Stephen on Reading Club

I asked each of the mentors to write about a club. Stephen wrote about what he has been doing with Reading Club:

Every Tuesday after school I get out a reading selection and a small group of students comes over to read together. We take turns reading aloud, and try to explain to each other what we understand from the text, and there’s always some points of discussion afterward. We have a couple of regulars, but the others just happen to be in the room, or have time that afternoon. This year, I’ve been making selections in accordance with the “monthly themes” that we chose, which has really helped broaden the kinds of texts that we use. We’ve read student essays, excerpts from novels, graphic novels, and newspaper articles.

The small group atmosphere has allowed even those students who tell me they “hate reading” to say afterwards “that was a good story”. We have students in the lowest level ESOL classes reading the New York Times, and working through it, despite the difficulty. Not only does reading club give students moments to enjoy reading, but reading becomes a social activity, and serves as the seed of discussion between students who have usually been from different social groups and ESOL levels. We had a prolonged passionate discussion about school reform during “education” month, and probably the most challenging topic for students during “family” month was an article by a woman who had placed her mother in a nursing home.

Reading for school is one thing, but I try to get students to read as adults read, for pleasure, without worrying too much about every detail, and talking about it with others.

Our journey to the early years of the republic

This week, we took 21 students to visit Independence National Historical Park. In a couple of tours, we saw some of the Greatest Hits of 18th century American history, all within several hundred yards of each other:

• We went on a tour of Independence Hall, the United Nations World Heritage Site where the nation's founding documents were signed.
• We saw original copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.
• We explored Congress Hall, where the legislative branch of the federal government was located for ten years.
• Finally, we went to see the Liberty Bell, passing George Washington's presidential house along the way.

Having majored in history in college, I love living in a city with such an amazing and significant past. Many of the students have only arrived in the United States several months ago. I appreciated having the opportunity to show this side of Philadelphia to them.

Oumar on Math Club

I asked each of the mentors to write about a club. Oumar wrote about a student he worked with in Math Club:














One of our students struggled in Algebra I last year. When the new school year started he came to me and said that he wanted to get a good grade in math this year. We worked together frequently after school and when we had a math club before his first math test he came to review. After our review session and the test were over he came back to me to share his grade. He did not have a perfect score on the test, just a 70 but he was happy. I told him that he could do much better than that and we kept working together regularly. After he took the second math test of the year he came to me with his result, which was an 85. This time he was not happy with his score and said that he should have gotten 100% on the test! We still work together regularly.

Said on Drama Club

I asked each of the mentors to write about a club. Said wrote about our Drama Club, which takes place on Mondays at lunchtime:

Project Bridging Cultures is offering students a Drama Club, which focuses on dialogues, sketches, activities, games and plays. The sessions take place during the 5th and 6th lunch period in room 217B during the school year 2008-2009. The sessions mainly focus on exploring and developing areas of learning English such as pronunciation through Drama, grammar through Drama, using and exploiting role-plays and much more.

The course is aimed at all English students from different ages and levels. The sessions are dealing with different aspects of the use of drama in learning English. The sessions and workshops are to be practical and it is hoped that students will want to "get up and do" rather than "sit and listen".

Some of the main concerns of the Drama Club are catering the needs of students as performers on stage, and this would enable them to face the audience and overcome "the stage fright", using relaxation techniques, moving, body language, and so on. Also, the sessions concentrate on dialogues which can be used to focus on a particular pronunciation point. Participants will develop their ability to exploit the ready-made dialogues and to create their own, making them both natural and enjoyable. The sessions also look at the way students display emotion through changes of intonation, stress and pace in speech. Drama games, which can be used with younger learners and adults, are taking places in the Drama Club. The games aim to develop concentration and group dynamics, as well as general confidence in the language. Participants will look at how to set up games and how to manage them.

Senior stories

The seniors at the high school tend to have many responsibilities, and we are proud to see how they have stepped up to the plate. For example, many of them are very engaged in work on their senior projects, focusing on topics such as immigration, gangs, child abuse, foreign aid to Africa, JROTC, and dance. A number of students have asked us to be mentors on their projects, so we've been working with them on doing research, creating thesis statements, and writing outlines for their papers.

Many seniors are making concrete plans for graduation as well. Several of them have already applied to or been accepted to trade schools or the community college. Others have been working on applications, which they will submit in the coming months. Yesterday, we had an enthusiastic group of students attend Stephen and Toni's workshop on writing a personal statement. In one exercise, students pretended to be admissions officers and read many sample applications while allotting only one minute for each. It was a fun way for everyone to learn about what makes an essay good firsthand.

Toni on English Conversation Club

I asked each of the mentors to write about a club. Toni wrote about English Conversation Club, which was one of our very first clubs:














My name is Toni, and I lead our English Conversation Club at Project Bridging Cultures. Meetings take place once each week during two lunch periods. I try to provide an informal, yet structured and supportive, atmosphere where students can practice what they know (as they feel comfortable), and learn something new from myself or anyone in our diverse community. Our discussions are centered on the monthly themes we have planned for our room.

Facilitating this conversation group has been a privilege. Not only is it a great opportunity for me to better know and care for our students, but those students also get to create new connections with each other. Some are more confident than others when it comes to making friendships outside of their own culture. This group is a safe way for those who are more reserved to “stick their toes into the water” and learn not just about new vocabulary, but about humanity. One small tradition I use to begin each session is to have a makeshift “Welcome Mat” on the wicker coffee table we gather around. Each student takes a colored marker and writes their name on a card. Then, one by one, each person introduces himself to the group (“Hi, my name is Toni”) and sets his name on the Welcome Mat. In response, the group welcomes the person who made the introduction (“Welcome, Toni” or “Hello, Toni”). This way, people who are not acquainted can become so, and each participant is intentionally made part of the community.

At the end of September, we kicked off our clubs and workshops with the theme of education (of course!). A handful of students representing many countries (China, Mexico, Vietnam, Albania) joined me for a game involving our names, questions, and a ball. Each student took a turn choosing a question for the group to answer. I was delighted by the honest and thoughtful way the students contributed. A few questions and responses are imbedded in my mind; What is the most important thing to learn in school? (“sex education,” “English,” and “not to be shy” are the short versions), and Have you ever cheated on a test? (riotous, guilty laughter followed by eager confessions) are two of my favorites. October has brought us to the theme of families. In the last few weeks we have had games of family connections (Who is your mother’s son’s daughter?), partner interviews about family, home countries, and everyday life (I had so much fun giggling with students from Mali and China!), and a session focused on our childhoods (students from Mali, Mexico, Vietnam, and Albania shared their “mischievous moments” - one laughed about hiding the dishes from his mother when she tried to set the table! Another student described early memories of more solemn times.). November’s theme will be Government and Society, and I look forward to learning even more from our amazing students.

The 2008 election

Our theme this month is Government and Society. As such, we've spent a lot of time talking to students about this week's election. It was a great opportunity to discuss everything from the political parties in this country to candidates' positions to the way the Electoral College system works. Students have told us about their thoughts about the economy, war, and health care. Since many of the students are new immigrants or under 18, only a few students were eligible to vote, but we were all excited regardless. There were Obama supporters, McCain supporters, and students who were open to hearing different sides.

One place where our discussion has unfolded was our Question of the Week bulletin board. At the beginning of the week, when we did not yet know who our 44th president will be, we wanted to know what students saw as the most pressing issues. Therefore, this was our question:
















Here were some of the responses we got:

Mary on Art Club

I asked each of the mentors to write about a club. Mary wrote about Art Club, which is now in its second year:














The club that I have been facilitating is Art Club. Students meet every Monday after school to complete different art activities, while learning about artists and different techniques. We have done three different projects this year including art work influenced by music, a shoe still life, and a family tree collage. This Monday students will be decorating pumpkins in honor of Halloween. Attendance has remained steady and we average around seven or eight students per meeting. It has been a wonderful time for students of all language levels and cultural backgrounds to engage with their peers.

I am in the process of planning some exciting art-related events and activities for the students this school year. One upcoming opportunity is for the Vocational Literacy program at our main office. Students have been commissioned to create art work for the walls in the classroom. This will be a wonderful opportunity for students to share their creations with the public, while at the same time providing a more pleasant environment for the clients. We are also hoping to visit some upcoming exhibits at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as well as participate in the One Book, One Philadelphia event. It will be exciting to see where Art Club will go this school year.

Since Halloween is today, here is a picture of the pumpkin project:

Community service at Philabundance

Last week, we did our first community service project of the year at Philabundance. The largest food bank on the East Coast, Philabundance distributes 17 million pounds of food each year.

We took the El up to North Philadelphia and walked to the warehouse. First, we watched a video about the organization:















We took a tour of the space:















Then we got to work!















We sorted and boxed hundreds of food and personal care items:















We were glad to know that our work will make a difference in the lives of our fellow Philadelphians:















Good job, everyone!

Outside the school

In the past few weeks, I've attended a number of interesting meetings outside the school.

One meeting was a community council meeting with different organizations that serve young people in our area. There are so many youth programs in the area, and it was valuable to learn about some of them and meet the people involved. It's also helpful to know what other people are doing so that we can tell students about other opportunities.

Another meeting was the first session of a yearlong seminar I am participating in this year. In this group, I, along with a dozen other out-of-school time practitioners, will be engaging in inquiry about our work and doing writing and research. This is the first time that this program is taking place in Philadelphia, and I am excited about what is coming up.

Finally, there was the first meeting of the year for a group focusing on college preparation and access. The attendees were diverse, ranging from administrators in youth-serving organizations to staff in school-based programs to school district personnel to college representatives. It was a great way to get a feel for the ongoing trends in postsecondary options that we have long been interested in.

While I enjoy learning from my peers during these meetings, it is even more important to spend quality time with the students. I got to do just that this week on a trip we took to Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster. We heard from an admissions representative, took a student-led tour of the campus, and had a meal in the dining hall. It was a real hit. Many of the students loved the experience and got a better sense of what life after high school is really like. That kind of positive educational experience is what we're here, after all.

Rosh Hashanah and Ramadan

By coincidence, Rosh Hashanah and the end of Ramadan both took place this week. Therefore, on Thursday, we held two workshops to teach students about the holidays.

During lunch, Toni set up a table where students could stop by and learn about some of the customs that take place during the Jewish New Year. They learned to say "L'Shana Tova" and had the opportunity to try some traditional foods, such as apples and honey and challah bread.

After school, Said had a workshop about Ramadan. As students enjoyed couscous, cake, dates, and milk, he explained the origins of Islam's holy month. He also talked about fasting and how worshipers of many religions practice fasting rituals.

There are a number of religions represented at the school. This is true for both our students and the Project Bridging Cultures staff. Many of the students who attended workshops enjoyed the opportunity to learn about different religions and compare them with each other. Faith is often an important part of many people's background and culture, and I believe that open and tolerant conversation on the topic can be critical to helping students clear up misconceptions and understand one another better.

September's theme: Education and Schools

Early this month, we decided that we would have a theme for every month. We plan to use these themes extensively in the activities that we do with students. Since September marks the beginning of the academic year, this month's theme is Education and Schools.

The theme is on display in many places in our classroom. We've posted education-related quotations on walls all around the room. On one bulletin board, we display a Question of the Week, to which students can write a response to pin on the board. Questions so far have included "Do you like wearing school uniforms? Why or why not?" and "What would you like to change about school?" On another bulletin board, we've posted a number of vocabulary words relevant to the school. Students are welcome to write the words in their language for other students to see.

Our weekly clubs started last week, and we've incorporated the themes in a number of them. The English Conversation, Reading, and Music Clubs all included a discussion of what it is like to be a student and how students experience schools. Other clubs that have begun include Art Club, Music Club, and our new Drama Club.

Finally, we had a couple of college-related activities. We held an afterschool workshop for students to register for the SAT. This weekend, the Philadelphia National College Fair also came to town, and we took a number of students there. They enjoyed learning about their options for higher education and meeting representatives from many different colleges.

As September draws to a close, we're looking forward to October's theme of Family. We'll be starting with a pair of holiday workshops this Thursday.

Classes and clubs

Our classroom is open to students when they are not in class. So what do we do when they are? We pay them a visit.

This week, all of the mentors started going into classes at the invitation of teachers. Each of the classes is matched with a mentor, and the mentor and teacher will then plan and collaborate together. All of the ESOL teachers had requested a mentor in at least one class, so we have the opportunity to work with many different students in many different settings. Soon, we will also start working with subject-area teachers.

Next week, we will start our clubs and events. We have many clubs during lunchtime and after school, including the continuation of our art, English conversation, math, and reading clubs. We are also starting several exciting new clubs, focusing on citizenship, drama, music, and science. We'll also have a workshop to help students register for the SAT and a trip to the national college fair next weekend.

The first week of school

Project Bridging Cultures is now back in action. Starting on the first day, our classroom has been open, and we had our welcome back party on Tuesday.

So far, we've seen dozens of kids in our room that we worked with last year. They are already hard at work:
















Next week, we'll start visiting students in their classrooms. We'll also be expanding to Friday mornings! More to follow.

School begins!

September is here and we are ready to relaunch our program again. We've got three returning mentors--Steve, Oumar, and Mary--and we've also found two terrific new ones, Said and Toni.

We spent the last week training here at the office. In addition to discussing the program and the mentor role, we also had Sara talk about working with English language learners, Pete discuss proficiency levels and standards for working with such learners, and Ginny do a first aid refresher with us. Steve and Mary also led discussions on immigrant youth, potential workshops and field trips, conflict resolution, and situations that mentors may encounter with students.

Several of us also spent some time this week setting up our classroom at the school. It was great to see many familiar faces among the school faculty and staff. We're looking forward to seeing the students tomorrow on the first day of school.

Project Bridging Cultures in Harrisburg

This summer has been flying by. Here's an update on what we've been up to:

Amanda and I just came back from a conference on ESL in our state capital of Harrisburg, PA. Teachers, administrators, and others traveled from all over the commonwealth to learn about and discuss transitions for English language learners.

Not only was it important for us to learn about what was happening in the field, but it was also enjoyable to be able to talk about our own work at Project Bridging Cultures. Amanda and I presented a workshop about helping immigrant high school students enter the world of college and work. We were pleased to have over a dozen very engaged participants share their own experiences from working with foreign-born youth.

Amanda was also invited to participate in the conference's research symposium. Seated with academics, government officials, and workforce development leaders, she spoke as a representative of the state's community-based organizations. While many of the presenters on the panel talked about various studies and broader trends affecting English language learners, Amanda grounded the discussion by talking specifically about how a program like Project Bridging Cultures operates in response to research.

The time we spent in Harrisburg provided us with some good connections and food for thought. As we approach the end of August, we will be shifting gears in preparation for the beginning of the school year. We have our new mentor team--Steve, Oumar, and Mary will be returning, while we also have a couple of new mentors on board. Training is next week.

Summertime

Even though school is out for the summer, we are still hard at work. Several of us have been at the office working with adult clients enrolled in our vocational literacy program. Meanwhile, I am using this time away from students to prepare for the following school year.

Some changes and improvements in our program are in the works for September. We'll also be making some appearances at conferences in the next couple of months. See you there!

School's out

At last, summer's here.

See you in the fall!














Oumar, Jen, Pete, Steve, Mary, and Amy

Pete on "The Evolution of Conversation"

Pete reflects on one full year of the conversation group:

I came up with the idea of a conversation group in the fall, because many students needed conversation practice. After consulting with the Program Coordinator, we decided to have it during sixth period lunch—because the majority of our students and virtually all of the newcomers had sixth period lunch. I was concerned that it would be difficult for the students to concentrate in our room, so I approached some teachers, and eventually, one teacher agreed to let us use a classroom during lunch.

I began the group with activities and games for several different levels: beginning, intermediate and advanced. I went to advisories every week to encourage students to come and participate. Three to five students would come, so I was able to give them a lot of individual attention. After a few weeks, only the newcomers remained, and they thought of the group as a class, so, for a while, I approached it as a class, and did a brief lesson—usually a grammar topic with a focus on speaking.

In February, we decided to move the group back to 217B. I made a new flyer and called the group “Conversation Corner” because the set up was similar (in the front right corner of the room) to the after school reading group on Mondays, which had been going very well. The approach was to have the students sit in a circle and discuss topics each week that would work for different levels of English speakers. Many students had become very used to doing homework, or socializing with their friends, or working on the computers during this time, so it was, and has remained difficult to get them to participate. The nice thing about it is that we can sometimes draw a student in as he or she comes into the room.

Recently, I have started using conversation games again with the students—like Conversation Tic-Tac-Toe. Students choose to be “x” or “o” and then choose a square and answer a corresponding question, or they complete a sentence correctly, in order to get the “x” or “o” for the box they select. The students have been enjoying this format, and I think making it more of a game is a fun way to end the year for the group.

Photos from the art show

Photos from the art show in May are posted below. Enjoy!

Steve on student growth

Steve
Steve writes about how he has seen students develop this year:

I enjoy it when students explicitly tell me stories about how they are growing up and feel more control and opportunity in their lives. As students finished up their senior projects many students felt proud of their ability to present and answer the judges’ questions. They dressed up, and several students compared it to a job interview. I hope as younger students become seniors the school will develop a culture of senior projects, and the variety and quality of the projects will improve.

Some students found their first jobs this year. One was telling me that he “finally feels like a man,” because he can take care of himself, and no matter where he goes he at least has that much. And once they take care of the basics, maybe they can ground big dreams in reality.

Picnic!

Last Friday, on a beautiful spring afternoon, we had our picnic in Franklin D. Roosevelt Park. Over 30 people were there, including students, teachers, and our colleagues from the office.

We enjoyed many different sports, including soccer, football, badminton, Frisbee, and cycling. At the picnic tables, we had hoagies, Caesar salad, fruit, Amy's homemade Turkish potato salad, and even a watermelon that one student had brought.

Amy on knitting

As the school year comes to a close, we have been reflecting on projects we have undertaken with students. Amy writes about the evolution of the knitting craze:

CO 81 sts. *K2, P2.* BO in pattern.

With language and terminology that would mystify even a native English speaker, knitting patterns are difficult to read yet simple to follow. Several of our after-school regulars discovered this back in January and have been so enthusiastic about their new activity that they have gone yarn and needle shopping on their own and even taught their friends how to knit.

Our first project was a simple ribbed hat, and students personalized them with pom poms, stripes and earflaps. From there, they transitioned to finding their own patterns online and knitting on their own. Showing initiative and courage that even some seasoned knitters lack, one student decided to learn intarsia (color work) and cables for her second project. Another designed a hat-scarf combination for herself. Some also brought their projects into school and made an informal knitting circle. Although we’ve only had one formal workshop on knitting, the students have really taken this new skill and run with it, pushing themselves to learn new techniques and to play with all the possibilities that knitting has to offer.

Just as these students are working to overcome the English language barrier, they have also succeeded in learning the language of knitting.

Project Bridging Cultures student art show!

After a year of working with many of this school's student artists, Mary came up with the idea of having an exhibition to showcase their works. We had our Art Club Student Show in our classroom on Thursday.

The show featured dozens of diverse works: pencil and ink drawings, watercolor paintings, collages, calligraphy, origami, comic strips, poetry, papier-mache sculptures, macramé flowerpots, and screen-printed T-shirts. Contributions from nearly all of this year's art club projects were included, and a number of students also brought in their own works to be displayed at the show. Mary created a volume of "Art Club Comics" for distribution. On the day of the show, we rearranged the room to resemble the wide-open space of a gallery and hung up and displayed all of the works on bulletin boards, clotheslines, tables, and easels.

The art show was a success! Scores of students and teachers visited our gallery after school. They walked around the perimeter of the room, taking in each piece, as they snacked on finger foods and chatted with each other about what they saw. Many of the students remarked on all the creative talent on display from their peers. For the artists, many of whom were in attendance, it was a proud moment.

Photographs from the art show will be posted in a later entry. (Edit: They are available here.)

Mary on the nursing home visit and art

Here's another view of the visit to the nursing home, this time from Mary:

As we near the end of the school year, Project Bridging Cultures continues to stay busy with senior projects, after school clubs, tutoring, and group trips. On Friday, May 16^th, Jennifer, Peter, and I accompanied twelve students on a visit to the nursing home. The staff had prepared several activities for the students to participate in with the residents. Students had the opportunity to help find clothes for the upcoming nursing home prom, give manicures, called out bingo numbers, made bouquets of flowers, and walked around visiting various residents. This trip would be the first time that many of these students had ever visited a nursing home, especially because these facilities are more commonly utilized in America. A few students were emotionally moved by the conversations they had. This later provoked the discussion of why senior citizens were moved into such facilities, away from their families. I was extremely proud of the behavior of our students. They were all extremely attentive and compassionate towards the seniors they met.

Mary also has an update about Art Club and other related projects:

On another note, we are nearing the end of our after school clubs. This includes the Thursday art club. The last meeting was held May 22^nd, and this week I will display student work all over our room. We plan to have a reception for the artists that Thursday after school. Many students have been working on their own comics. I am hoping to compile their stories into a small book that can be handed out at the art show. I feel that it is important for students to see their work on display and receive the recognition they deserve. This school has some extremely talented artists.

We have also been incorporating art in some of our classroom interactions. Illustrations are being used as a tool to promote conversations between students and building vocabulary. Students are encouraged to draw pictures that depict various aspects of their lives, such as previous homes, old schools, family members, and places where they once worked. After they complete these drawings, they discuss them with one another. Through these shared stories, students are also able to see the similarities and differences between their cultures.

A day at the nursing home

On a drizzly gray afternoon last Friday, we made a journey to a nursing home to do some community service.

It was a project that was many months in the making. In our fall focus group, a student had suggested taking trips to places like hospitals to help out. Later, when I asked students where they might like to go, they suggested a nursing home. This made sense, as many of them were interested in pursuing careers as nurses and doctors.

I got in touch with Greater Philadelphia Cares, which matches volunteers to service sites throughout the region. After talking with many students last week, Pete and I brought a dedicated group of eleven students to Mount Airy for our project.

It was a long trip. First, we took the Broad Street Line up to Olney. The students--half of them clad in orange All-City badminton shirts--dozed on the way. Opposite the bus terminal, we saw an opossum sitting on a high ledge as we waited for the bus.

We got on the bus and rode through several low-rise mixed-use neighborhoods until we reached our destination. As we walked to the nursing home, a student remarked on the leafy green beauty of the area.

Mary was already there as we entered and were greeted by a staff member named Ahmadullah. He took us on a tour and described the activities the students would be doing. There was a prom coming up in June, he explained, and that was something many residents were looking forward to. There were also games to play and people to meet.

We split into several groups. In the rec room, two students called bingo as a couple of stations were set up for residents to receive manicures from several other students (several of whom happen to have experience working in nail salons). A checkers game was set up.

Ahmadullah and three girls picked gowns from the racks. They then dropped by different rooms so residents could choose dresses for the prom. Afterwards, they visited another lounge and played balloon volleyball with the people there. We were also invited to visit different rooms, and the students fanned out and had conversations with residents with ages ranging from 60 to 103.

It was an emotional afternoon, full of smiles and tears. The students treated the residents with great respect, listening attentively and helping with daily tasks. Afterwards, they were thoughtful about their experience that afternoon. They talked about what they would do when their parents get older, or even how they themselves might experience in the later years of their lives. They wondered if the residents at the nursing home were lonely. Some of them said they would like to visit again.

This was the first time we had done a project like this during the current school year. I was glad that the students found the experience rewarding. What's next? We will see what the students have to say about that.

Senior successes

It's senior project presentation week here at the high school, as students take all the hard work they've put into their topics these past several months and speak about it in front of a panel of judges.

Because of the projects, seniors have been rushing in and out of our room perfecting their PowerPoint slides, printing their mission statements and letters to the judges, and polishing their words for their moment in the spotlight. They are nervous and excited.

In the Bridging Cultures classroom, we've been seeing these students come in and lending them index cards and advice. And every day, a few of them return with a smile of relief and a button declaring "I Survived Senior Projects."

It's an exciting time for seniors, as they are almost done with classes and many of them have plans set for the fall and beyond. We help them with their housing deposits and Stafford loan promissory notes and even questions about their classes, as Amy did with her workshop on college academics yesterday afternoon. After this, there will be a number of senior events coming up, including graduation on June 16. We will be there.

Teacher collaborations

Here are some ways in which we've been working with teachers in the past month:

Teacher 1: Graffiti Artist on Trial! Mary and this teacher collaborated to design a mock trial for her class. Students played the roles of defendant, prosecutor, judge, and many others.

Teacher 2: Cinco de Mayo Pete worked together with students from Mexico to design a holiday workshop in this teacher's class. The students shared their history, culture, and photographs from their native country.

Teacher 3: Alibi Amy was invited by the teacher of this class to play a mystery game with the students. Steve then suggested a game that he used with his students from Austria. Students enjoyed using their English skills in this real-time whodunit adventure.

Teacher 4: Practice Makes Perfect While visiting this teacher's math class, Oumar noticed that students needed additional practice in certain skills. By integrating these skills into the weekly math club exercises, he observed that participants in the club understood much more on their tests.

Teacher 5: Aesop's Fables Pete noticed that some students he worked with had trouble writing about what they read in their own words. In this teacher's class, he used classic stories to show students how to paraphrase and summarize.

Teacher 6: Reading Together This teacher wanted the students in her first-period class to practice reading aloud. We arranged for them to visit our room to read once a week during their lunch periods or after school. Working individually with a mentor, each student had the opportunity to ask questions and practice pronouncing new words.

The relationships we have built with these teachers and others have allowed us to work with students in more ways while ensuring that our efforts are aligned with the school's curriculum and standards. We deeply appreciate their support in welcoming us into their classrooms and sharing their thoughts and suggestions with us.

Project Bridging Cultures as salon

As students are looking ahead to the future (as Amanda wrote about in the last post), there is also plenty to occupy them in the here and now.

Our classroom serves a number of roles: homework center, resource center, and activity center, among others. It is in this last category that students have been really making this space their own.

Chess continues to be incredibly popular. We often see our "chess team" engaged in play, especially during fifth period lunch and after school. Our room has also become the meeting place for a student-run calligraphy club. On Tuesday afternoons, the members cover half the conference table in newspaper and practice writing beautiful Chinese characters. Once in a while, a student brings in a guitar and strums in the background.

Students also often debate in our room. One particularly hot topic has been the presidential election. Many students have a candidate that they support, and some of them even voted on Tuesday in the Pennsylvania primaries. When I ask them about the issue they care about most, their responses are various: the war in Iraq, the economy, health care, the environment.

Another popular recent debate had to do with the death penalty. Some of our students had been studying the death penalty in their classes, so I asked them if they were in favor of or against it. Interestingly, the students were almost evenly split, and each side had a very strong opinion of why the death penalty should or should not be allowed. Over the course of several days, they had intense discussions with each other, bringing up point after point even after our program had closed for the day.

For students who are often graded in school based on whether they have the right answer, these discussions can be an opportunity for them to express themselves and learn from each other without having to worry about being wrong. For students who sometimes feel bored by their classes, they may feel more engaged having discussions concerning the same issues that have confounded countless philosophers and intellectuals. And for students who often feel shy about speaking English, these conversations are a great way for them to talk about real, substantive issues and practice their language skills without it feeling like work.

I wonder, what will they talk about next week?

Looking ahead

Even though we still have two months left in the year, students are already looking ahead. Seniors are thinking about their post-high-school plans, and beginning to stretch their wings outside of the classroom.

This spring, two students chose to do the community-service/fieldwork component of their senior projects at the Welcoming Center. They spruced up their resumes and came down to the Center City office for an interview. Isabelle and I talked to them about their goals and interests. Their senior projects focused on topics related to immigration, including religious tolerance and racism in the United States.

We had to do some creative scheduling to find times that would work, since school ends at 3:04 p.m. and our office usually closes at 5, leaving a short window for volunteering.

Both students took their work seriously. They dressed in professional clothes and paid close attention to the tasks they were asked to perform. One of the projects they did was to help us create a list of other nonprofit organizations that serve immigrants. This will help us in the future when people from places as far away as Virginia call us asking for help.

Other students are also looking toward the future. Two students are especially focused on healthcare careers. One has already had a volunteer job at a hospital. Now she is working with an organization that serves survivors of domestic violence. Another student spoke to me today about finding an opportunity for himself in the fall. He is a junior now but has already decided he is interested in being a nurse.

It is an exciting time to be in the Bridging Cultures classroom. We are all looking toward the future and envisioning the next steps towards our dreams. I am already having "popcorn thoughts" (lots of quick ideas) about more things we can do this summer to get ready for a new year.

Of course, right now there is spring sunshine to enjoy and another two months to go before graduation.

Lost No More followup

Our "Lost No More" event in January continues to get attention.

For example, the spring issue of Motivos Magazine, a bilingual English- and Spanish-language magazine for youth, includes an article and photographs from the event. The stories from the event are also featured in the April newsletter of BRYCS (Bridging Refugee Youth & Children's Services), a national project that provides technical assistance to refugee-serving organizations.

At the school, students have been enthusiastically reading their classmates' writing in a keepsake booklet we made for the contributors. Several of the stories are available on our Web site.

April showers

The first days of April brought with them three days of PSSA testing and SAT signups for the juniors, college acceptance letters and field work projects for the seniors, and generally a different feeling in the air as the weather outside gets warmer and sunnier.

Our program days at the school continue to be interesting as we read surrealist plays in Reading Club, design comic book characters in Art Club, and participate in games of Mafia in the bilingual class. Ginny and Michelle also came down to the school to deliver an informative and light-hearted workshop on job-searching skills.

Of course, there is plenty of excitement to be had outside the school as well. Last weekend, Pete, Amy, Steve, Mary, Amanda and I had Thai food and watched two film festival documentaries at International House, including one co-directed by two Philadelphia teenagers. A few more outings are still to come.

Back to the art museum

Last Friday, we went to see the new exhibition on Frida Kahlo at the art museum. As this was a special show requiring timed tickets, we were lucky to get admission for our mentors and a dozen students.

The day before, Mary held a special art club meeting devoted to Frida Kahlo. She created two project suggestions for the participants. She also brought a book of Kahlo's paintings, which students pored through that afternoon.

Friday was an early dismissal day, so school ended before noon. Pete, Mary, Steve, and I gathered the students in our room and took them on the subway, transferring at City Hall for the bus to the museum. As we waited at 15th and JFK, we absorbed the urban scene before us: varied and distinctive architecture, pedestrian-filled plazas, public artwork. We got onto an (unnumbered) bus, took a picturesque ride down the Parkway, and were dropped off right at the museum's entrance.

After we picked up our tickets, checked our coats and bags, and greeted our friend at the museum, we entered the Kahlo exhibition. Many of the students took the audiotours, and we took a minute to learn how to press the buttons to get a running commentary on the art. Even on a weekday afternoon, the galleries were filled with fellow art appreciators. Our students walked from photograph to photograph, painting to painting, carefully taking in the details.

The students had many questions about the show. "Why is he [Diego Rivera as a baby] wearing a dress? Is it lucky?" "Why did she draw herself so ugly in her art? She was beautiful in the pictures?" "Did three of her babies really die?" They were captivated by the tragedies in her life: the accident, the miscarriages, her pain. Some of them found her art a little scary. Overall, they found meaning in what they saw.

Later, the students had some free time to explore the other galleries of the museum. Afterwards, we got on a bus to return to Center City, and each went on our own ways. We encourage them all to make another visit to the museum, perhaps on one of the pay-as-you-wish Sundays. It is truly a spot that is worth returning to again and again.

Spring break

All of our students are on spring break right now, so I am back in our downtown office this week. This time away from school has been a good opportunity to catch up on the latest publications.

Because No Child Left Behind requires schools to promote progress in a number of groups, including English language learners, it is not surprising to see an increased concern over how to work with this group of students to increase their academic achievement. Here are two articles from just the past month about strategies that programs like ours can use to address the needs of these youth:

Gaining Ground: Supporting English Learners Through After-School Literacy Programming
Serving Recent Immigrant Students Through School-Community Partnerships

As we develop our programming to improve our effectiveness at helping students build their skills and knowledge, it is very useful to find new ideas and confirmation of our earlier observations in the current research.

The Lost No More stories

A number of stories from our One Book, One Philadelphia event in January are now up on our Web site. Here is a preview of one student's account of coming to the United States:

I came to the United States for many things like to work and to earn money to invest in my country. Why do I want to invest in my country? Because I see from afar people who have returned to Senegal from Europe with money but without a plan for investing.

Now I am going to talk a little about my arrival in the United States. Before I took the plane I was a little sad, the night of my departure I left all my best friends there.

But thanks to God I had a good trip. Now I am in America. I miss everyone, particularly my mother and my little brothers.

Read more of the Lost No More stories here.

New clubs!

Last week, we started two new clubs in our room. I'm excited about the way they have been going.

On Mondays, Mary and Steve have been leading a reading group after school. The first book is Maus, a graphic novel about a family of Holocaust survivors living in New York. Every week, there is a new chapter. Students take turns reading as the mentors explain the vocabulary and context of the plot.

On Wednesdays, Oumar is in charge of the math club. It is an opportunity for students to practice what they have learned and do problems together. Students may also work on puzzles or play math games as the club progresses.

Pete's Tuesday English conversation group will also change into Conversation Corner. Students will have the opportunity to discuss interesting topics in an informal setting during sixth period lunch.

The new clubs have gotten a good response from students so far. Many of the participants had never participated in our clubs or workshops before. They work on important academic skills like reading, speaking, and math in an environment that is markedly different from the ones they encounter elsewhere in school.

With the new clubs, there is now one activity for every day our program is at the school:

Monday after school- Reading
Tuesday during 6th period- Conversation
Wednesday after school- Math
Thursday after school- Art

Field trip to the zoo

A large and enthusiastic group went on a field trip to the zoo recently. We enjoyed a presentation on endangered species by zoo personnel, and then got to explore the zoo by ourselves.

The presentation featured several live animals, including a rabbit, Northern pine snake, Harris hawk, ferret, and chinchilla. We listened as the zoo staff explained where each animal lives, and told stories about how their numbers have grown and shrunk over time. Many students took pictures using their cell phones or cameras. At the end of the presentation, we were allowed to gently touch the chinchilla. We had to use just one or two fingers to stroke it, because too many hands could make the chinchilla's body overheat.

Later, we spread out around the zoo. Many of us toured the reptile house, where there were many different kinds of snakes. There was also a fake snake, which looked very realistic and startled some students. We also saw turtles, including some very big (and very old!) turtles from the Galapagos Islands. I liked the fact that the zoo put a sign in front of every animal exhibit, explaining where the animal came from. Many areas of the world were represented -- just like our students.

Another popular destination was Big Cat Country. We enjoyed seeing pumas, leopards, jaguars, and other members of the cat family. The tigers were especially exciting to watch, because they are so big and powerful.

One of the last areas we stopped was the river otters. I liked seeing how quickly they can swim. While we were there, two otters were playing (or roughhousing) very actively. They would tussle underwater, come to the surface, zip across the rocks, and then slide back into the water. I could have stayed for an hour to watch them, but it was time to go.

The trip was a good opportunity to see a special resource that is right here in our city. We are already planning more field trips for later this spring, although we will have smaller groups in the future.

Peer leadership

This week, Steve and I participated in the first session of the new peer leadership program at the high school. Through the program, 22 juniors and sophomores from around the school will learn how to promote respect among their classmates and friends. Half of the students came from the ESOL program and were familiar faces to us. I had only seen students from the other half in passing, but they too were very involved at their school. They included cheerleaders, JROTC cadets, and National Honor Society members.

During the first day, all of the students got to know each other and learned about prejudice and discrimination. The facilitators, Jerry and Fatimah, led the group through fun exercises--like making identity sculptures out of pipe cleaners and writing stories about lemons--that got students talking and working together.

While the population of the high school is diverse, students from different groups aren't always friends with each other and don't even necessarily know each other. One of the best things about the day was seeing students who have never met share their perspectives with each as they prepare to become leaders within the school. We'll be continuing the training in the next two weeks. I look forward to seeing the students continue to learn together then.

Back in our room...

While we've spent considerable time on activities outside school lately, the time we've spent at school has been pretty stable, which means that every week is still awfully interesting.

For instance, mancala and knitting are now the new crazes in our room. Chess remains extremely popular, so much so that school administrators are visiting our room to play with students and a brand new chess set mysteriously appeared in our room.

Seniors continue to get acceptances from colleges and fret over their projects, while among juniors, a free SAT class taught by Penn students is one of the most popular new activities. I continue to work with seniors with applications and essays, only this time, the applications are for financial aid and the essays are for scholarships. Just this Wednesday, we were in the computer lab holding a workshop so students could complete their FAFSA.

We continue to meet new students, either through their classes or friends. Some of them have just come from other countries, while others are from other floors of the school. Sometimes, the latter students are far shier about coming into the room. "What is this place? Can we come in here?" (Yes, they can. Just as long as it's their lunch period.)

We ended the week with a valentine-making project that turned into something else indeed, as students turned out glittery paper flowers and red-and-pink pipe cleaner glasses. Next week will be quite different, as we start to pursue some brand new projects. More to come...

A visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art

I always enjoy telling students about all the cool stuff that's available in their new city. So when the education department at the Philadelphia Museum of Art invited us to visit, we were excited to go.

On Sunday, Mary, Pete, and I went to the museum with 13 students. The museum had even supplied a school bus for us. We were there for the Asian New Year party, and the main performance featured Chinese opera. The students also enjoyed the galleries; the arms and armor exhibit and the Japanese teahouse were especially popular. The contemporary art galleries surprised them. We also went outside to the steps and took pictures of the Rocky statue. Most of the students had never been to the museum before, and they were happy to know that they could see the art again on the pay-as-you-wish Sundays.

All in all, it was a fun trip. Students are already asking about the next one, which we have scheduled for February 29: the zoo!

Lost No More recap

Back in the fall, when the One Book, One Philadelphia selection was announced, Amanda decided that we would have an OBOP event at the local library. This was not the first time we had such an event; last year, since the selection was an immigrant memoir, we solicited autobiographies from our students. As "What is the What" is also the tale of an immigrant, we asked our students for their stories again.

All of us worked hard on getting students to contribute. They responded with stories of their journeys here, observations of American life, and funny anecdotes. In the two weeks before the event, we worked on editing the essays to prepare them for the event. Oumar and Steve translated some of them from French and Spanish. Meanwhile, Mary started a project about graphic novel memoirs, and selected pieces from Art Club participants to be included at the event.

On the Saturday of the event, Mary, Steve, Amy, and staff from the office gathered at the library to set the space up. We put the artwork and information about our organization up around the room. Audience members trickled, and then poured in. We knew some of them as students and teachers from the school, and others were friends, colleagues and acquaintances, but many of them had come because they had heard of it somewhere. After all, Isabelle had been publicizing the event for weeks, and Rosara had designed a beautiful poster.

As more people came in, they filled the chairs and started to stand around the room. At 2 pm, we began. Amanda talked about what we did, and I introduced the students' stories, and we began performing them. While most students were not available to come read their stories, one brave student did read another student's story.

After all of the stories were performed, the second part of our program began. Our guest speaker, Macharia Yuot, is a runner who came from Sudan, like the narrator of "What is the What." We started by showing a segment about him that aired on ESPN. Then Macharia stood up to speak.

The audience sat rapt with attention as Macharia spoke. After he shared the lessons he learned since coming to Philadelphia, the audience eagerly asked him questions about Sudan and his experience in the United States. It was clear that everybody there, young and old, found him to be a great inspiration.

We ended the program at 3:30, but many of the audience members stayed to talk to Macharia and to us. It was terrific to see the community taking an interest in these stories. All in all, about a hundred people came out in all. We look forward to seeing many of them in the future!

Lost No More: Immigrant Teenagers Tell Their Stories

What a fantastic event this was. More to come later.

History (in 16 months)

The beginning of the third marking period is approaching, which means we're coming up on the halfway point of the school year. For three of us at Project Bridging Cultures, it'll also mark one and a half years at the program.

Immersed in a school environment where every day is different, it sometimes takes a while to recognize just how many things have changed in the time since we've been here. These changes are all around us. Students arrived as silent newcomers, grew comfortable and made friends, picked up fluency in a new tongue, and blossomed. They've shown newcomers the ropes and become leaders in their peer groups.

I've been reading some of the profiles the mentors wrote about students at the end of the last school year, and it's amazing how much some of the students have grown even in just the past six months. And in another year, or five years? The amazing thing about high schoolers is that they have so many capabilities and so many choices before them. Maybe I'll even find out what happens with some of them.

There are changes, too, in our relationships. As students' stories unfold all around us, we start to see and understand each other in ever more complex ways. This isn't just true of the students. By visiting classrooms day in and day out in a time range that spans three calendar years, Pete and Oumar have built strong rapport with the students' teachers. They have become our colleagues and friends.

In a week, we'll be starting the second half of the school year. What changes lay before us?

What is the What

One of my favorite citywide programs is One Book, One Philadelphia. During the beginning of 2008, everybody in the city will read about and discuss the same book.

This year, the selection is "What is the What," by Dave Eggers. It's a story of Valentino, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. After escaping the massacre of his town, he survives a trek through southern Sudan, grows up in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya, and made his way to the United States.

It is a powerful story. We've been telling students about One Book, One Philadelphia, and many of them have taken interest. They wanted to know more about the story of the Lost Boys, which we did by discussing "What is the What" and its companion book "Brothers in Hope." Some of them even took "What is the What" home to read, which is remarkable since the book is over 500 pages long.

Along with our activities at the school, we're also planning an event at the local library branch for One Book, One Philadelphia. The featured speaker will be a Lost Boy who is also a long-distance runner. We've also invited students to submit their own pieces about their immigrant experiences, which will be performed at the event. The space will also feature student artwork that Mary has selected.

I've been reading the students' stories, and some of them are really eye-opening. We're looking to post them online after the event.

What students want

When I was in high school, we had a lot of freedom. My school was an open campus. Whenever we did not have class, we could go wherever we wanted. There were no bells or hall passes, and no fear of discipline. Teachers encouraged discussion, and debate among students in classes and hallways was always lively, even ferocious. Students could pursue their interests as much as they liked. They led the school's clubs and activities, of which there were dozens. If they didn't find one they liked, they started their own.

It was by no means a perfect place. But even then, I knew that it was different from many other high schools. Now that I'm a few years removed from the place, I've come to appreciate my alma mater's qualities. I've also wondered how to bring a little of the spirit of the place to the school where I spend most of my time now.

What made my school unusual, I think, was the degree to which student input was valued. So there are little things here and there for student input in our room. That little manila comment box, for example, or those whiteboards. We try to provide many choices for students in the room, and we are happy to explore student interests. Individual students also give us suggestions.

In November, we went one step further and had formal group discussions with students on what they liked about the program and how it can improve. And students had many ideas to offer, on subjects ranging from the atmosphere of the room (pillows and plants) to staffing (more of us to help more students) to programming (new workshops and clubs). While we give students plenty of leeway in choosing how they use our program, many of them see it as a place to learn and be productive in their work. On a lighter note, they also wanted things like food and parties.

While we will implement only some of these ideas, they were useful to hear. We're beginning to respond to some of them: for example, a number of students wanted more places to sit in the room. So we tracked down some furniture, courtesy of another organization's donations, and now we have more tables and chairs (including some fabric stackables, two leather armchairs, and a wooden chair upholstered in purple and pink). Students wanted more trips to attractions around the city, and those too are in the works. To be fair, there are some ideas that we will pass on (no MySpace and Playstation for us). We look to continue this conversation with students throughout the year. Check back later as things progress.

Happy 2008

Happy new year to everyone!

After nearly two weeks away from school, we started up again today. We spent the day catching up on what students have been up to. Many of them took the time to relax and stay at home, while others went away to New York or Florida. Still others worked more hours at their regular jobs. They brought in the new year in uniquely local fashion, viewing fireworks at Penn's Landing and the Mummers Parade on Broad Street.

The mentors' vacation travel also brought them to diverse places: Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Indiana, Arkansas, and Louisiana. After spending last week in Queens and Miami, I am glad to be back home and at school again. This is going to be a terrific new year.