Signing off...

Today was our last day at the school, and it was a bittersweet experience. We spent the first part of the day making thank you cards to all of the teachers and students we worked with and talked to throughout this week. The card making was really important because we wanted to make sure that we convey that this wasn't about coming and leaving, but rather that we wanted to stay in touch with them in the future. This trip was more than just feeling good about ourselves, but making lasting relationships and learning from one another. In fact, we are already making plans for a trip back to the school. The kids were checking out the mural and most of them were reacting by saying, "Oh cool"... even though we know that deep down they really cared, which was evident when we left. The teachers were even showing their appreciation, even though we thought that they did not approve. We proved through our actions that we had good intentions and that we followed through with those intentions. One teacher, Ms. Foster, even gave us a present to thank us for our work. Before we left, we had a chance to meet some of the senior students, who were pursuing higher education. It was a great way to end the week, because we were inspired and encouraged by them and we were able to answer any of their questions about college. One girl really impressed us. She has plans of going to Penn State and studying engineering. We began talking to her about how her school is viewed and the reality of its academics. Her senior project was going to the board of ed meetings and learning about the factors that cause the problems in her school. It was refreshing to see that one of the students was willing to proactively try and change the system that her fellow students have to suffer in. One of the boys was talking about how in 9th grade, he was just as bad as the freshmen right now. He said that one day he took the fire extinguisher and sprayed it all over the school, but eventually he matured and realized that he cannot go around doing "stupid" things, as he said. We were happy that they had very specific questions and that we were able to help them out. Ms. Holdsworth was talking about how if you set high goals for the students, they will want to achieve them.

Next, we went to the Mural Arts program, which is a well-known Philadelphia program that paints mural around the city as a cultural and beautification project. They are also very active in arts education in Philadelphia, as this is a dying field in underfunded inner city schools. One thing that they said is that they have over 3,000 murals and they have taught over 2,000 youths. They are a private program that is heavily funded by the government. They are either asked or go to communities and ask what the needs of the area are, and cater to these in order to make the murals. This ensures that it represents the community and it brings them together. They also give opportunities to many local artists. We were working with the tours part of the mural arts program. Today we helped with the fliers, first by putting labels on them, and then distributing them throughout the city. They had us go through one of their routes through the middle of the city, called the "Mural Mile." We were able to see most of the great, inspiring murals that they have made. It is amazing how great art pieces, such as these murals, can blend into Philadelphia so easily. If we did not know where to look, then we probably would have missed them. They are very important, because they represent the culture of the people of the area. It was a very productive day and we learned a lot. It is sad that this day and trip has to come to an end. The experiences at the school were unforgettable and the mural program is the perfect way to end.