Notes from the Board Chair

By Vicki Weeks, ISEEN Board Chair

As we anticipate the coming of spring, I would like to look back a couple of months and say a few words about winter:

Every year, I look forward to the Winter Institute with great anticipation and come away supported, inspired, and full of new ideas. This year was no exception. Being in the middle of Times Square in the freezing cold and biting wind added its challenges and also created a certain buzz of excitement. Learning about Riverdale programs and working with the outstanding educators who put in countless hours to ensure a great program filled me with awe. I have wonderful memories of homeroom moments, the all-group dance break, many many conversations over meals, reconnecting with old friends and meeting new people. I look back on a week of action-packed days of enjoyable learning and sharing.

The highlight for me was our Experiential Education in Action workshop. Spending the day at NYU’s Verbatim Performance Lab examining the role theater and video can have in breaking down stereotypes, was fascinating, fun and mind-blowing. We had the opportunity to hear from a Riverdale alum who created a very inspiring senior project based on what she learned in a similar workshop, emphasizing the power of this kind of experiential work.

We appreciate the participation of all the members who came to the Winter Institute and jumped into conversations about social justice that are sometimes uncomfortable and, yet so important to all of our work. If we are to be the world we envision, we must wrestle with uncomfortable issues to discover both common ground and difference, so we can learn from each other and evolve with compassion. I believe Experiential Education, with the emphasis on action, reflection, and connection to the real world, is a perfect place for this work. As spring approaches, I am encouraged by our time together this winter to believe we are moving in the right direction.