Blogging

I like to tell people that Project 55 fellowships are a lot more than just the job.  We have mentors, seminars, and social events; plus, fellows become part of new communities of Princetonians through our cities and AlumniCorps.  However, I've recently realized that another part of my fellowship has had a big impact on me: blogging.  I've enjoyed having the chance to write about my experience as a fellow at CEP and in DC throughout the year.  I don't do a lot of extended writing at CEP (Sarah has that covered) but I love to write, so it's great that I've been able to continue to write through this blog.

In fact, my positive experience with this blog inspired me to create my own blog!  I recently started a new blog, dinnerisvegan.blogspot.com, where I record the recipes for and write about the food that my roommates and I cook/bake in our apartment.  I'm vegan and they're both omnivores, so it's fun to keep track of what we eat.  I'm really excited about this blog, especially since I learned that the new AlumniCorps Chairman John Fish is interested in thinking about food and would like to expand AlumniCorps' engagement with food issues.  It's been great to see how my personal interests and AlumniCorps interests are growing together so nicely.

Art in the Philadelphia DA’s Office

Philadelphia has a long history of mural artwork and has more murals than any other city in the United States. Murals are often used to convey the distinctive history and culture of Philly’s neighborhoods.

One of the goals that District Attorney Seth Williams has pursued since taking office has been to restore and promote artwork in the District Attorney’s Office. The intent is to inspire and uplift the many prosecutors who work tirelessly everyday in pursuit of justice. With that in mind, he commissioned a new indoor mural that would symbolize these efforts, as well as highlight the unique communities the office serves.

Done in conjunction with the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, the mural was officially unveiled this Tuesday. As you walk off the main elevators, a wall-to-wall mural depicts scenes such as the Italian Market as well as neighborhoods across the City. This innovative piece incorporates technology in a unique way, with six WiFi-enabled frames that rotate to show photographs of the ongoing work at Community Action Centers.

November

It may be cheesy, but I decided to stick "I'm Thankful For ______" slips of paper on the office fridge so coworkers could fill in the blanks. When I came back, the slips had multiplied! So in honor of my coworkers and their willingness to participate in a cheesy tradition, I'll reveal a few of my own answers. :)

I'm thankful for... the moments when hard work pays off.

We finally launched the completely NEW HDF website redesign I've been working so hard on! It's such a relief not because it's done, but because we really believe the new site is much more clear and that potential clients will be able to access the information they need far more easily. (And it got rave reviews! Check it out here: hdf-ct.org)

I'm thankful for... work/life balance.

Working at a nonprofit (and/or doing a fellowship) may not rake in big bucks, but there are other benefits you can't take for granted. Consistently working 9 to 5 leaves me time to take a painting class and make art, join a local dance studio and even perform in a show, as well as read, cook, and so much more. Not ever working weekends also lets me take trips (like to Princeton for homecoming weekend!) and generous vacation time allowed me to visit my brother in San Francisco this month - a city I fell in love with.

I'm thankful for... new, unexpected experiences.

- At the NYC PP55 seminar on the economy, I had the opportunity of talking with (the Emmy-winning) CBS News Business Correspondent Anthony Mason one-on-one and getting his insight on the housing crisis - and what he believes was the cause of the 2008 Recession (securitization). Unexpected and enlightening!

- I've never been to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade but I watch it on tv without fail. Every. Year. Decided on a whim to check out the big parade in Stamford this past Sunday, and to my surprise and excitement, it was just like a local version of the Macy's Parade with HUGE balloons (see below), floats, and bands.

How can I not count my blessings? :)

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.

- Meister Eckhart

An Education Technology Conference

I was recently at a great conference in San Francisco on education technology. The education technology field is really taking off these days, and it was fascinating to be immersed in the topic for a day of interesting speakers and panels. One of the highlights of the conference was a talk by Sal Kahn, founder of Kahn Academy. Kahn Academy is an online-learning platform consisting of lectures on a range of topics and subjects, practice exercises that accompany the lectures, and a data dashboard that allows teachers to follow the progress of their students. The amazing thing about Kahn Academy is the way it is being used to allow teachers to spend classroom time helping students understand key exercises, while they assign Kahn Academy lectures as homework. This model of utilizing Kahn Academy in classrooms is showing initial promise, and it will be exciting to see how it fares in a number of different pilot classrooms in the coming years.

There were several other interesting talks at the conference, on topics ranging from how to best evaluate new online educational games to what the future of education technology will look like. I am looking forward to diving deeper into the research on education technology in the coming months and will no doubt be at many more exciting lectures and panels on the topic.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Without the usual, college time-markers of midterms, finals, and classes starting and ending, life goes by so quickly in the "real world." I can't believe it's already Thanksgiving - I feel like summer only recently ended! So, in the spirit of the holiday, I thought I'd do the cliche but valuable exercise of sharing what I'm thankful for about my job at World Faiths Development Dialogue (in no particular order). There really is so much I love about it, and the only times I grumble in my head about Monday morning rolling around are times when I've lost sight of that. So, here goes.
(1) I'm thankful that my three (and only) co-workers are kind, patient, and compassionate people, who are passionate about what they do and the role religion plays (and should play) in peacebuilding and international development. I never really expected to have "work friends," but I consider each of them someone I could always turn to for help. They make me laugh, too, which definitely came as a surprise to me that work could be sometimes, maybe, kind of... fun?
(2) I'm thankful that our little NGO holds frequent conferences, often organized by region or issue of interest, inviting religious leaders and development experts from around the world to get together and discuss challenges, share experiences, and brainstorm about next steps. I take notes during these meetings, and I always learn a ton. Plus, it's a nice break from the usual office routine.
(3) I'm thankful that our office is housed in Georgetown University's department of religion, peace, and world affairs (the Berkley Center) because it keeps me connected to the academic world, with professors and undergrad/grad students running around the place. It makes me feel close to the good parts of college, as well as appreciate my recent separation from the stressful parts.
(4) I'm thankful for my walk to work, and the same people in the same shops who I wave hello to every morning and late afternoon as I'm going to and from the office.
(5) I'm thankful that my first major project here, a report on the faith-linked institutions doing work to reduce maternal mortality globally, was recently published. It felt nice to hold in my hands something that took months to research, write, and edit, not to mention the excitement of seeing my name in print.
(6) I'm thankful that my supervisor decided to take the entire Thanksgiving week off, so I wouldn't have to feel so bad asking if I could leave tonight (Tuesday) for the week.
(7) I'm thankful for the crepe place around the corner that gives me discounts with my Georgetown ID. Yummy.
(8) I'm thankful that our office has three windows, so the space is always filled with light, or (as is the case this morning) when it's raining, it feels nice and cozy.
(9) I'm thankful that I get a paycheck!
(10) I'm thankful that I enjoy my work, that I sometimes even look forward to going to the office. I feel a sense of purpose here, and I think I'd like to stay in this field. I'm excited about what the future holds.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING everyone !

Welcome to the Real World

Yesterday (Thursday) morning, my boss asked me to look up an article that she had seen in the Philadelphia Inquirer about Philadelphia being the largest poor city in the country. I thought nothing of the article when I found it and sent the link to her. Due to my sleep deprivation, I am unable to come across the blog post at the moment, but a personal experience that caused said sleep deprivation made me very much aware of the socioeconomic inequalities that continue to plague this city. In a town where only 18% of adults hold degrees from four-year colleges or universities and the poverty rate stands at 25%, there is clearly much to be done to address inequality constructively. Sadly, I was part of a nonconstructive outburst reflective of these disparities.

Two weeks ago, I bought a new phone. My old one finally bit the dust, and, in a burst of upgrading glee, I secured a new iPhone for myself. I spent a little time tinkering with it, but mostly was just happy to have a phone after several weeks without one. Last night, while walking home, I called my uncle to catch up. In the middle of our phone conversation, my phone was ripped from my ear by someone who then proceeded to run off with it while I chased him, screamed, and incited others to tackle him. This was followed by an hour circling through Center City in a cop car and two hours at the police precinct. Suffice it to say, my phone was not found and I am back at square one in terms of mobile communication, albeit without the several hundred dollars I had to spend to upgrade to my now lost phone.

The very nice policemen who helped me told me that this happens all the time in Philadelphia- people will be using or talking on smart phones, and someone will come along, grab it, and run off with it. I spent the majority of the evening bawling, largely due to the shock of the experience. It's disorienting and slightly scary to have something ripped from you, and it's equally disorienting realizing that you've just lost something that you'll never get back (but still had to pay for). It's saddening to realize that I live in a city where this is a common occurrence, but the statistics certainly explain the behavior, even if they don't justify it. I would love to be in a city where everyone had equal access to various opportunities; hell, I would love to live in a country where that would be the case. But the sad reality is that we live in an incredibly unequal society, and random occurrences like my being robbed reflect these persistent inequalities. The bigger bummer is that I am now out a lot of money for what was ultimately nothing, whereas other people might be able to cover the cost of the theft of their smart phones more painlessly.

To whomever ends up with my (now cancelled) phone: I hope you got what you wanted.

¿Puerto Rico? ¡Sí, por favor!

Bienvenidos from the Region II Head Start Professional Development Conference in sunny Puerto Rico! Well, actually the conference ended yesterday and I’m back in New York, but I brought the greetings with me. The conference was an amazing opportunity and I still can’t believe I got to attend. Every day I went to fabulous trainings and seminars on various topics pertaining to running a successful Head Start program. It was like a crash course in everything Head Start. Furthermore, I was able to meet Head Start directors, staff, teachers, and parents from all of Region II. For four days we met in groups to discuss our programs’ strengths and weaknesses. We exchanged stories, ideas, and resources and worked together to find solutions to our problems. It was an amazing time to spend collaborating with colleagues towards a greater purpose.

Unfortunately some of this camaraderie was spoiled at the closing ceremony when we all learned that President Obama had announced new regulations on Head Start programs. The regulations state that if a Head Start program fails to meet certain quality standards they will have to compete for funding, with the losing programs being forced to cut slots or even close down. The entire conference was in a tizzy over this announcement and before we knew exactly what was going on it sort of felt like a grenade went off in the conference hall. After we had time to come to a full understanding of the new regulations, we realized that some of our panic was unwarranted because in and of themselves, these regulations are not a bad thing for Head Start. They will motivate poorly performing programs to get their act together, thus leading to better education for their students. If some programs are unable to make the cut, then they need to be cut so we are making the most of our taxpayers’ money. Fair enough.

In terms of the big picture, however, these regulations are worrisome because they signal a change in the attitude towards Head Start. In some ways these regulations are a warning that if the Head Start program cannot clearly demonstrate that it is effectively doing its job to close the poverty gap, it will be on the federal budget cut chopping board. I don’t believe that we need to worry because every day I see that Head Start is making a huge difference in the lives of the families we serve. Unfortunately, there is another audience that needs to be convinced if we want to continue our work. I’m confident though that Head Start can rise to the occasion.