Yo Ghana! Star Winner: Debra Tavares - Yo Ghana!
Mrs. Debra Tavares, a teacher at Reynolds High School, started working with Yo Ghana! in September 2016. When asked which of our projects she would like her students to participate in, she basically said, "all of the above," and then added some more. Her students, immigrants and the children of immigrants, have exchanged letters, written poetry, and taken photographs and done journaling around their complex cultural identities. As the photograph suggests, she loves nothing better than helping a student to find her voice.
Deb also welcomed a group of Portland State University students into her classroom and has treated them like colleagues, even attended the class at Portland State Monday nights to help them debrief and plan. She is passionately committed to helping her students to succeed and to collaborating with anyone who shares that commitment.