Morgan Weinberg was a teen with a sense of social justice and advocacy well beyond her years. In 2010, she traveled to Haiti to volunteer, full of heart and full of intent. Her story, as told through the documentary Not About Me, is one of hope, good intentions and reality. Weinberg chronicles her experience in exposing the harsh reality of trying to help in an orphanage after the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake. In her journey, she encountered external struggles in form of bureaucracy and corruption, and an internal conflict, rooted in privilege.
In November, 2022, Weinberg was joined by Producer, Writer and Director Kelly Milner and Amy Lennon, Associate and Digital Producer, in a forum hosted by a team of leaders in Social Studies education. The Nova Scotia Social Studies Teachers Association, the Prince Edward Island Social Studies Teachers Association and the New Brunswick Social Studies Educators Network promoted a pre-screening event and the forum itself. In advance of the forum, teachers were invited to watch Not About Me and offer feedback with a focus on how the story can be told in classrooms in the region.
In their discussions, educators were unanimous in the view that this story is an important one to tell. Specific themes that emerged include privilege, sustainability, geopolitics and colonialism. As individual educators shared their impressions, curricular connections emerged as well. In the Civics, Global Issues and History classrooms, Weinberg’s experience in Haiti is one that yields very meaningful connections across disciplines. This is a time when students are encouraged to examine their place in an increasingly globalized world and do so in an informed manner. To that end, Weinberg’s story and caution regarding #informedgenerosity is well-received.
by Kevin Foster, SSENCRESSC director from New Brunswick
