Revel Rebel Testimonial

Last week we held our first public Exhibitions of Learning for the 2023-24 school year. At the Exploration (middle school) and Launchpad (high school) event, a new learner asked to share their thoughts and experience on inclusivity at Revel and this is what they shared.

“Hello everyone, parents, guardians, and other life forms, I’m here to talk to you today about inclusivity and how alive and kicking it is at our school. You may be wondering, who’s this kid, and who do they think they are educating ME about inclusivity? Well, I’m Connie Germain, and you probably don’t recognize me. I’ve only been at Revel for around a month now - but I’ve been impressed beyond my own expectations of how inclusive and welcoming Revel has been. I’m a natural introvert and anxiety ridden teen, which means that when I first came here, I was scared to even ask where the washrooms were. It’s definitely a big change for anyone, but the Revel Rebels here at Revel welcomed me with open arms and a comfortable environment beyond what I could’ve thought up. Erin, our guide, or as some refer to her as, our mom, helped me navigate through what is usually the most stressful and terrifying week of someone’s life - the first week. With her help and the help of all the Rebels, I was quickly settled in. Little did I know, this was only the tip of the iceberg for my journey at Revel.

I went in day after day, and day after day, I’ve been surprised and genuinely amazed at how kind everyone is. I was timid and shy, and the Rebels managed to break me into the program while also keeping me in my comfort zone. I was anxious out of my own skin when we first had discussions. As someone who’d just transferred from public school, what I knew to be an emotional warzone had transformed into a positive and well-mannered share of opinions and facts. I’ve never been more amazed then when I spoke up on my own opinions - my rights, in general - and all I got in return was a couple nodding heads and a big smile from Erin herself. No fights that ended in friendship breakups, no personal targeting out of topic, it felt like I had honestly stepped into a dream. Confused, I had to genuinely take a step back to realize that what I wasn’t experiencing was a dream come true - it was a healthy, loving school environment built on a community brought together. It wasn’t a couple of angry, stressed out kids taking it out on others opinions, it was people happily sitting down to discuss current events, science, astrology, math - all sorts of stuff that I’d usually just tune myself out on. This is where I feel inclusivity and a safe space has let us be able to shine. When I felt safe in that environment, able to express how I felt, I was able to rocket myself into the discussion and let myself explore the topic at hand instead of worrying about what others would think. Revel provided me with a space to let my thoughts grow and turn into ideas, a school that nurtures our minds instead of imprinting the same textbook basics on each and every single one of us. The Revel studio allows every kid who enters to learn in a way that helps us grow as people, instead of just retaining information until a test.”

As you can imagine, there were nods of agreement and several searching for Kleenex when Connie finished speaking. At Revel, we strive to be a place of inclusivity and an open door to those needing a safe learning space.