Branching Upward, mini-projects for personal development

The  projects  have two objectives:

1. Adolescents have the opportunity to develop as individuals and learn about new (and often inaccessible) themes through an interactive, creative approach to learning; and
2. Facilitators are able to develop strong relationships with the participants in order to help them in their personal development process.

Photos of these activities are in the Photo gallery.

Graffiti Workshops were held by Planting Magic Beans and PRISMA from August to October 2009. Participants started by drawing their designs in sketchbooks and then moved to trying their skills with spray paint on the wall of the health center. Thanks to workshop facilitators Joe Sarria and Nitza Vizcarra for volunteering their time AND to Nitza and her San Silvestre classmates for providing ALL of the workshop materials. Thanks to David Diaz for coordinating the workshops.

Handicrafts and Taekwondo Workshops were held by Planting Magic Beans and PRISMA in February and March of 2009. During the Taekwondo workshops, participants learned about this Korean martial art that combines self-defense and personal balance. Workshops were led by youth facilitators Cinthia Phillips and Enrique and Natalia Buitron. During the handicrafts workshops, participants learned how to make bracelets, necklaces, earrings, keychains and even cell phone accessories. Participants received additional materials to take home in order to continue creating and to exhibit and sell at the summer finale. This workshop was led by Michael Silva. The summer finale included a Taekwondo presentation by young black belts, an exposition/sale by handicrafts workshop participants and a smoking prevention workshop by Andrea Phillips. Participant recruitment and motivation and all workshop and event coordination were led by David Diaz from PRISMA, with support from Angela Bayer.

Handicrafts Workshops were held by Planting Magic Beans from July through September of 2008. During the workshops, participants learned how to make bracelets, keychains and necklaces with natural Peruvian products like seeds and coconut... and all workshops focused on the importance of being creative and inventive. All participants received additional materials to take home in order to continue creating. This project was led by Angela Bayer and Mijail Garvich.

Planting Magic Beans participated in the One World Youth Project (OWYP) from September 2007 through July 2008. Project participants held a cultural exchange with the Roots and Shoots Group from Medford High School in Massachusetts. This exchange was based around a curriculum to learn about the Millennium Development Goals in an interactive manner. The project was led by Angela Bayer.

To learn more about the One World Youth Project and Planting Magic Beans’ participation, visit: http://www.oneworldyouthproject.org/

PMB was chosen to be one of the pilot sites for a video initiative to address the MDGs, sponsored by OWYP and the UN Development Programme (UNDP). PMB participants made videos that were edited and subtitled by OWYP. Check out the videos at:
http://www.oneworldyouthproject.org/video/Lima,_Peru_-_Medford,_USA.html

This project was led by Angela Bayer and Mijail Garvich.

Projects in 2007 were as follows:

The Photography Project provided participants the opportunity to learn about the technical issues and artistic and aesthetic considerations that are most important for achieving good photos. The element of empowerment was the creation of photography projects by small groups of participants. After taking photos and writing about them, participants created an exhibit of their work. This project, which began in June, culminated with an exhibit in November. The project was led by Gabriela Valenzuela.

To view the photos from the exhibit, go to:
ALBUM FROM PROJECT

Through the Community Gardens Project, participants developed a community garden at the school. Participants were involved in all steps of the project, including the evaluation of existing spaces, creation of a plan and budget for the garden, visits to gardens and greenhouses to select the plants, and creation and maintenance of the garden. The project, led by Eric Ensley, began in August and ended with the planting of the garden in November… although of course maintenance continues!

There were Dance and Personal Expression Workshops in March, April and May. Each workshop began with stretching and relaxation movements and activities to build personal expression and self-esteem, as well as trust and group cohesion. During the second part, participants learned a traditional dance, the “Carnival of Ichu,” from the Puno region of Peru. Workshops were led by Pedro Macuri. The workshop culminated with a presentation of the dance for families and friends.

There were Creative Expression Workshops in January, February and March. The workshops united different creative expression media with themes chosen by the adolescents: Getting to Know Each Other Through Music; Identifying Ourselves Through Collage; Mediating Violence Through Drawing; Discussing Friendship Through Group Creation; and Achieving Dreams Through Individual Creation. Workshops were led by Angela Bayer and Mijail Garvich.

Participants also embarked on the creation of a Blog. The blog, a virtual space exclusively for participants, has endless possibilities… all of which are in the hands of the participants. Adolescent bloggers were supported by Mijail Garvich and Angela Bayer.