Choosing to Participate:
A Social Justice Service Project on Sustainability

Today was a great conclusion to the 3 month sustainability project.  Aliza, Emma, and I hosted a workshop called Race to the Best Bento Boxes.  We had a lot of students sign up for it so it was in some parts a little hard to manage.  We learned from some of our mistakes in the first class we taught.  The second was definitely better, although we got some gloomy faces.  In the end we learned a lot and most of the students had a lot of fun.  The only think that could have been changed would be the time.  I think 45 minutes would work better.  Also for the day of learning Quinn and I hosted the panel for the second assembly.  I was a little disappointed that John Masters couldn’t come but was relieved when Laida, the person that I had been working with, showed up.  In all this day of learning was a great one.

So far for Emma, Aliza, and I our Bento Box workshop is great.  Everything has been planned out and we have all the materials we need.  I hope we get a lot of people and not just girls! For the committee Quinn and I have got two of our three people to be on the panel.  If anyone has worked with a cool person at their organization that could be on a panel give me their contact and I will set them up. 

Today right after my tutor I went to their shop to sit in on an intern class.  It seems that the classes go from 1:oo to 6:00 so the class is very relaxed. I got to watch Laida the intern coordinater and teacher show them how to fix the gears on the bike. I found it very interesting and I can’t wait to sit in on another. The next thing I will be doing for the project is going to a thing they are having about getting ready for spring and info about biking. I think I will be able to get some good information.

Today after school I went to Recycle-A-Bicycle.  I had in mind the idea of going there to sit in on a class but it seemed they were on a trip to Long Island City where I live because there appears to be a storage facility very close by.  So I stayed there and had my interview with Lisa Stien the director instead.  I learned a great deal of information about the organization itself and the whole process of what they do.  She now has my email so she will send me a lot of extra stuff.  In the end I will probably have done extra work because of the doors of hope project.  :)

Today I and some other people from the grade met with two people from City Arts.  We learned more about what we will be doing for the project.  We also learned about the cultural aspects of New Orleans and what Mardi Gras is like.  In fact one of the two people that came is a Mardi Gras Indian.  This will count towards our sustainability project. But I will still try to stay in contact with Recycle-A-Bicycle and continue to work with them.

Today I was interviewed by the intern coordinater Laida. She told me about what goes on there. First she teaches us about a certain part of the bike. Then we get hands on. This seems very similar to what we do in science class. Sometimes we may just learn all day or watch a movie. Nicholas has his interview on tuesday so we will see when we can find a day that will work for both of us. After that the only thing left is to see if we like it there. Seems like it will be a lot of fun!