Throughout this year, the MES 7th & 8th graders has investigated the impacts of belonging and othering in a variety of ways. They got to know each other by mapping our Needs Streets, investigating identities and assumptions, and learned about belonging through the lens of disability activism by attending a performance by Theatre Adventure and inviting them to conduct a disability justice workshop at Marlboro School.

Guided by teaching artist Erin Maile O'Keefe, students designed and facilitated a "Belonging Cafe" at Artful Streets last fall where they conducted recorded interviews with townspeople about their experiences of belonging and othering. Another Belonging Cafe popped-up at the Junior High annual Spaghetti Supper.

On Friday, May 31st at 6pm in the Outback at MES, the students invite you to their culminating performance of "Roadmap to Belonging". The walls will be lined with the research and artwork students have created this year. The performance will be a demonstration of their explorations and recommendations to our community about how to increase a sense of belonging? After the performance you will have an opportunity to contribute your voice to the student's guidance on cultivating and sustaining a greater sense of belonging in our community.

This teaching artist residency was conceived at the Project Design Lab, which is a professional learning and planning retreat for PreK-12 educators to design creative projects for their school and community. The Project Design Lab is a program of the Community Engagement Lab. For more information about the Project Design Lab visit https://www.communityengagementlab.org

Questions? Email Jesslyn at jmullett@windhamcentral.org

Event Info

Sep 18, 2024, 6:30 PM

Sep 19, 2024, 6 to 8 PM

Sep 21, 2024, 10:30 to 11:30 AM