans of New York") ndan me ne se si ajo i ndihmon nxënësit e saj të mendojnë për një të ardhme më të mirë për vete dhe familjet e tyre.
- 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 opened Mott Hall
Bridges Academy in 2010,
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Në vitin 2010,
kur hapa Mott Hall Bridges Academy,
00:18
my goal was simple:
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qëllimi ishte i thjeshtë:
00:20
open a school to close a prison.
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të hap një shkollë
për të mbyllur një burg.
00:24
Now to some, this was an audacious goal,
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Për disa, ky ishte një hap i guximshëm,
00:27
because our school is located
in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn --
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sepse shkolla jonë gjendej
në lagjen Brownsville të Brooklyn-it --
00:31
one of the most underserved
and violent neighborhoods
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prej lagjeve më të dhunshme
dhe të braktisura
00:34
in all of New York City.
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në gjithë qytetin e New York-ut.
00:38
Like many urban schools
with high poverty rates,
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Si shumë shkolla të qytetit
me shkallë të lartë të varfërisë,
edhe ne hasim në shumë sfida,
00:42
we face numerous challenges,
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siç është të gjejmë mësues
të cilët arrijnë t'i kuptojnë
00:45
like finding teachers who can empathize
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00:47
with the complexities
of a disadvantaged community,
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problemet e një shoqërie të privuar,
00:52
lack of funding for technology,
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mungesa e fondeve për teknologji,
00:54
low parental involvement
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mos-interesimi i prindërve
00:57
and neighborhood gangs that recruit
children as early as fourth grade.
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dhe bandat e lagjes që "punësojnë" fëmijë
qysh nga klasa e katërt.
01:04
So here I was,
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Dhe ja ku isha unë,
01:07
the founding principal of a middle school
that was a district public school,
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drejtoreshë e një shkolle fillore
të sektorit publik,
01:13
and I only had 45 kids to start.
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me vetëm 45 fëmijë për t'ia filluar.
01:18
Thirty percent of them had special needs.
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30% prej tyre ishin me nevoja të veçanta.
01:21
Eighty-six percent of them
were below grade level
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86% prej tyre ishin nën nivelin mesatar
01:24
in English and in math.
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në Gjuhë Angleze dhe Matematikë.
01:27
And 100 percent were living
below the poverty level.
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Dhe 100% jetonin në varfëri të skajshme.
01:33
If our children are not in our classrooms,
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Nëse fëmijët tanë nuk janë nëpër klasa,
01:36
how will they learn?
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si do mund të mësojnë?
01:38
And if they're not learning,
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Dhe nëse nuk mësojnë,
01:40
where would they end up?
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ku do të përfundonin?
01:43
It was evident when I would
ask my 13-year-old,
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Kjo dukej qartë kur pyesja
njërin nga 13 vjeçarët,
01:48
"Young man,
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"Djalosh,
01:49
where do you see yourself in five years?"
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ku e sheh vetën pas pesë vitesh?"
01:53
And his response:
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Dhe përgjigjia e tij:
01:55
"I don't know if I'm gonna
live that long."
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"Nuk e di nëse do jetoj aq gjatë."
01:58
Or to have a young woman say to me
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Ose të më thotë një vajzë e re
se ëndrra e jetës së saj
ishte të punonte në restorant fast-food.
02:03
that she had a lifelong goal
of working in a fast-food restaurant.
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02:08
To me, this was unacceptable.
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Për mua kjo ishte e papranueshme.
02:11
It was also evident that they had no idea
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Gjithashtu ishte e dukshme
që ata nuk ia kishin idenë fare
02:15
that there was a landscape of opportunity
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për botën plot mundësi
02:17
that existed beyond their neighborhood.
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që ekzistonte përtej lagjes së tyre.
02:21
We call our students "scholars,"
because they're lifelong learners.
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Ne i thërrasim studentët tanë "studiues,"
ngase ata janë nxënës të përjetshëm.
02:26
And the skills that they learn today
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Aftësitë që ata marrin këtu
do t'ju shërbejnë për fakultet
dhe përgatitje për karrierë.
02:28
will prepare them for college
and career readiness.
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02:32
I chose the royal colors
of purple and black,
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Zgjodha ngjyrat mbretërore
vjollcën dhe të zezën,
02:37
because I want them to be reminded
that they are descendants of greatness,
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sepse dua t'ua kujtoj
se ata janë pasardhës të së zgjuarës,
02:42
and that through education,
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dhe se përmes edukimit,
02:44
they are future engineers,
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ata do bëhen inxhiniera,
02:46
scientists,
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shkencëtarë,
02:47
entrepreneurs
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ndërmarrës
02:49
and even leaders who can and will
take over this world.
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si dhe udhëheqës që do munden
dhe do e marrin botën para.
02:54
To date,
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Deri më sot,
02:55
we have had three graduating classes,
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kemi pasur tre klasa diplomimi,
02:59
at a 98 --
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me 98% --
03:01
(Applause)
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(Duartrokitje)
03:10
At a 98-percent graduation rate.
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Dhe 98% të tyre janë diplomuar.
03:14
This is nearly 200 children,
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Që i bie afërsisht 200 fëmijë,
03:16
who are now going to some of the most
competitive high schools
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të cilët tani janë duke ndjekur mësimet
në shkollat e mesme më të mira
03:20
in New York City.
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të New York-ut.
03:21
(Applause)
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(Duartrokitje)
03:29
It was a cold day in January
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Ishte ditë e ftohtë janari
03:32
when my scholar, Vidal Chastanet,
met Brandon Stanton,
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kur studiuesi im, Vidal Chastanet,
takoi Brandon Stanton,
03:37
the founder of the popular blog
"Humans of New York."
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themeluesi i blogut të njohur
"Humans of New York."
03:42
Brandon shared the story
of a young man from Brownsville
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Brandon shpërndau ngjarjen
e një të riu nga Brownsville
03:46
who had witnessed violence firsthand,
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i cili qe dëshmitar direkt
i një akti të dhunës,
03:49
by witnessing a man
being thrown off of a roof.
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kur pa një njeri që e hodhën nga çatia.
03:54
Yet he can still
be influenced by a principal
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Megjithatë ai prapë se prapë është ndikuar
nga drejtoresha
03:57
who had opened up a school
that believes in all children.
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e cila ka hapur një shkollë
që beson te të gjithë fëmijët.
04:02
Vidal embodies the story of so many
of our underprivileged children
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Vidali është vetëm njëri prej shumë
fëmijëve tanë nevojtare
04:08
who are struggling to survive,
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të cilët po mundohen të mbijetojnë,
04:10
which is why we must
make education a priority.
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arsyeja për të cilën ne i kemi dhënë
përparësi edukimit.
04:15
Brandon's post created a global sensation
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Postimi i Brandon bëri bujë në mbarë botën
04:19
that touched the lives of millions.
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dhe preku zemrat e miliona njerëzve.
04:22
This resulted in 1.4 million
dollars being raised
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Si rrjedhim, u dhuruan
1.4 milion dollarë
04:27
for our scholars to attend field trips
to colleges and universities,
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që studiuesit tanë t'u bëjnë vizita
kolegjeve dhe universiteteve,
04:34
Summer STEAM programs,
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programeve verore STEAM (Shkencë,
Teknologji, Inxhinieri, Art e Matematikë)
04:36
as well as college scholarships.
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si dhe për bursa shkollore.
04:39
You need to understand
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Ju duhet ta kuptoni që
04:40
that when 200 young people
from Brownsville visited Harvard,
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kur 200 fëmijë
nga Brownsville vizituan Harvardin,
04:47
they now understood
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ata e kuptuan
04:49
that a college of their choice
was a real possibility.
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se fakulteti i tyre i preferuar
tanimë nuk ishte vetëm një ëndërr.
04:54
And the impossibilities
that had been imposed upon them
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Dhe pamundësitë që u ishin
imponuar atyre
04:58
by a disadvantaged community
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nga një shoqëri e shkelur
05:00
were replaced by hope and purpose.
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u zëvendësuan me shpresë dhe qëllim.
05:05
The revolution in education
is happening in our schools,
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Revolucioni në arsim
është duke ndodhur në shkollat tona,
05:11
with adults who provide love,
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me të rritur që ofrojnë dashuri,
05:14
structure,
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strukturë,
05:15
support
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mbështetje,
05:17
and knowledge.
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dhe dijeni.
05:18
These are the things
that inspire children.
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Këto janë ato të cilat frymëzojnë fëmijët.
05:22
But it is not an easy task.
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Mirëpo kjo nuk është punë e lehtë.
05:25
And there are high demands
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Dhe ka kërkesa të shumta
05:28
within an education system
that is not perfect.
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në një sistem arsimor
i cili nuk është i përsosur.
05:32
But I have a dynamic group of educators
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Por unë kam një grup mësuesish
shumë energjik
05:36
who collaborate as a team to determine
what is the best curriculum.
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të cilët bashkepunojnë si një skuadër
për ta bërë planin mësimor më të mirë.
05:41
They take time beyond their school day,
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Kalojnë kohë edhe mbas orarit të shkollës,
05:44
and come in on weekends
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dhe vijnë gjatë fundjavës
05:45
and even use their own money
to often provide resources
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gjithashtu ndonjëherë duke shtuar para
nga gjepat e tyre për të siguruar burime
05:50
when we do not have it.
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atëherë kur ne nuk i kemi.
05:53
And as the principal,
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Dhe unë, si drejtoreshë,
05:55
I have to inspect what I expect.
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duhet të kontrolloj pritjet e mia.
05:59
So I show up in classes
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Kështu, unë shfaqem nëpër klasa
06:01
and I conduct observations
to give feedback,
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dhe i vëzhgoj ata që t'u jap mendimin tim,
06:04
because I want my teachers
to be just as successful
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sepse dua që mësuesit
të jenë të suksesshëm
06:08
as the name Mott Hall Bridges Academy.
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sa vetë emri "Mott Hall Bridges Academy".
06:11
And I give them access to me
every single day,
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Dhe kontaktojmë çdo ditë,
06:15
which is why they all have
my personal cell number,
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saqë të gjithëve u kam dhënë
numrin personal të telefonit,
06:18
including my scholars
and those who graduated --
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përfshirë këtu edhe studentët
dhe ata që janë diplomuar --
06:21
which is probably why I get
phone calls and text messages
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mbase për këtë ndonjëherë marr
telefonata dhe mesazhe
06:24
at three o'clock in the morning.
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edhe në ora tre të mëngjesit.
06:26
(Laughter)
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(Të qeshura)
06:28
But we are all connected to succeed,
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Jemi kësisoj të lidhur
për të arritur sukses,
06:30
and good leaders do this.
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dhe udhëheqësit e mirë bëjnë këtë.
06:34
Tomorrow's future is sitting
in our classrooms.
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E ardhmja jonë është ulur në klasat tona.
06:38
And they are our responsibility.
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Ata janë përgjegjësia jonë.
06:41
That means everyone in here,
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Kam fjalën për të gjithë këtu,
06:43
and those who are watching the screen.
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dhe për ata që po na ndjekin
pëmes ekraneve.
06:46
We must believe in their brilliance,
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Ne duhet të besojmë në mendjen e tyre,
06:50
and remind them by teaching them
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dhe t'ua kujtojmë përmes mësimeve
06:52
that there indeed is power in education.
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se me të vërtetë ka ende fuqi në arsim.
06:58
Thank you.
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Ju falemnderit.
06:59
(Applause)
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(Duartrokitje)
Translated by Venhar Shala
Reviewed by Helena Bedalli

▲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