Portrait of a stranger's face : global empathy as a curricular emphasis

This interpretive case study examined global empathy levels among 10 high school students as they participated in drawing a portrait of an orphaned child through the non-profit, The Memory Project. The purpose behind this study sought to gauge if a specific assignment could increase a high school student's understanding of empathy towards distant strangers. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach to data collection, public words and private thoughts became the keystone of analytic dissemination. By comparing mean scores on students' pre and post-questionnaires, global empathy levels were measured; accordingly, these numbers became a baseline unto which student and teacher interview and written statements were compared. Once all data was collected, the process of in-vivo coding was paramount in the composition of three prominent themes. These themes: perceived privilege, cultural perception, and personal connection, explore perceived attitudes dictated by student responses.