Every Monday, The Harbor plays in homeroom and provides thoughtful ideas from Mike Smith.

The Harbor is a Jostens’ video series that stars Mike Smith, motivational speaker and founder of “Skate for Change.” The series is intended to provoke thought in high school students by addressing topics ranging from “Civic Duty” to “School Spirit”. The series consists of three seasons with each episode running approximately five minutes. It was picked as a replacement for Monday enrichment due to its ease of access and quality.

According to Nicole Carney, the senior curriculum coordinator and the driving force behind the implementation of the videos, “The goal of The Harbor is really just a segway for a much larger, much more personal conversation. We want to encourage empathy, compassion, and deeper thinking in the students here.”

Mrs. Carney stated that she had been looking for a replacement for “Monday Matters,” which was used previously and can be explained by upperclassmen, and that she just so happened to come across The Harbor playing on screens while chaperoning a student government trip last year. After she became interested, she talked to the Jostens’ representative for CCHS. The videos are now played every Monday in homeroom.

Everyone who has seen the series can agree: it’s unique. Students relate because Mike Smith literally comes on the camera wearing a t-shirt, sits down on a random wooden crate, and begins giving commentary about real world issues. These last for approximately five minutes but leave students thinking about them much longer. Name one other series that does that.

“The videos aren’t biased toward one group of people. Anyone can watch them and understand the issues put forward,” said Mrs. Carney. She explained that every group of people at our school can benefit from watching this series, whether they are athletes, scholars, or thespians. They can see the effects of social media, they can understand why it is important to vote, and they can learn why empathy is such a nice personality trait to have. The Harbor is broad and diverse, unlike some other programs which only pertain to a few people.

The Harbor is intended to play all year, every Monday and is primarily focused to promote good character.