Ethnic Studies Course Implemented at Healdsburg High School

Healdsburg High School (HHS) recently announced that an ethnic studies class will be implemented in the upcoming 2022-2023 school year as a one semester requirement for students. After noticing history books at HHS were outdated and not relevant to the modern day, the need for the implementation of this class was increasingly evident. The resulting plan was for the school year to start with a semester course of Freshman Compass, and then transition to a one semester course of Ethnic studies. These two classes will be a requirement for all HHS freshmen. Current freshman, Jules Thompson, said, “I think that taking an ethnic studies class would be very beneficial. Having the course be for only a semester will be the perfect amount of time and also allow students to receive guidance through the Freshman Compass class.
When asked about the new class, Social Sciences Department Chair Thomas Warf stated, ”The new ethnic studies class will look at and study the history, experiences, cultures, and issues of racial-ethnic groups. The overall goal of ethnic studies is to give students new perspectives on history, elevate stories and voices that are not normally elevated, and to teach students about the world today.” Now that HUSD has given the green light for the class, it will give Healdsburg High School students a new learning opportunity and bring awareness to a variety of prevalent world issues.