• Blogs

  • Lab Stories
  • Mary's Blog
  • Mentor Blog
  • Youth Blog

• Find It

  • Summer Programs 2011
  • About The Lab
  • The LAB @ Journeys
  • LAB Staff
  • LAB Interns
  • LAB Volunteers
  • Volunteer at The Lab
  • Support The Lab
  • Contact Us
  • Links
  • The LAB on Facebook
• Home
  

• Modalities

  • The Leadership Lab
  • The Poetry Lab
  • The Tech Lab
  • The Visual Lab
  • The Wellness Lab

• Email Newsletters

  • A LAB Update: September 2011
  • Dec 2010/The LAB'S Local (and hopefully Lucrative) Holiday Love-Fest!
  • Generosity & Gratitude – May 2010
  • Project & Mentorship Spotlight – Feb 2010
  • The Lab E-Newsletter: Back to School/Fall 2010
  • The Lab: November 2010/Thank you to Community Supporters
  • The Lab: Off to the races for 2nd Session! (January 30, 2011)

Hello Friends! The Lab is thrilled to unveil our new video spotlight called “This week at The LAB” Come back often to see what new creative and exciting things are taking place. Enjoy!

 

As you know, The LAB is a special education program of St. Paul Schools.

The LAB is an Arts & Wellness-based program serving youth with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD).

and we have Big News….We are readying ourselves for a change!

In September, we will be moving from our location at Homecroft school to a new space.  We will be changing our service delivery model from a field trip destination, to becoming embedded in a new school (not yet with an official name).  The LAB will become part of this school that will serve about 75 students grades 7 – 12th grade, all with behavioral challenges.  It will be located at what is currently St. Paul Open School at 90 S. Western Avenue down near United Hospital.

This will be a tall order for us, to change our service delivery model.  We are confident we have a lot to offer this new setting, not the least of which is that we count on a force of compassionate & skillful mentors who can support the success for our students, in school and in life.   We Need YOU!

We are hosting an information session for interested volunteers/guest artists on Monday, June 13th from 6pm – 7:30 pm at Homecroft (1845 Sheridan Avenue, St. Paul).

We are hoping to grow and diversify our volunteer and guest artist force.
We are striving to significantly increase our volunteer base with people who have diverse backgrounds, life experiences, skills and talents.

We hope you will join us in this important work and transition.

Please spread the word to people you think might be interested in making a difference in the lives of these youth.

I wrote the following poem last week.  I was sitting in our New Volunteer Orientation, and I had given our guests a quick writing exercise to consider.  Something on which to reflect as they gathered at the Writer’s table.  I asked them to think and write briefly about why they came here, to The Lab. What for?  For what were they hoping?  What is their purpose?  This poem is what I wrote as I sat with the group.  Nothing spectacular, I’m sure, as poetry goes.  But definitely, a true statement about my answer to the big question.  I am on a mission.

I came here to inspire hope
Encourage you to foster hope
to these youth who don’t often say  ”yes”
but more often say, “NOPE!”

I came here to set the bar of expectations high
shining light on progress and beauty, instead
of on the negative labels, sterotypes and consternation.

I came here to open doors
for you and for youth
to bridge the gap that divides

Fill us all instead,
with pride.

Students shuffle into the Writer’s Lab and file into one of eight, cushioned, office chairs placed around a rectangular conference table. Some greet the co-facilitators in the room and enquire about the group’s activities for the day while others quietly slouch into chairs and wait for the group to begin. One student trickles in after all the rest, plops down in the last available seat and immediately puts his head down on the table.

The group begins.

“Everyone in the circle is equal… No one’s voice is more important than anyone else’s… Everyone in the circle is a teacher… Everyone in the circle is a student… Everyone has his or her turn to speak… When one is speaking, all others listen… The circle is sacred and special.”

Most of the students reference a brightly colored poster hanging in the Writer’s Lab to recite the creed, but some know it by heart.

The guidelines in the group are used to support and encourage students to establish social connections and build community. With these group norms, the Poetry Lab becomes a safe place for students to get over their fears about reading and writing and gain confidence in their literacy. Read more

I wish money grew on trees – But, alas, it doesn’t.

We are looking for a volunteer Grant Writer at The Lab.

Are you the one who can help? (or) Maybe you know someone with a grant-writing talent, who will collaborate with me to generate funding for special projects at The Lab (ie…guest artist stipend, poetry anthology publishing costs, technology resources for at-risk youth, etc).

Drop Mary an Email @ mary.tinucci@spps.org

I have been inspired (and affirmed) by several cool programs doing wonderfully creative work in the Twin Cities and I thought my blog would be a good place to give a shout out to them.  Every time I see another organizations putting art in the heart of their work with youth, it affirms to me that we are doing a good thing at The Lab.  As it says in the tag line of Free Arts Minnesota, Art Heals.  Indeed.

Read on to check out these cool organizations.  Maybe you will find yourself volunteering at The Lab, or one of these other great organizations.  You will be among those people working to make a difference with art at the heart.   Read more

I’ve been thinking a lot about inspiration lately.  How to find it, and then, how to use it in order to create the best fruitful outcomes at The Lab.  In other words, I’m searching for role models who inspire me to grow our work at The Lab.  In broader terms, I’m forever asking myself how we can change the world and education for the better?  This is my challenge. Read more

So, if you haven’t noticed already, I am a very infrequent blogger on this site.  However, I just sent out our Lab March E-Newsletter, and I was feeling pretty happy and decided it was time to post a blog.  As I read all of what is going on at The Lab right now, taking a wider view (not the usual myopic and driven view of which I am accustomed), I can breathe easier than I have of late.  It takes quite a lot of orchestrating to make all of the Lab activities come to life.  There are days I feel buried in details and worry, nervous that something might not go just right.

But today, as I see the March summary of great Lab activities and Mentors who are making a difference for students, I am reminded why I love my job. We are making a difference, and it matters.  I love that.

When we kicked off The Lab @ Homecroft this year, I had no concept of how intense it would be to take The LAB to the next level. I had no idea what key elements would be required in order to bring this vision to life. Three months later, it is clear to me – it takes teamwork and hospitality. It is also clear to me, that our students are always watching us – our behavior, our example… Read more

Is is trite to say that poetry has saved my life? Or maybe, it is completely grandiose. Either way, it is true for me. It was 12 years ago, at the age of 30, when I first dipped my toe into the waters of poetry. Immediately, my heart was soothed, my emotional internal world felt at ease, understood…

Read more

Next Page →

TEST