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While the winter season is starting to slow down, The Lab has been keeping busy with a flurry of activity. This semester, we have been working with guest artists, mentors and volunteers to develop cool, new experiences that inspire youth.

Listed below are just some of the extraordinary happenings that are being offered at The Lab this semester:

YOGA: Instructors, Jessica Erickson and Elizabeth Millard, are working with Battle Creek Middle School and Murray Jr. High students to stretch their minds, bodies and souls with a 6-week yoga course that focuses on the inner self. Students meet for an hour every week to learn and practice yoga poses and to work on developing relaxation and breathing techniques, and interesting yoga postures that help students focus and find a sense of internal calm.

Shaolin Kempo: A small group of young women from Central High School and Battle Creek Middle School are training with instructor Robyn Lingen to earn their white belts in Shaolin Kempo, a form of marshal arts that promotes health and wisdom. Shaolin Kempo incorporates movements of the Tiger, Leopard, Dragon, Crane and Snake to develop and balance internal energy with the body’s external strengths.

Sewing, Arts and Crafts: volunteer, Eleanor Daly, is teaching students from Como Sr. High how to sew this semester! The group meets every other week and has been working on projects that focus on needle and thread sewing techniques, the art of pillow making and learning how to use a sewing machine. The group recently completed a felt book project, and are now working on a project that requires students to get creative with patchwork material designs.

Cooking: The ever so popular cooking experience is back this semester and the recipes are better than ever! Lead by Lab staff member, Tess Pease, students from Highland Jr. High, Highland Sr. High and Battle Creek Middle School have been busy whipping up delicious treats which have included chicken stir fry, banana-nut pancakes, pineapple up-side down cake, oatmeal raisin cookies and pumpkin chocolate-chip cookies.  Using everyday math to bring the recipe to life is a great skill to have!

Canine Good Citizens (dogs!): The Lab has built an exciting connection to Canine Good Citizens (dogs!) and this has become a popular activity for students from Highland Park Jr. High, Highland Park Sr. High, Murray Jr. High and Battle Creek Middle School. Volunteers (Ah-Nung, pictured here) from some great local organizations teach students important lessons about dog safety, dog obedience, and responsible pet ownership. Students are learning about how dogs (and people!) use body language to communicate. As the students learn about the stories of these dogs that have been abandoned and neglected (and subsquently rescued), the students are learning important skills in empathy, forgiveness and compassion.   Positive mentor relationships are being established between animal rescue volunteers, and students (and) between students and dogs!
Thanks to our great volunteers from:

• Pet Haven of MN (www.pethavenmn.org)
• The K9 Coach (www.thek9coach.com)
• A Rotta Love (www.arottalove.org)
• Paws for Learning (www.pawsforlearning.com)

Girls Group at Harding: Lab volunteer, Kim Anderson, is working with a group of young women from Harding High School that meets weekly to discuss current issues facing today’s teens. The group is structured around a, “gratitude circle”, which means that the students are challenged to focus on the positive within themselves as well as how they can positively impact their peers. During their time together, the group also spends time on arts and crafts projects, beading/jewelry making and nail art.

Field trip to Century College: Lab staff member, Mallory Haar, recently took a group of students from St. Andrew’s to Century College in White Bear Lake. The group spent time touring the campus, talking to current students and even got to experience the Cosmetology program hands-on! On top of gaining a better understanding of what college entails, students also spent one-on-one time with current cosmetology students while they were receiving complimentary manicures, facials and massages.

Field trip to Rondo Library: Last month Lab volunteer, Ginny Brodeen (also featured in the E-Newsletter, Volunteer Spotlight this month!) took students from River East Day Treatment on a field trip to The Rondo Community Outreach Library. The students received a private tour of the library during closed hours during which they looked at art and learned about technology, books, DVDs, theElectronic Classroom and The SWAMP-Homework Center. The fieldtrip ended with students choosing a book and checking it out.

Poetry Lab Groups:  Since January, several Poetry Lab groups have been meeting on-site at The Lab from Hazel Park Jr. High, Como Sr. High, River East, St. Andrew’s and Highland Sr. High.  Each of these groups meets weekly with Lab staff and volunteers in our Writer’s Lab to write what’s on their minds and hearts, and to subsequently, bring their writing to the recording studio to make a poetry CD.  These writers have welcomed special guests to present pertinent information to the group, such as getting ready to be a mom and learning about interesting careers. These issues have been among the many topics for writing in the groups.

One to One Mentorships: Through the pairing of caring volunteer mentors and creative students, The Lab has fostered weekly mentor teams from Highland Jr. High, W. 7th, and River East. Projects have included: Designing and painting a skateboard with a local artist; making beaded jewelry to give away as gifts; learning about African Drumming; writing and recording in the recording studio;

Enrichment Shows: Each month, Murray Jr. High and Highland Sr. High school programs come to The Lab. While staff work in their staff development teams, their students enjoy an inspirational show, and then, have time in small groups to experience creative projects lead by volunteer mentors and Lab staff.  Last month, we enjoyed a show by local Spoken Word Poet, Desdamona, and a local Beat Boxer/Poet, Carnage. These two  peformers were a great hit, and have made a terrfic contribution to the work at The Lab.   In March, we look forward to a show performed by Central Touring Theater, and a Martial Arts Demonstration/Education by Robyn Lingen, and her colleagues from Running Tiger, Inc.

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