With the fair one week away, this week included a lot of final preparations for it. I followed up with some past Act for Change program members about speaking with the elected officials at the fair or sending in a few sentences about their Act for Change experience, and I got a few responses, which was great! The elected official meeting will be happening on the second day of fair, and I plan on speaking with them about the Act for Change program including some of the personal experiences from Act for Change members. I also plan on guiding them through my planned fair activity that will be happening in the 4-H youth building by the Act for Change booth. I visited the fairgrounds as well to get a better idea of the space and environment I will be working in for the next week to help with logistics of the fair activity.
Speaking of the fair activity, I was able to meet again with the faculty sponsor and my past PMA professor, Danielle Russo, to update her on my idea and hear her feedback and insights. Through this meeting, we were able to further flesh out some of the specifics of this activity. We brainstormed more direct prompts I could give participants to inspire their drawings, quotes, or lyrics on the puzzle pieces as well as what supplies and how many volunteer helpers I will need. We also decided to add an open mic and/or open movement aspect to this activity where participants can go to a mic, which will be displayed, and speak out or complete movement inspired by their identity and how they decorate their puzzle piece. Of course, with this, there are certain guidelines the participants must follow to ensure the space stays appropriate and safe, which we will be reminding them about. We also had ideas of a movement-based reflection to this activity that I will complete following the 6 days of fair, which can include my reactions to this project, possibly using soundbites from the fair as a background, and even the puzzle itself as a “backdrop.” The details of that will most likely be further discussed in a meet following the fair.
The 4-H staff also had a meeting regarding final fair preparations where we talked through things we were excited for, some concerns, and last minute requests/questions. This was a good time for everyone to communicate with one another certain areas they may need help on, things they felt good about, and any advice they may have, which I think will help the fair to run more smoothly and be less stressful, as busy as it is.
This week was also the final week of the summer course, so I helped out with one of the last few sessions, where students finalized details on their sculptures oof mythical creatures and began painting them. Throughout helping with this course, I learned how to adapt to different learning styles and environments as well as how to communicate respectfully and effectively with children, which I think will help with my overall ability to observe the energy of the room and the most appropriate reactions.
I’m really excited for the fair next week! I think it will be pretty busy but very fun, and I’m looking forward to seeing my activity come to life!