1. John Scianimanico, Kapil Melkote, Margaret Curtis, Meg Carroll
Butler SOLE Takes on DC
What is education inequity, does it exist in Huntsville, and how can it be solved, if at all?
John Scianimanico, Kapil Melkote,
Margaret Curtis, Meg Carroll
Butler High School
“I think that's why this trip was so vital because we took our education to another level. We stepped outside of the high school tradition and stopped field trips and started research trips.”

2. What is SOLE? Self – Organized Learning Environment
Student-driven learning that encourages collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking
Conducted by use of
HCS computers, personal
interviews and library
resources

3. Why did we go?
- To culminate research topics on poverty and emotional distress, federal funding, teen pregnancy, school diversity, outside environment, and student culture
-To explore the dichotomy between schools like Butler, Johnson, Chapman and schools like Grissom, Huntsville, Challenger
-Offer STUDENT perspectives grounded in fact and research on the issues our community is currently facing
“I had the time of my life, and not in a “let’s look at all of the monuments and take pictures” kind of way. We were not tourists. We were researchers on a mission. I dare say that the DC SOLE trip was the single most important moment in my high school career.”

4. “D.C. S.O.L.E was important not only to me, but to everyone we came in contact with because it opened their eyes to the idea that there are people out there, specifically the youth that are being affected directly by this major problem, and that these youth want to find a solution to help better their circumstances and their future.”

5. “I think that's why this trip was so vital because we took our education to another level. We stepped outside of the high school tradition and stopped field trips and started research trips.”
“I also feel that the policy makers we met in DC never met a group of students like us before and that our visit was a good opportunity for them to actually meet the students who are impacted by the policies they make.“