At Animas High School, ninth graders explore identity through personal essays and papier-mâché masks.
The assignment, known as the Socialization and Identity Project, has become a rite of passage for ninth graders, said humanities teacher Ashley Carruth.
Over the semester, students write a personal narrative and create a mask molded from their own face to represent their values and identity.
The project aims to provide a “nuanced understanding about the forces that shape their individual identities,” said Libby Cowles, interim director of enrollment and community outreach.
At semester’s end, students put on professional attire and present their work at a school exhibition.
This year’s ninth grade class – the class of 2029 – is the 17th group of freshmen to complete the project, Cowles said.
Students reflect on several key questions:
- What is my identity?
- Do I control my identity? Is it mine?
- How is my identity shaped by my family, friends, school, sports, religion and media?
- How can I recognize and break free from harmful cycles of socialization?
Cowles said the project reveals the issues students think most deeply about and gives them a chance to show faculty, staff members and peers who they are.
“I love this project and this first exhibition for AHS students for the way it helps us get to know students as the multifaceted and beautiful individuals they are,” she said.
Lori Fisher, humanities teacher and interim director of curriculum and instruction, developed the project while teaching at High Tech High School in San Diego. She brought the assignment with her to AHS, where it’s been a staple since the school opened in fall 2009.,
“I developed this project because I wanted my students to see themselves as agents of the power they hold as individuals, but also see that power is mediated by social structures around them,” she said. “As a teacher, the mask project lets me get to know students in a really deep way right at the start of the year. It also opens them up to each other since they need to become comfortable with a certain amount of vulnerability to do the project well.”
Fisher said the project gives students academic vocabulary to discuss identity and socialization, helping to avoid polarization and encourage meaningful dialogue.
Freshman Fielder LeCompte designed his mask around aspects of his identity tied to both ability and disability.
A talented mountain biker, Fielder also has Type 1 diabetes and dyslexia. He incorporated all three identity markers into his mask.
The top section features the San Juan Mountains, a topographical map and a bike chain to represent his mountain biking skills. The bottom illustrates his dyslexia and diabetes.
He used old medical equipment to represent his diabetes. For his dyslexia, he included the Liberty School logo – the Durango elementary school he attended as a child – and phrases cut out of a book, some motivational and others reflecting harsh words he’s endured related to his condition.
“This project can be difficult for some people, because you talk about some things that you probably wanted to put away or that are just in general hard to talk about,” he said. “But for me, I feel like my classmates and peers have learned a little bit more about me. You can’t really tell about any of those until you know me, and then it’s pretty easy to tell that I’m a cyclist or a Type 1 diabetic or dyslexic.”
The mask wasn’t the only valuable part of the project for Fielder. He said the essay – which is the first major paper assigned to freshmen – helped him and his fellow students explore both personal identity and broader cycles of socialization.
Students write 700- to 2,000-word essays examining identity markers, socialization cycles and key life experiences related to those themes.
Fielder said he appreciates the project’s uniqueness.
“It’s really cool because I don’t feel like I’ve ever heard of any other schools doing this kind of project, where you get to really be hands-on, and talk about yourself,” he said. “... It’s a cool way of doing our first initial project at Animas.”
Some students, like senior Kenna Howe, say the project has stayed with them beyond freshman year.
Howe called the mask project her favorite assignment at the school. Her project examined how social media and the male and female gaze affect female adolescence – a topic she said felt both relevant and personal.
“It helped me get to know myself and really got me to reflect on how my identity had been shaped at such a pivotal time in my development,” she said. “It was the first time I got to take my own spin on a project.”
Carruth said the project helps students better understand themselves and promotes inclusivity and empathy.
“(The project) allows students to think critically about the process of socialization and what aspects of it are limiting and harmful to individuals, and what aspects are uplifting and supportive, and thus empowers students to choose how they want to be treated, and treat others in turn,” she said. “... This project allows us to look at stereotypes and the ways traditional middle and high schools perpetuate those stereotypes in ways that aren’t inclusive to all students.”
She said the goal is to help students develop authentic identities and treat others with respect and kindness.
“It’s certainly a fun tradition that alumni look back upon fondly,” she said. “It unites Animas students in a common experience.”
epond@durangoherald.com
