It's a Rap/Wrap. The Moon is Half-Staff (and Bright), the Sun Will Be Out for Two Days without Humidity. I'm Simpy Going to Embrace Excellence For a Short While

It will be short-lived, but the National Writing Project tradition is always rejuvenating: pro-teacher, pro-kid, pro-research, pro-creativity, pro-democracy, and anti-authority...just teachers teaching teachers. It works. We finished the final week of program and ended with Ubuntu Academy, where I came across the students waiting for the bus (who are from varying nations and speaking multiple languages) teaching one another a game of unity. The idea was to align fingers in a circle with a peace symbol in the center, forming a ring of togetherness, similar to Ubuntu circles of Africa. 

This wasn't assigned. This wasn't a task. This was simply youth sharing with youth the camaraderie felt after two weeks of writing, reading, sharing language, and being empowered as individuals deserving more for the world. The teachers weren't around. This was them, building off of what we instructed, all on their own.

No lie. I'm totally exhausted. I could easily come home and sleep for 7 days and not wake up. I know that we didn't complete all we set out to do, either. I will likely spend the next week working on materials still being sent to me from the kids, all because they found writing to be a joy and they have other things they want me to read. 

I find such joy in this. Young people from many nations collaborating without adults getting in the way. They were simply building on what they gained form two weeks of writing instruction, and continuing it before they got on the bus for the last time to bring them back to their schools.

Today is Saturday. The goal is to wake up up at some point, and I have a garage of items needing to be put away (once upon a time I had office space at Fairfield University, but that is no longer the sign of the times....so I store K-12 school items in Abu and Chitunga's rooms. I sometimes wonder if I should charge the university for using my personal space for storing work items....something tells me that would not go over well). 

I do know that CWP-Fairfield work, the teachers hired and the kids who attend, experienced its 13th-year of award-winning work. I'm always happy when it comes to a finale with no complaints and little to no incidences. If an alien came to Earth, however, and studied all that it takes to make this possible, especially with the obstacles thrown its way, I often wonder if it would say, "You need to leave this planet. It is not healthy for any one."

Ah, but I've always been in this for good. for the kids. for the teachers. for the actions speaking louder than words, not matter how much it is ignored by others and the narratives they like to tell.