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Hello!
Thank you for taking a moment to read about my upcoming volunteer trip to Huaycán, a suburb of Lima, Peru.
Huaycán was founded thirty years ago in response to a severe land shortage that left thousands desperate to find a place they could call home. A vacant land site 16.5 kilometres east of Lima was chosen as the location where the envisioned "self-managed community" of Huaycán would be built. Due to ongoing corruption and a power struggle between various political parties, the community has yet to realize the goals imagined at its inception. Today, the people of Huaycán continue to struggle with poverty and poor quality education.
The Light and Leadership Initiative (LLI) is a non profit organization located in Huaycán that provides workshops + classes to the community that teach valuable skills, empower the community, and break cycles of poverty. LLI's youth programs include: English, Reading, Math, Computer Programming, Physical Education, Community Engagement, Chess and Art.
I will serve as the Art Instructor for a four month period beginning in January 2015. I recently completed my undergraduate degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Elementary Teacher Preparation at San Francisco State University. I've taken classes specifically focused on art for children + adult workshops focused on the intersection of art and activism. Through these opportunities, I've come to appreciate the amazing possibilities of a carefully designed art program. Art has the unique and incredible power to not only serve as a therapeutic outlet for children, but also as a tool with which children can learn + express ideas about broader social issues occurring in their communities and the world at large. A sample of art projects I will teach are: bookbinding, sewing, screen printing , origami, jewelry making, 3D construction and various methods + materials for drawing and painting.
"Why do you want to do this?"
I get asked this question a lot. When I was young and growing up in a home with a single, working mother who was barely making ends meet, memories of her giving what little extra money she had to a homeless person asking for help on the street stand out vividly in my mind. I truly believe in the interconnectedness of life + all living beings and believe small acts of kindness perpetuate themselves. I find I am my happiest when I'm giving. I also believe that this experience will teach me more than I could have ever imagined.
My background includes activism on behalf of victims of human trafficking, incarcerated youth, women's reproductive rights and worker's rights. Professionally, my passion lies in helping to secure the realization of human rights for all people.
Please consider donating to my volunteer trip to Huaycán or purchasing an item off my Amazon Wish List (http://amzn.com/w/3W0H4FFNT0FZC). Even a small donation is greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,
Jessica
The following is an example of how an art project can provoke thoughtful questions about the world in which we live.
Instruction would began by reading children the story, This Child, Every Child: A Book about the World's Children, which explores the lives, rights and needs of children all over the world. Next, the class would begin discussing and defining human rights. What exactly are they? Who has them? Then, each student would be given a square of fabric. Using sewing, painting, drawing, collage or any technique the child desires, they will create an image reflecting a human right they have or one they feel is missing in their community. Once all the squares are completed, they can be sewn together and hung as a tapestry in the classroom to serve as a point of reflection in the future. Similarly, the children could create short books or a newsletter about human rights to distribute in their community.
"None of us are free, if one of us is chained." -Solomon Burke
Thank you for taking a moment to read about my upcoming volunteer trip to Huaycán, a suburb of Lima, Peru.
Huaycán was founded thirty years ago in response to a severe land shortage that left thousands desperate to find a place they could call home. A vacant land site 16.5 kilometres east of Lima was chosen as the location where the envisioned "self-managed community" of Huaycán would be built. Due to ongoing corruption and a power struggle between various political parties, the community has yet to realize the goals imagined at its inception. Today, the people of Huaycán continue to struggle with poverty and poor quality education.
The Light and Leadership Initiative (LLI) is a non profit organization located in Huaycán that provides workshops + classes to the community that teach valuable skills, empower the community, and break cycles of poverty. LLI's youth programs include: English, Reading, Math, Computer Programming, Physical Education, Community Engagement, Chess and Art.
I will serve as the Art Instructor for a four month period beginning in January 2015. I recently completed my undergraduate degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Elementary Teacher Preparation at San Francisco State University. I've taken classes specifically focused on art for children + adult workshops focused on the intersection of art and activism. Through these opportunities, I've come to appreciate the amazing possibilities of a carefully designed art program. Art has the unique and incredible power to not only serve as a therapeutic outlet for children, but also as a tool with which children can learn + express ideas about broader social issues occurring in their communities and the world at large. A sample of art projects I will teach are: bookbinding, sewing, screen printing , origami, jewelry making, 3D construction and various methods + materials for drawing and painting.
"Why do you want to do this?"
I get asked this question a lot. When I was young and growing up in a home with a single, working mother who was barely making ends meet, memories of her giving what little extra money she had to a homeless person asking for help on the street stand out vividly in my mind. I truly believe in the interconnectedness of life + all living beings and believe small acts of kindness perpetuate themselves. I find I am my happiest when I'm giving. I also believe that this experience will teach me more than I could have ever imagined.
My background includes activism on behalf of victims of human trafficking, incarcerated youth, women's reproductive rights and worker's rights. Professionally, my passion lies in helping to secure the realization of human rights for all people.
Please consider donating to my volunteer trip to Huaycán or purchasing an item off my Amazon Wish List (http://amzn.com/w/3W0H4FFNT0FZC). Even a small donation is greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,
Jessica
The following is an example of how an art project can provoke thoughtful questions about the world in which we live.
Instruction would began by reading children the story, This Child, Every Child: A Book about the World's Children, which explores the lives, rights and needs of children all over the world. Next, the class would begin discussing and defining human rights. What exactly are they? Who has them? Then, each student would be given a square of fabric. Using sewing, painting, drawing, collage or any technique the child desires, they will create an image reflecting a human right they have or one they feel is missing in their community. Once all the squares are completed, they can be sewn together and hung as a tapestry in the classroom to serve as a point of reflection in the future. Similarly, the children could create short books or a newsletter about human rights to distribute in their community.
"None of us are free, if one of us is chained." -Solomon Burke