For those reading this, Jenks High School has determined that AP European History will be cut from the 2022-2023 school year. This is due to not having enough students for the class to make, despite only being a few students away. It is a shame that students are being deprived of taking a class they are interested in based on these terms. Despite cutting the class, Jenks administration is still allowing students to make schedule changes through the summer. Even if students change their minds and decide to take the class, they are unable to. I believe that Jenks should reopen registration for the class, and if the class gets enough students should be held next year. Even if the class is one or two students off, the class should still make.
 
As a student who took AP European History this past year, I can say with absolute certainty that it has been one of my favorite classes in High School. Not only did it allow for me to gain a deeper perspective on global history, but I was able to share a classroom environment with like-minded individuals eager to learn. We were also given a teacher who was passionate about the topic and made learning history fun. I left this class every day wanting to learn more about the subjects we had discussed. The class as a whole was also very different from other AP classes I have taken. It was fun. In most AP classes students sit in classrooms for an hour while the teacher lectures. This was far from my experience in AP Euro. The class teaching was diversified through group discussion, videos, projects, reading, and even movies. 
 

The entire subject of the class is important for students to learn. With the ongoing crisis involving Ukraine and Russia, it’s important to understand where tensions like those began. Growing up in the United States, it’s easy to gain tunnel vision. The only history many people learn about is American history. This leads to many often neglecting the fact that life outside of America exists. Europe is the source of many — arguably most — of the ideas that have shaped the United States and our world. Studying European history gives us a better understanding of how we arrived at our current situation, and the historical distortions perpetrated against people. European history has had such a huge impact on America as we know it. For starters, where do you think Thomas Jefferson got "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" from?

We should allow students to take the classes they are interested in, without having to worry about how many students are in the class. Many students actually learn better within a small classroom environment. It allows for easier facilitation of group discussion, and teachers can spend more time helping students. 
 
Please sign this petition to convince Jenks administration to allow AP European History to make next year!