From Classroom to Community: Students Lead “Street Smarts” Initiative Across Miami-Dade
What began as an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP) Community Project has grown into a powerful, real-world initiative reaching hundreds across Miami-Dade. Students Emma Vesval ‘30, Sonia Murugesan ‘30, and Natalie Perkins ‘30 were recently honored by the Roxcy Bolton Rape Treatment Center at Jackson Health System for their project, “Street Smarts,” and invited to serve as ambassadors as the program expands into public schools countywide.
Driven by personal experiences and a shared commitment to advocacy, the team designed “Street Smarts” to equip young women with the awareness, confidence, and practical skills needed to stay safe. Through interactive workshops, they taught more than 300 middle school girls essential concepts such as situational awareness, assertiveness, cyber safety, and foundational self-defense techniques, including Krav Maga. To extend the impact beyond each session, the team also created and distributed 95 “Protection Packs” filled with safety tools and educational resources.
The results have been both immediate and lasting. Students who participated in the workshops continue to apply what they learned months later, reinforcing the program’s effectiveness and reach. For the team behind it, the experience was just as transformative.
“Service learning is about creating lasting impact, not just helping others,” said Vesval. “Through our sessions, I saw how small actions can inspire others and spread awareness beyond the original group.”
For Perkins, the project reshaped her understanding of both education and service. “It’s not only understanding a topic in the classroom. It’s taking that understanding and acting on it to make a change,” she shared.
Murugesan reflected on the growth that came from stepping outside her comfort zone. “Watching our project grow from a simple idea to something that impacted over 300 young girls made all our hard work worthwhile,” she said.
Rooted in the IB MYP global context of identities and relationships, “Street Smarts” reflects how learning at Gulliver extends far beyond the classroom. By applying knowledge in meaningful ways, these students are not only building skills for themselves, but also shaping a safer, more informed community.
As they transition to the Upper School, Vesval, Murugesan, and Perkins will continue to lead and expand the initiative in partnership with Jackson Health System. Their work stands as a powerful example of how students can turn passion into purpose, and purpose into lasting impact.
