21-year-old Wei Chen of Philadelphia has been named one of 50 finalists for a $50,000 fellowship dedicated to young people working to improve their schools and communities.
The Peace First Prize is meant to counteract the negative images of youth that permeate the media. Five finalists will be awarded the grand prize over two years so that they can continue their work.
Chen was recognized for standing up to bullying, racism and violence in his Philadelphia school. He organized fellow students in a boycott to hold both teachers and administrators accountable. His work lead to a victorious civil rights complaint and the dismissal of the principal, staff training on bias and a new policy on harassment.
“When we first marched to the School District to protest school violence, some students covered their faces because they were afraid,” said Chen. “But now we don’t cover our faces. We were once victims; now we are organizers.”
You can hear Chen’s story in his own words at First Peace Prize.
