This week was our first time at the MK Gandhi Institute for Non-Violence. It’s such a wonderful place with an incredible staff. What started as a run-down house was turned into a beautiful, warm, welcoming space that was founded by Gandhi’s grandson himself! There are pictures of the original house on the walls and the progress is truly astonishing. They request shoes off while inside which gives the space a very homey feel. Some of the staff at the Institute are African-American which is a nice way for them to relate to the students in a way that Rachel and I cannot. While in the garden, one of the staff members noticed I was drawing on my map and shared that he worked as a professional painter in Mexico for 40 years! He now uses gardening as his artistic outlet.
Cooking this week was a huge success. We made broccoli and black bean quesadillas and turned it into a competition. The students became very invested and one group even added a cheese crust that they had seen on TikTok. One student made my day when he told me that cooking has been his favorite part of the whole program.
On Wednesday, a guest speaker came in to teach the students about financial literacy. She spoke about credit, identity theft, loans, interest and savings. She also distinguished between “wants” and “needs.” For example, many of the students spoke about being tempted to buy sneakers as soon as they drop because they are only available for a short period. However, she emphasized that they always come back and there are generally cheaper places to buy them from.
On Thursday we went on a field trip to Braddock Bay! The students all went out on canoes and learned about aquatic invasive species and even practiced removing some! We then heard from the staff about careers in nature, wildlife conservation, the arts and non-linear career paths (which was comforting for me to hear as well!)
I also had a long chat with Susan Coyle (4-H Youth Development Team Leader) about the history of 4-H and how this specific “Cultivating Community” program came to be. I did not realize how expansive Cooperative Extension is! As this program is an “employment education” program, the students receive a stipend. To apply, the teens need work permits, social security cards, school ID cards, report cards, etc. It can be especially difficult for the students to acquire all of these documents as many of them don’t drive and most of their guardians work during the day.
To end the week, we played freeze tag and those kids are FAST! It was a great way for them to open up, bond and let out some energy. I’m finding that the students become the most alert and involved in physical, active activities outside.