nature of the work
My practicum consisted of two parts: to be an assistant teacher for a BuildaBridge’s biweekly Philadelphia Partnership for Resilience art class for refugees, and to create a book that described and celebrated a recently completed BuildaBridge mural project with Bhutanese elders living in South Philadelphia. The practicum experience was a fun and interesting mix of working hands-on in a BuildaBridge classroom, and working in an office-setting on an independent research and design project.
In the art classroom, held at Nationalities Services Center in Center City, I held the position of Assistant Teacher. I worked with two other lead teachers who had worked with BuildaBridge and refugee populations previously. I was grateful for their enthusiasm and dedication to facilitating our group every other Sunday afternoon, starting in August and ending in November. As a classroom assistant, my responsibilities were few. I took the opportunity to observe the other teachers, reinforce the BuildaBridge Classroom Safe Spaces Model™, and forge relationships with some of the participants.
In the BuildaBridge office, however, I took on a decidedly more active role. I was essentially a project planner for the creation of a book that highlighted a very successful BuildaBridge healing art endeavor with refugees. I was fulfilling the vision of the teaching artists who had been involved with the refugees in the art experience. They felt it was important to document the goals, process, and outcomes of the mural project that focused on the history of the Bhutanese, their lives in refugee camps, the challenges of their journey to America and the resettlement process, and the hope they have for future generations in the U.S. My job was to incorporate writings from the teaching artists and develop the book into something that could be presented to potential or established BuildaBridge supporters, and something that the elders could have to share with their children and grandchildren.
In the art classroom, held at Nationalities Services Center in Center City, I held the position of Assistant Teacher. I worked with two other lead teachers who had worked with BuildaBridge and refugee populations previously. I was grateful for their enthusiasm and dedication to facilitating our group every other Sunday afternoon, starting in August and ending in November. As a classroom assistant, my responsibilities were few. I took the opportunity to observe the other teachers, reinforce the BuildaBridge Classroom Safe Spaces Model™, and forge relationships with some of the participants.
In the BuildaBridge office, however, I took on a decidedly more active role. I was essentially a project planner for the creation of a book that highlighted a very successful BuildaBridge healing art endeavor with refugees. I was fulfilling the vision of the teaching artists who had been involved with the refugees in the art experience. They felt it was important to document the goals, process, and outcomes of the mural project that focused on the history of the Bhutanese, their lives in refugee camps, the challenges of their journey to America and the resettlement process, and the hope they have for future generations in the U.S. My job was to incorporate writings from the teaching artists and develop the book into something that could be presented to potential or established BuildaBridge supporters, and something that the elders could have to share with their children and grandchildren.