• Blogs

  • Lab Stories
  • Mary's Blog
  • Mentor Blog
  • Promise Fellow 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)

This week marks the beginning of the second of three modules in the Visual Pathway. Our first module was all about self and identity, and this module is all about working together and building community. Students spent the week working on/writing original poetry and creating beautiful collages based on those poems. We learned about artists who utilize both visual art and text in their work such as Barbara Kruger, Adrian Piper and Lorna Simpson.  We were inspired by an interesting project called the “1000 Journals Project”.  This book was developed after a blank journal was sent out into the world, allowing anyone who picked it up to contribute with visual art and words.  The final book was published.  Click here to check it out.   After we finished our collages, we created bound books of our work to make a collaborative piece. Enjoy some samples of the visual art and poems that made it into our Visual Art LAB Pathway book. Powerful.

Negativity

Consider me a thug.
I give no hugs, hurt with pain

I feel no tugs
Past so bad it makes me mad

Can’t handle the struggle

It makes life last,
If there was two wishes

I’d pray for me to crash
It doesn’t matter what I do

Life still seems bad
Can you do what I do?

Can you judge me without standing a foot in my shoe?
Can you understand what I do doesn’t concern you?

Negativity.
That’s my damn issue.

This has been another exciting week in the Poetry Pathway!! Students are excelling in their writing by leaps and bounds. The focus has been incredible and the results have been evident.
On Friday, April 27th the students were asked to perform at the Wilder Foundation for a U of M Social Workers Celebration. Over 150 people were blown away by the stories, real-ness and outstanding performances given by our students through spoken word and music pieces.

There was also a field trip to a professional recording studio that was hooked up from our very own special guest artist volunteer, Courtney Yasmineh.  The students recorded and messed around with real live instruments ranging from electric guitar, to drums, to piano and beat making!!  They did extremely well with questions, staying on task and being focused as well as taking full advantage of an awesome opportunity! Thanks Ms. Courtney!  I couldn’t ask for a better set of students. I am proud of them all!

Here’s a student poem from this week’s pathway:

Reaching

Comin from the struggle, where everything is all bad

I was abrupt last night night now ya girl feelin sad try walkin in my shoes ten years without a dad

Momma did it on her own now the kid almost grown

Let’s convene… that’s assemble for a meeting and i swear it aint no beefin for no reason

‘Mante by my side  so the love we got is even as long as we breathing, we gon’ keep reaching, we gon’ keep reachin

….for the clouds .

-S

On Wed, May 2 staff and students at The LAB and Journeys Secondary School participated in a Health Fair event. The event was a part of our Global Youth Service Day Project, funded by a Delta Dental Serve a Smile mini-grant. In this Delta Dental Serve a Smile service- learning project students participated in a public awareness campaign about health and wellness for marginalized communities. About 12 students were a part of the planning stages of the project. Additionally, two students created projects on health topics of their choosing to display at the event, and 4 other students assisted with setting up and running the health fair smoothly. In addition to students, 7 organizations were present at the fair to provide information, 2 adult volunteers were on hand to help serve up healthy snacks, and 15 LAB and Journeys staff assisted with setting up, running, and cleaning up the event. 15 students were able to participate in the fair along with the parents of 2 students.

 

At the Health Fair, students got a free healthy snack and then received a passport in which they collected stamps for visiting the booths and asking questions, participating in activities, and learning about what each organization or student was offering. Once students completed their passports, they could enter to win prizes. Students also received hygiene kits full of plenty of dental health supplies donated by Delta Dental of MN and Metro Dental Care along with other basic hygiene items donated by staff at Journeys Secondary School and their friends and families. Students also picked up plenty of information from the participating organizations, the services they provide, and how to access them. Our hope is that students will take these tools and use them to live healthier lives.

 

The LAB would like to give a HUGE thank you to the following organizations for attending the fair to give students and their families much needed tools for staying healthy: Safe Zone, Children’s Dental Services, 1000 Petals, Marc Anderson, SPPS Health Services, United Family Medicine, and Ramsey County Extension Services.

 

The event was also one of the first steps in helping students think about action steps and ideas for creating an Urban Community Garden in the Journeys School yard (Note: due to the building being closed for construction all summer, the installation of the garden has been postponed to Fall 2012). Over the next few weeks, students will continue to think about how they can contribute to the community and dream up some ideas for what our garden will look like come September!

This week the Visual Art Pathway took a trip to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and had a blast! We were able to take a look at some of the artists we’ve been learning about in class and gain some inspiration from artists we’ve never seen before. Students were given digital cameras to document and record their experience with the job of finding one piece that was especially meaningful to them. Half of our time was spent exploring the museum with partners and half was spent in the group with time for reflection and conversation about all the beautiful art. We saw art from all over the world and many different time periods. Our students did a fantastic job representing The LAB and our school. They showed so much maturity and passion for their work in the Visual Art Pathway. Here are some of the awesome images students captured!

Over the past nine weeks we’ve had the privilege at The LAB of cooking and eating with four phenomenal students. Today marked the end of our journey as a group with an awesome field trip to St. Paul College’s Culinary Arts program. Over the past nine weeks students have learned valuable skills for life on their own which could also propel them into exciting careers in the culinary arts and hospitality. Some of the dishes prepared by students were pizza, pasta, vietnamese spring rolls, tacos, caesar salad and apple pie! On behalf of all of us who benefitted from these students and the delicious creations they made, we’d like to say a huge thank you and congratulations on all your hard work!

When I started my work at The LAB I did not know how to facilitate one-on-mentorships or group experiences with high school students.  Now, six months into my experience, I feel more capable of leading student groups and supporting the students I mentor.

I also feel like I still have much to learn about making group and mentorship experiences the most they can be for the students.  Letting go of my ego, being a humble and receptive learner, and stepping out of my comfort-zone are some of my present goals at The LAB.

The thing I have taken away most from my experience at The LAB are the incredible stories of resilience from the students I work with.  The LAB is a place where students can be safe, free, and empowered to be their best selves.  I am grateful I can have a small part in this work.

Listen up! At any given time, The LAB plays host to a variety of mentorships where passionate and skilled volunteers and guest artists work one on one with our gifted and talented students.

The following reflection and radio interview is from our VISTA Jason Rodney and his mentorship with one of these students: 

This young man and I have worked together since October, doing photography, video production, and now radio interviews! Our mentorship gives us a moment each week to learn from whatever else is going on in our lives – whether it’s good relationships developing at home, or a frustrating experience that morning.  We are learning from each other about how to be the people we want to be.

At the same time, we’re using technology to create something original, and gaining confidence every step of the way.  Even for the most outgoing people, it takes courage to record something and share it with your peers.  So I’m very proud of this young man for putting his voice in the world.

Enjoy this interview with Glo, a mentor to us both, and a role model of how confidence paired with compassion can change the world.

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.

The LAB is overjoyed to invite all of our supporters to a very special event. On May 11th, from 2-3PM, The Black Dog Coffee Bar and Gallery at 308 Prince Street in St. Paul will proudly display works of art produced by a group of students from Washington Technology Magnet School who call themselves the Cre8tive (Creative 8). The work explores ideas of identity and community as well as motifs inspired by Kara Walker, Abstract Expressionism, Barbra Kruger, and the work of Tim Rollins + K.O.S. Special musical guests include The LAB’s very own Glo Pesci as well as spoken word poet Desdamona and Hip-Hop artist Carnage. Please come and show your support at this very special event. Hope to see you there!

Next Page →

TEST