I will never be able to claim any authority over what you have to deal with, especially in relation to prayers, hopes, concerns, and frustrations. I imagine there are Dear God requests thrown your way by the seconds, and I can't imagine what those requests might be.
I have a hunch, but I don't want to think too hard about them.
For the last two weeks, CWP-Fairfield teachers -extraordinary in all ways possible - completed year two of our Project Citizen summer workshop. With support from the National Writing Project, the work was to teach argument and youth advocacy for youth in high needs schools. We at CWP-Fairfiield, however, already had a program for youth from all schools to engage their writing politically. The grant simply helped us to expand the program to include more students (which for us was 26 kids in 2017 and 28 kids in 2018). We can't imagine what will result - because we are mixing numerous communities: rural, suburban, and urban, with the common goal to have them write their lives and write their worlds.
Quickly, we learned the inequities and social disparities in American schools and we spend a big chunk of our time doing teamwork, building trust, and investing in confidence.
For the second year in a row, the culmination of this work has exploded on the last day - this year with reluctant writers taking the mic and sharing pieces none of us knew they had in them, and an absolute outpouring of life experiences that no one should endure.
What amazed me about the event, however, was how kids found one another - they bonded to show support for their peers - they recognized that the pain of one was the pain of all.
I am an outsider to this work. I come by time from time and lead workshops that initiate critical thinking and understanding. I also buy books for the program and hire the teachers. The teachers plan a curriculum, but it is the kids that lead it - they take it to new heights.
At the end of yesterday's Friday ceremonies, I witnessed numerous hugs and sincere bonding. Kids from different parts of the world, with totally different life experiences found one another and bonded. They hugged, they cried, they gave each other props, and they exchanged contact information.
A week ago, I wouldn't have thought this possible, but they bonded through words - they connected with one another through shared stories. It was touching to watch and the researcher in me simply wanted to know what was really going on - was it developmental? cathartic? necessary? dramatic? a little of it all.
All I know was that it was beautiful to witness and experience, although my heart wrenched with pain from some of the stories that were shared.
I am, because we are. Humbled Togetherness. If this was the goal for the program, I believe it was achieved.
It is a complicated world out there and although they are 15 and 16, their worlds are rather intense.
I am awaking this morning looking for something or someone to blame. I see the easy solutions, but that is....well, too easy. There's a lot of blame to go around to all of us.
I'm ready to take my part. I wonder about all the others.
Big applause for Shaun Mitchell, Kelly Bessett, Dave Wooley, and Brynn Mandell for what they established for these kids. It was truly remarkable.
No comments:
Post a Comment