Intern Journal: Class Trip to Jericho!

During the past weekend, I took my dance class along with Ashwini and her Art and Empowerment class to Banana Land, an amusement park in Jericho.  During the trip from Nablus to Jericho, my volunteers kept the girls entertained and engaged on the bus by singing songs together.  Once we arrived in Banana Land, Ashwini and I had both classes eat lunch and play games together in order to get to know each other, with the hope that the girls would bond over their shared interest in the arts and that the young adolescent girls from Ashwini’s class would take on a mentoring role for some of the younger girls in my class.

Thanks to the unseasonably warm weather in Jericho, most of the girls seized the opportunity to spend a good part of the afternoon splashing about in the swimming pool.  Swimming was the highlight of the field trip for 11-year-old Jumana and 8-year old Asma’, as I suspect it was for many of the other girls who came with us to Banana Land.  However, when I asked another student of mine, Labeeba, about her favorite aspect of the trip, she struggled to pick just one.  “Everything!” she ended up pronouncing with a smile.

Following our weekend getaway to Jericho, the girls who attended the next class came back to TYO with increased focus and energy.  We recently finished learning a half-minute hip hop dance routine in class, and my five classroom volunteers and I are now helping the girls to rehearse for an end-of-the-semester dance performance.  In Jumana and Labeeba’s opinion, hip hop is the best part of dance class.  Thanks to the hard work and determination that my most dedicated students bring to class each week, their passion for learning new forms of dance is really starting to shine through in their dancing!

- Julie

Julie is an intern at TYO Nablus.

Highlights of the Week

As an intern at Tomorrow’s Youth Organization, I have the wonderful opportunity to directly experience TYO’s multi-generational approach to community-building by leading an aerobics class for women of various ages and a dance class for pre-adolescent girls.  While working to help the women in my aerobics class improve their level of physical fitness and knowledge of wellness issues, I have discovered that several of the workouts popular in the United States are also enthusiastically received by Palestinian women, including Tae Bo and yoga.  As for my dance class, I focus the first half of each lesson on ballet.  In just six class sessions, the girls have learned first through fifth position, port de bras, plié, relevé, tendu, and rond de jambe. I spend the second half of class teaching hip hop, in which several of my students have demonstrated a real talent.  So far, the girls have learned how to chain together nearly 15 steps to create a hip hop dance routine.

Outside of class, I seized several opportunities to become better acquainted with my translators and volunteers this weekend.  My aerobics class translator, Hanin, had previously extended an invitation to me to visit her home, and I gladly accepted her kind offer on Thursday evening, when I joined her family for dinner.  She and her husband picked me up from TYO and drove me to their house, where I met her children and a few relatives.  Hanin had prepared a delicious dinner of foul, pita bread, kibbeh, fried tomatoes, a tahini-based dish, eggplant, and fettoosh, which we topped off with home-made ice cream cake.  Hanin and I then moved out to the balcony to chat over coffee and fresh fruit.  We sat in the stillness of the evening, breathing in the chilliness of the night air and enjoying each other’s company.  Hanin’s daughter Nana and son Munir, both of whom are close to me in age, soon joined us, and we gradually began to open up to each other.  Perhaps inspired by my revelation that it was the first time I had tasted fresh guava, and despite my protest since she had already lavished enough generosity upon me, Hanin stuffed an ice-cream container full of fresh fruit for me to take home.  Finally, her family and I packed into their car for a driving tour of Rafidia, a fun going-out district full of boutiques, restaurants, and ice cream shops where many of Nablus’s Christian residents live.

I found myself coming back to Rafidia the next evening with Adrienne, Ashwini, and Samee to meet our Kalimatna Initiative partners Hasan and Haya, accompanied by her sister Hala, for “fruit cocktails” (milkshakes made with fruit juice, ice cream, and nuts and topped mixed fruits on top) at Fekhfekhina, a fruit juice and ice cream shop.  I ran into our third Kalimatna Initiative partner, Khamis, on Saturday in the municipal park outside the Suwarna Exhibition featuring photographs taken by Nabulsi children participating in TYO’s Triple Exposure program.  There were also several other TYO volunteers helping out at the exhibit, including my dance class volunteers Ruba and Jumana.

After seeing the Suwarna exhibit, I walked with Ruba and Jumana to Rafidia to meet with more of our class volunteers—Somoud, Iman, and my translator, Farah—for snacks at a restaurant with a great view overlooking the mountains and hills of the city.  I was glad to have the chance to spend an afternoon with my volunteers outside of the classroom to learn about what subjects they were studying at the university, how many brothers and sisters they had, and their past volunteer experiences at TYO.  In turn, they took the opportunity to learn about my interest in Arab and Palestinian culture, my passion for working with children and youth, my impressions of Nablus, and a bit about my life in the United States.

- Julie

Julie is an intern at TYO and a participant in the Kalimatna Initiative.

Announcing “Suwarna,” a Triple Exposure photography exhibition!

Check out the latest post by Project Coordinator Doris on the Triple Exposure website:

We are pleased and proud to announce the date for the first Triple Exposure student photography exhibition! If you are in the area, please join us on October 29 at the Hashimiya School* in El Bireh, Ramallah.

“Suwarna” is an exhibition of photography taken by the participants in this project: Palestinian boys and girls, ages 10 to 16, who have used their cameras over the past year to capture their homes, neighborhoods, schools, friends, hobbies, and daily moments of beauty.

“Triple Exposure” is a TYO initiative that aims to develop identity, awareness, and vocational skills among children and adolescents through teaching photographic expression and the production of public art.

Updated on October 28 with new location.

Mosaic Mania!

Check out the new post by Project Coordinator Doris on the Triple Exposure website:

Triple Exposure mural students have truly stunned us with the beauty and originality of the mosaic murals which are now complete! The first mural, titled “Representations of Palestine” by the students, features olive trees, flowers, and butterflies to celebrate the beauty of the landscape around Nablus. This mural overlooks the TYO parking lot and thus brightens the day…

Our third mural, located on a central street in Nablus

“Triple Exposure” is a TYO initiative that aims to develop identity, awareness, and vocational skills among children and adolescents through teaching photographic expression and the production of public art.

Nabulsi Cinema: Now Playing on the Triple Exposure website

Check out the latest post by Project Coordinator Doris on the Triple Exposure website:

Explore the origins of what I’m sure will soon be a burgeoning film industry in Nablus: the short films made by Triple Exposure students! See the work written, acted, animated, filmed, and edited by Taha, Mahmoud, Hiba, Suzan, Hanadi, Mohammed, Mumin, Yaseen, Hala, Mujahed — the list goes ever on. Characters range from a Palestinian police officer to a young boy with big dreams to a young girl who unexpectedly finds herself on a magical journey!

The kids have developed their skills in set design, framing, and composition in the photography and mural classes, allowing us to now focus much more on films this fall. So stay tuned for new releases!

Volunteer Masa and photo/film student Shireen prepare for filming

“Triple Exposure” is a TYO initiative that aims to develop identity, awareness, and vocational skills among children and adolescents through teaching photographic expression and the production of public art.

Summertime for Triple Exposure!

Check out the new post by Project Coordinator Doris on the Triple Exposure website:

As the summer winds down, we are taking a break from class to observe Ramadan (and to set everything in motion for the fall!). June and July were busy months — whether hiding from the heat by making a trip to the local mall to take photos, staying in the shade while making a mosaic, or using their cameras to show me their homes and families, the kids of Triple Exposure spent their summer holidays producing beautiful work, which I am now proud to show you.

Take a few minutes, sip a cool drink, and enjoy photos of Triple Exposure students putting their designs on city walls, capturing their lives and their city with their cameras, and generally having a rocking good time.

“Triple Exposure” is a TYO initiative that aims to develop identity, awareness, and vocational skills among children and adolescents through teaching photographic expression and the production of public art.

TYO Volunteers Attend Successful Youth Camp

On Monday, August 9, 2010 a three-day youth camp sponsored by TYO came to a bittersweet close. Forty-two university-age volunteers from the spring and summer sessions participated in the camp, which was led by Sports Teacher Haitham and Volunteer Coordinator Imad. The end of summer is an important time for reflection and forward thinking as the new academic year approaches, and the main objective of the camp was to pledge a commitment to improving personal competencies like communication and leadership skills and a commitment to improving the local community.

The camp featured various service projects, workshops and sports activities. Workshops were geared at honing important skills and discussing how to make positive social changes, including a workshop titled “The Art of Listening” led by Khamis, 20, from Askar refugee camp and Ruba, 21, from Khallet al-Amood and a workshop titled “Understanding Others” lead by Imad and Yousef, 21, from Awarta village.

“The harmony between the volunteers during the camp was incredible. It was such a unique experience for us to be together outside of the TYO Center,” said Khamis.

The camp culminated with a workshop in which the participants were asked to identify problems in their communities. Each participant was asked to identify two and then a general vote was cast in which a single social problem was nominated to become a targeted project for the volunteers in the coming year. At the end of much debate, it was decided that the most pressing issue is the community’s struggle to learn the English language. This problem affects many – from the youngest primary-school student who struggles with his homework to the most brilliant engineer who cannot break into the international arena. Over the coming year, these TYO volunteers will work to engage and support local organizations and institutions that teach English in order to increase awareness of and access to their services for the entire community.

“You cannot imagine how high their commitment was during the workshops. It was 100% successful,” said Imad.

Stay tuned for photos from the event!

Last Day of Summer Celebration!

On Thursday, 5 August 2009 Tomorrow’s Youth Organization celebrated the last day of our summer session. Over 350 community members came to the TYO Center in Nablus to view their children’s artwork and enjoy a series of performances and exhibitions, including dance performances by TYO’s Core Child Program kids, a debkah and a circus performance by Katakit, group of clowns from Nablus!  TYO set up a special blue tent outside the Center so our families could enjoy the show in the shade. All day long, the tent was filled with the laughter and shouts of children and families enjoying their time together.

[Triple Exposure] Nablus: How Things Are Made and the People Who Make Them

Check out the latest post by Project Coordinator Doris on the Triple Exposure website:

In addition to learning how to create beautiful images and generally having a rocking time exploring Nablus, my photography class this summer has learned about the many ways in which a photograph can tell a story. In class we have focused on two ways to tell a story in a photo: first, through profiling a person, and second, through documenting a process.

Follow the link above to see our photo students depict how all those delicious Nabulsi treats get made!

How To: Bee Craft

Everyday in my Arts & Crafts classes, I read a book to my children and then we do a craft based off some aspect of the story. This past Tuesday, I read The Big Honey Hunt — the first book written by Stan and Jan Berenstain in their very popular children’s book series about the Berenstain Bears. In the story, Papa Bear tries to show Small Bear that the best way to get honey is not to buy it from a store, but to go on a honey hunt! Hilarity ensues as Papa Bear and Small Bear fail to find any honey and must hide in a pond to escape a very angry swarm of bees.

After reading the story, my class made the most adorable bees that unlike the bees in the story were quite friendly and happy! Here are the instructions for you to try the craft at home:

Materials to Make One Bee:

One Toilet Paper Roll

Scissors

Tape

One piece of black construction paper

One or two pieces of yellow construction paper

One black marker, crayon or oil pastel

Steps:

1)    Cut yellow construction paper to cover the toilet paper roll and then tape securely to make the body of the bee

2)    Then decorate the body of bee using a black marker, crayon or oil pastel

3)    Trace a circle on the yellow construction paper using the toilet paper roll

4)    Then cut out circle and decorate to make the bee’s face

5)    Tape securely to toilet paper roll to cover the end of the tube

6)    Next cut a medium-sized heart shape to create the wings of the bee and attach with tape so that the wings sit on the back of the bee (look at picture if you need clarification)

7)    Finally cut out antennas and stinger using the black construction paper, and attach to the bee

8)    Khalas! You now have a cute little bee! : )