Past projects 15
A Field Study in STEAM in Cuba
Funded Feb 21, 2017Taking my own students to Cuba has been a teaching dream since my first visit to the island in 2003. I've traveled to nearly 40 countries in my lifetime; Cuba is the only one that reduced me to tears on my first visit - on arrival struck by its raw beauty and on departure heartbroken to leave. Our 10 students were brilliant in Cuba - asking bold and poignant questions, bravely navigating new situations, and releasing their preconceived notions of a country maligned by our media. It was a joy to laugh and learn alongside them on this teaching dream realized. I hope their unanswered questions compel them to return to Cuba. I am so proud of these young ladies who shone as learners, explorers, researchers, ambassadors, dancers, and fellow travelers. Know that your contributions and support have fostered not just journeys abroad, but journeys inward that inevitably shape who these young people in our care become.
Thank you for giving us the chance to participate in this incredible field study.
If you want to read about our trip and see more pictures, please check out our website: http://tinyurl.com/lv39bg4”
With gratitude,
Ms. Manuel
This classroom project was brought to life by Stavros Niarchos Foundation and 6 other donors.Cuba: A Field Study in STEAM
Funded Jan 6, 2017Taking my own students to Cuba has been a teaching dream since my first visit to the island in 2003. I've traveled to nearly 40 countries in my lifetime; Cuba is the only one that reduced me to tears on my first visit - on arrival struck by its raw beauty and on departure heartbroken to leave. Our 10 students were brilliant in Cuba - asking bold and poignant questions, bravely navigating new situations, and releasing their preconceived notions of a country maligned by our media. It was a joy to laugh and learn alongside them on this teaching dream realized. I hope their unanswered questions compel them to return to Cuba. I am so proud of these young ladies who shone as learners, explorers, researchers, ambassadors, dancers, and fellow travelers. Know that your contributions and support have fostered not just journeys abroad, but journeys inward that inevitably shape who these young people in our care become.
If you want to read about our trip and see more pictures, please check out our website: https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/cuba2017/home-page?authuser=0
Thank you for giving us the chance to participate in this incredible field study.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Manuel
This classroom project was brought to life by Stavros Niarchos Foundation and 6 other donors.Cuba: A Field Study in STEAM
Funded Jan 10, 2017Taking my own students to Cuba has been a teaching dream since my first visit to the island in 2003. I've traveled to nearly 40 countries in my lifetime; Cuba is the only one that reduced me to tears on my first visit - on arrival struck by its raw beauty and on departure heartbroken to leave. Our 10 students were brilliant in Cuba - asking bold and poignant questions, bravely navigating new situations, and releasing their preconceived notions of a country maligned by our media. It was a joy to laugh and learn alongside them on this teaching dream realized. I hope their unanswered questions compel them to return to Cuba. I am so proud of these young ladies who shone as learners, explorers, researchers, ambassadors, dancers, and fellow travelers. Know that your contributions and support have fostered not just journeys abroad, but journeys inward that inevitably shape who these young people in our care become.
If you want to read about our trip and see more pictures, please check out our website: http://tinyurl.com/lv39bg4
Thank you for giving us the chance to participate in this incredible field study.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Manuel
This classroom project was brought to life by Stavros Niarchos Foundation and 8 other donors.Interdisciplinary Field Study in Cuba
Funded Dec 23, 2016Over the past few months, we have been learning about Cuban history and will soon experience a culture that most Americans previously haven't had easy access to.
There are many topics that we are studying for this program. Chhievling and I (Emily) plan to study food and food production because we know that political realities have impacted how Cubans produce and distribute their food. Jaiye will be investigating Cuba culture through photography and creating her own "Humans of Cuba" book. Michaela wants to do a comparative study. Kai will explore the extent and importance of the African diaspora first hand. Sopheary wants to talk with locals about what entrepreneurship looks like in Cuba. Siawale will investigate the world of journalism.
Thank you for giving us the chance to participate in this incredible field study. We are extremely grateful to have this experience to grow, research and learn. We know that it will help us all be better leaders and learners.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Manuel
A (Culinary) Journey to Argentina
Funded Mar 9, 2016Today made our school day special because we tried food we wouldn't normally get to eat like empanadas, we got to experience another culture through their food customs, and we got to end the day listening to music in Spanish with our friends and trying new things. In a nutshell, the day was special because while we did not have a normal class, we still learned... just in a different way.
The most surprising moment was the laughs, conversations about the food and memories that we made at this event. We laughed a lot at people's reactions. Everyone was talking about their opinions on Inca Kola. Most people were surprised at how much they liked it!
Some of us will be more daring to try new things, so we hope to keep pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones. We will keep using the vocabulary and customs that we learned with our friends and family. One student said he will use what he learned to communicate with his brother's home nurse, as well.
This was an amazing and interesting unit on food and customs. This event was a great way to end the year! Thank you so much for helping us celebrate our year of learning Spanish!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Manuel
This classroom project was brought to life by Gates Foundation & Think It Up Supporters and 8 other donors.Service-Learning Trip to the Dominican Republic (Part 1)
Funded Dec 24, 2015It's hard to put our experience into words. Our trip was amazing yet heartbreaking. We all experienced some culture shock. Before our trip, we read articles and talked with a social justice advocate about the humanitarian crisis created by the Dominican government stripping people of Haitian descent of their citizenship; but nothing could prepare us for seeing children who have no nationality and, to the government, do not have rights. At the same time, it was exhilarating to stick our hands in plastic buckets of cement and work alongside people to literally build the walls of their houses. We also played soccer with the kids in the batey, used our Spanish to connect with locals, built bee boxes (to replenish the bee population needed for a healthy environment) and learned about the seven elements of Human Security. We grew so much from this experience and have new insights for practical solutions and to continue investigating pressing questions.
With tremendous gratitude,
Trinity (12th grade), Bella (12th grade), Avery (12th grade), Amelia (12th grade), Kia (11th grade), Rifah (11th grade),”
With gratitude,
Ms. Manuel
This classroom project was brought to life by Staples & Think It Up Supporters and 6 other donors.Service-Learning in the Dominican Republic (Part 2)
Funded Dec 31, 2015It's hard to put our experience into words. Our trip was amazing yet heartbreaking. We all experienced some culture shock. Before our trip, we read articles and talked with a social justice advocate about the humanitarian crisis created by the Dominican government stripping people of Haitian descent of their citizenship; but nothing could prepare us for seeing children who have no nationality and, to the government, do not have rights. At the same time, it was exhilarating to stick our hands in plastic buckets of cement and work alongside people to literally build the walls of their future houses and community center. We also played soccer with the kids in the batey, used our Spanish to connect with locals, built bee boxes (to replenish the bee population needed for a healthy environment) and learned about the seven elements of Human Security. We grew so much from this experience and have new insights for practical solutions and to continue investigating pressing questions. Thank you, everyone, for believing in us!
With tremendous gratitude,
Trinity (12th grade), Bella (12th grade), Avery (12th grade), Amelia (12th grade), Kia (11th grade), Rifah (11th grade),”
With gratitude,
Ms. Manuel
This classroom project was brought to life by Staples & Think It Up Supporters and 47 other donors.Public and Participatory Art
Funded Jan 10, 2013Thank you so much for choosing to donate to our project. Today, using the materials you helped us buy, my students and I began preparing the underpass for our art installation. We planned, measured, taped and covered the underpass walls with chalkboard paint. This is a participatory art piece; once the installation is complete, passerbys will be able to pick up a piece of chalk and complete any of these three sentences (both in English and Spanish):
Before I die...
I believe...
I wish I could...
We hope to fill the walls of the underpass with the dreams and hopes of all those who walk through.
Thank you again for playing a part in this art installation.
Here is the link to the TEDTalk by Candy Chang, who is the artist behind the concept of this installation: http://www.ted.com/talks/candy_chang_bef
ore_i_die_i_want_to.html”
With gratitude,
Ms. Manuel
Making Masks to Tell Stories About Who We Are
Funded Oct 11, 2012I hope by now you've seen the photos of my students' masks. We are so proud of how they turned out and of what we learned about each other through their identity essays. In their 600 word essays (en español), they reflected on their identities and how they relate to the world. The first half of the essay spoke specifically to the part of their identities that is visible (perhaps things like their gender, race, and age). They attached that part of the essay to the front of their masks. The second half of the essay centered on the part of their identities that is not visible such as their insecurities, cultural perspectives, religious beliefs, and values.
Their final products lend credence to the notion that the arts are a vehicle for communicating deeply personal messages. Every time I look at the wall with their masks and read their artist statements, I'm filled with awe and gratitude for their courage to write so fearlessly about themselves and for their tenacity in doing so in a language that they are still learning.
Thank you again for helping enrich our learning experiences and believing in both the power of the arts and in the value of youth voices.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Manuel
This classroom project was brought to life by Kia Motors America and 6 other donors.Design a Mural for your Community
Funded Oct 25, 2011As part of a unit I wrote about public art, my students and I studied the many murals in our city and engaged in lively discussions about what art is. We explored tagging, graffiti, murals, and other forms of urban expression to discuss what value they hold for a community and what they reveal about the artist and the city.
For the final project, students will be researching the significant people, events, and cultural aspects of their communities in order to design murals.Then, they will compose artist statements to articulate what they learned about public art and how it applies to their every day life.
Thank you for recognizing how critical it is for our youth to understand the story-telling, community-building power of public art. I know it has had an enormous impact on how my students view their surroundings.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Manuel
This classroom project was brought to life by Hilton HHonors and 12 other donors.