Hosted the Young Adult Literature Class at the Center for Social Impact as they Brought an Artolution Exhibit to Their Location

A day in schools turned to a day with meetings turned into a day of celebrations turned into an evening course held in collaboration with the Center of Social Impact (and I'm off to campus this morning to participate in another day of obligations). Phew. Thankful, but also perplexed by the volume of it all. 

Good news is that POW! '25 is in print. I'm months ahead of myself on that, as it is summer work that I always want off my plate, but there's not much time to edit and get it to print. It's the 12th publication and this year we're using it to celebrate 40 years of success at Fairfield University. The National Writing Project Way. 

The Artolution project is collaborative public art in relation to refugee camps around the world, with an intent to use the arts to bring healing, expression, opportunities, and visual narrative to communities whose stores need to be told. My students read young adult novels with immigrant and refugee stories, so it was a natural fit to host class alongside the exhibit's launch and lecture. Was thrilled to see my colleague, Dr. John Kiweewa (Go, Cuse!) also on the panel.

The displays around the center featuring the collaborative artwork was wonderful and it was great to see the University roll out red carpets of the Center's vision. Dr. Mark Frieder brought an overwhelming passion with him and modeled the numerous ways such work relies on tremendous sponsorship of many. My students, some of them who worked in Ubuntu Academy during the summer, had many questions about the ways such programs work. I watch with awe, too, as the exhibit was brilliant, my students had so much to add (we were in a side room having class alongside and with the exhibit), and finally attended the panel.

But I'm off today to record the first ever Center of Climate, Coastal, and Marine Studies podcast - another new project of our campus community. Excited to be asked to be part of the first recording and to bring five years of Write Time expertise.