Middle school students can be very mean at times, even unintentionally. During one of our drama enrichment sessions a student shared how his classmates made him feel due to misconceptions about his race and ethnicity; it sparked a powerful conversation that revealed this was a commonality amongst most of his peers in the room.

From this, I decided to explore with Bethany Nelson’s playmaking approach for students. We created a play through ethnographic practices using the students’ voices and experiences to showcase their concerns to other middle school students. It is hoped that through the play we can create a safe and inclusive space for all students.