Cecilia Santini Champions The Unbroken Curriculum at UISD

Cecilia Santini Champions The Unbroken Curriculum at UISD

Standing in front of United High School, home to this year’s United Independent School District (UISD) Parent Learning Summit, Cecilia Santini continues her heartfelt advocacy for The Unbroken Curriculum, a powerful educational initiative that has been featured annually at the summit since 2021.

Among the wide range of sessions offered at UISD’s annual Parent Learning Summit, the Louis Zamperini Unbroken Curriculum remains a standout, equipping parents with tools to foster resilience, forgiveness, and hope at home.

Since its introduction in Fall 2019, The Unbroken Curriculum has been steadily integrated across the district. It began at UISD Residential Facilities under the leadership of Araceli Garza, followed by Ida Lopez, who continued its implementation. In 2021, it was formally presented to all UISD school librarians under the direction of Celia Taboada, Director of Staff Development and Library Services. That same year, it was introduced as a featured session at the UISD Parent Learning Summit, where it has been offered annually ever since.

Now available to both middle and high school campuses, The Unbroken Curriculum provides a vital framework for addressing the real-world challenges today’s students face, ranging from academic pressure and social media anxiety to emotional uncertainty and loss. Through the life story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete, WWII survivor, and embodiment of resilience, students are reminded that setbacks do not define them; their response to adversity does.

The Parent Learning Summit serves as a vital bridge between home and school, equipping families with the tools and shared language needed to reinforce the curriculum’s core message: “Where there’s still life, there’s still hope.” Parents learn alongside their children how to cultivate strength, navigate hardship, and lean into healing practices grounded in forgiveness and faith.

Cecilia Santini’s unwavering commitment to sharing this life-affirming curriculum reflects a broader mission: to ensure every student, regardless of their circumstances, understands they carry within them an unbreakable spirit. The Unbroken Curriculum remains a beacon of possibility across UISD and the Laredo community, helping students and families alike write new stories of courage, resilience, and hope.

A Life Worthy of Imitation!

Noah, having read Unbroken multiple times by age 7, he did not think twice as to who he wanted to be for Halloween!

When author Laura Hillenbrand received photos from his mom, she shared them with us showing once again, how this powerful story of survival, resilience and redemption continues to touch young hearts and lives!  We agree knowing these are qualities that can shape a child’s future. . . FOREVER!

Living in Consequential Times

As Published in the. . .

Still Unbroken: Decades after his own life was saved, Louis Zamperini is saving others through the Louis Zamperini Foundation, and the UNBROKEN CURRICULUM

By Author and Lecturer, Christopher Lynch

Authors note: As someone who has worked with at-risk youth and taught in a maximum-security prison for several years, I implore you to reach out to your school’s teachers, administrators, superintendents, school boards, and elected officials to take advantage of this incredible opportunity. I can tell you that beyond a doubt, if this program had been available and utilized for the inmates I instructed, many of them would not have ended up behind bars wasting their lives away. The choice is obvious: pony up $199 now, or pay $50,000 a year per inmate to house, feed, and clothe them for life. 

UNBROKEN: The Book That Changed This 15-Year-Old’s Life

Christopher M., 15 years of age.

How Christopher M’s life changed through the study of Unbroken. Read his “Letter To Louie” and see why we believe the study of Unbroken can change a child’s life…forever!

Dear Louie,

I've become such an admirer of yours ever since I read Unbroken. I'm only 15 years old, but your story has inspired me more than anything else in my life.

I know I'm just a kid, but I've had my own struggles to deal with. I’ve been bullied, I’ve failed classes and my heart has been broken. But now every time I feel like giving up, I think of you. I think of how you survived a plane crash, a 47-day drift in the Pacific Ocean, and two years in a Japanese prison camp. It helps me to realize that my problems are small compared to yours.

So whenever I'm feeling down, I tell myself, "Just get over it and conquer it." Because now I know that if you could survive all that, I can survive anything.

You're my hero, Louie. You're the reason I never give up, no matter how tough things might be. You're the reason I believe in myself. And you're the reason I know that anything is possible.

Thank you for everything, Louie. You're an inspiration to me and to so many others.

Christopher M.

“EVERYONE HAS A SHOT AT REDEMPTION!”

This was one of the many take aways from the impact studying UNBROKEN had on a resident at The Dream Center! Luke and Lisa Zamperini had an opportunity to be part of an amazing evening sharing this story of hope! Located in Los Angeles, The Dream Center provides opportunities for people to rebuild and transform their lives and offers the tools, education, community, and support through various programs available, all free of charge.

The Louis Zamperini Foundation is humbled by the opportunity to partner with this remarkable group of people and to provide them with the tools needed to bring this study to their recovery program! Reminding them all that indeed, EVERYONE has a shot at redemption!

The Louis Zamperini Foundation’s mission is to transform lives through the character-building instruction of Louis’s life story, as told in Laura Hillenbrand’s best-selling book UNBROKEN and the UNBROKEN CURRICULUM.

UNBROKEN Being Used as a Teaching Tool

In Stark County, Ohio, Judge Frank Frochione uses books as a teaching tool as he assigns book reports where he believes the defendant could learn a lesson through reading!

“We’re running out of answers and I’m trying to come up with a creative way to make an impact on them.” Regarding assigning books to defendants, the judge said he’s “learned that maybe there’s a better way to make an impact with these young defendants." “I think young people would be better off if they got off Facebook….and put that face into a book!”

How wonderful to see Unbroken being used as a tool by this wise Judge to impact lives and deliver a strong message on overcoming adversity providing the much needed perspective of sacrifice, discipline and integrity. The Judge realizing the need to be more creative and innovative with today's youth, sees the value of books like UNBROKEN, giving these young people lessons in life and a path to a better future. (Excerpted from Cantonrep.com)

Luke Zamperini Addresses Cadets at Sunburst

Luke Zamperini speaking at Sunburst Youth Challenge Academy.

The Louis Zamperini Foundation, partnering with Sunburst Youth Academy, in Southern California, provides books, curriculum, and speaking engagements for this premier residential leadership academy for teens. This free program helps these kids develop the self-confidence, discipline, life skills, and education necessary to become successful adults and fulfill their potential.

The National Guard Youth Challenge Program, which Sunburst is a preventive rather than remedial at-risk youth program, targets voluntary participants, 16 to 18 years of age, who have dropped out of school or are not satisfactorily progressing, are unemployed, or underemployed, drug-free, and crime-free.

Reclaiming the lives of at-risk youth, producing program graduates with the values, life skills, education, and self-discipline to succeed as productive citizens.

The Purpose

The National Guard Youth Challenge Program (NGYCP) was established by the National Guard in 1993 to turn around the lives of young men and women between the ages of 16 and 18 who are experiencing difficulty in completing traditional high school. This is a cost-free program that is open to permanent legal residents in each of the participating states/territories.

(see https://ngchallenge.org ).

NGYCP currently operates 40 programs in 28 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. The National Guard Youth Challenge Program is a voluntary 17-month dropout recovery program that helps at-risk youths earn their high school diploma or GED. Some states offer credit recovery which allows youth the opportunity to return to high school upon successful completion of Youth Challenge. We do so in a very disciplined and structured program that uses the military model. Challenge works with program participants after graduation to help enroll in college, trade school, start a career or join the military. More than 145,000 students have graduated to date, changing the path for their lives.

Converge 2022

 
 

Luke and Lisa Zamperini share the Unbroken Curriculum with educators at Converge 2022.  Sharing how the story of Louis Zamperini as told in the best-selling book Unbroken, demonstrates the very character-building qualities our students need to survive and thrive with the challenges they face!