PASSPORT ACTIVITIES
SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE
Sleep in Heavenly Peace is an organization where you build beds for people in your area who can not afford a bed for the children living there. As we build the beds in their home we are able to talk to the families and learn about their culture, their lives, and how they see certain events happening in the world. As I have talked to these people it allows me to gain different views on the world and create connections with people from all different backgrounds.
FRENCH PENPALS
So far in my French classes, I have been able to have a two pen pals from France. The first time I was able to have a pen pal it was from the southern region of France in an area called La Rochelle. While writing to my pen pal Lola, I was able to learn more about being a student in southern France. During junior year, I was able to once again be a pen pal with a student named Sam, in France, and as I awaited my first letter back, I was excited to learn more about France.
My junior year pen pal Sam
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK
The summer before junior year, I was accepted into a fellowship camp in Acadia National Park where we were able to collaborate with interns and mentors. The main goal was to see how climate change affected the ocean, the forests, and the people. One of our mentors named Maria was a part of the Wampanoag tribe that was on the land. From Maria, we learned about their culture, beliefs, and how their lives are affected by climate change and the urbanization of natural areas.
DAYS FOR GIRLS
Days for Girls is an organization where they create reusable menstrual pads for girls in schools. I have helped string bags that they give to the girls full of the reusable menstrual pads and any other item they may need. While helping, I have learned more about African Culture, where most of these bags are sent, and how menstruation is perceived in other countries.
MURALS
As the final for my AP Environmental class, Amelia York and myself where given the opportunity to paint a mural. We decided to paint a mural showing the world and the beauty that can be found in natural areas. We also incorporated things that we learned in the class. The sky shifts from sunrise, to midday, to sunset across the wall. During the spring of Junior year, Caroline Warner reached out to me and I was able to create a preliminary sketch of the mural outside the Jam Band room. This mural was created to show our school's support for the people of Ukraine. The sunflower became a focal point of representing support for Ukraine. Ukrainians view the sunflower as a symbol of peace and resilience and I wanted to show their resilience in the mural. I also included blue butterflies to represent their flag colors and the planned to add native butterflies as well. Ultimately this project was created by another set of students, I was happy to be included in the inspiration and beginning portion of creating such an inspirational mural.
SENIOR PROJECT
In my final term of senior year, one my classes was a senior project. Amelia and I partnered again to create a sustainable garden that brought back native plants and animals. We are planting native wildflower that will invite back pollinator to the area and help replenish missing nutrients that are needed in the soil. We are also creating garden beds out of old wooden pallets that we are getting for free from the local hardware store. Throughout the project we both have learned various important skills in gardening, woodworking, spatial planning, and how we can give back to the world.
SEAL OF BILLITERACY
In the spring of junior year, I took the Seal of Biliteracy test for French and surprisingly passed the test. Throughout the years of my French class I have always had difficulties with writing and grammar, which are two major parts of the test. In my most recent French class, I fully dedicated myself in improving these two areas and become more confident while speaking. As a result, I saw slow improvements in my French grades and confidence, however, I still had to take the STAMP test. Anyone who I talked to in the weeks leading up knew I had zero expectations to pass. I was planning on taking the test this year to familiarize myself with the format and to not care if I didn't pass. Until all of a sudden I got an email saying I had passed and would be awarded the Seal of Biliteracy for French. I fully believe through all the opportunities I have been able to do through translating, pen pals, and connecting with French families allowed me to pass a test that I had no clue I could pass.