Big Week!

So working at City Year has been amazing! I am coming into my position as Team Leader Coordinator very well according to my boss—that makes me happy.

This last week was a very busy week! As if MLK day wasn’t enough, we had to do Advanced Training Academy (ATA). Four days filled with workshops! It all becomes a bit taxing after a while. I did learn a lot, however. The City Heroes team got trained on everything from racism to how to facilitate discussions more effectively. I mention those two because they were probably the most useful. The racism training was defiantly the most powerful. There is a saying here at city year—these intense workshops aren’t supposed to solve a problem, but start a fruitful conversation in a safe space that continues after the workshop is completed. And that it did. My team and I stayed in the office until after 8 discussing the workshop that ended at 6. The discussion was very fruitful and respectful.

Other very intense workshops happened last week at ATA. As I mentioned before, all of the workshops are done in a “safe space” so I can’t give details. But I can say that I’ve grown closer with my colleagues in this short time and have gained tremendous respect for them.

This Week started fast. We are preparing for the overnight this weekend. I have the pleasure to work with high school students for 24 straight hours… Yes!

In all seriousness, I am really looking forward to it. I get to formally introduce myself the Team Leaders and lead them in a workshop on how to co-facilitate.

With the Heroes I will co-lead a discussion on the Vocabulary/cycle of oppression. My Colleague, Colin, will start it with a vocabulary workshop. He will talk about how words aren’t just words. Each person sees the word in their own context. They are experienced different. I will continue the discussion by piggy backing off of Collin’s facilitated discussion and move into the cycle oppression. Basically, I will be going through a discussion with the Heroes on how we are taught to oppress others and ourselves by lessons taught by authority figures in their life and how those lessons are often times buttressed by media and what they see in society. I’m excited about that; these students are great so I’m expecting it to go well.

I will also be facilitating an open discussion on music and poetry! That ought to be fun! I’ll be sure to make it progressive/revolutionary writers!

Today was my first trip to my afterschool. It’s called the Dimock Teen Center. Very cool kids as usual. Today and Thursday there are video game tournaments to raise money for the cent. Today was the NBA 2k9 tourney. Those of my peers who are reading this know that I am not very good at such things as basketball be it on a video game or an actual court. BUT! Thursday will be the Dimock Teen Center Madden Football 2009 tournament. I WILL win that one! There is no doubt in my mind that I am the best Madden Football player that ever lived! And I will make every kid at the center cry! I’ll keep you posted!