PUCFSN

EXPRESSIONS

Description

Expressions is an after school community arts program which provides empowering expressive arts opportunities for West Philadelphia students. This program promotes writing, problem solving, and reading skills through arts-based activities. This collaboration between students, teachers, and community activists from West Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania furthers the Center for Community Partnership’s mission to promote meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships between these two communities.

Need

After school time is a critical time for youth. Juvenile crimes are at their peak between the hours of 3 to 6 PM. Arts involvement is a crucial indicator of school success, including graduation. Arts-based after school programming, such as Expressions, can decrease delinquency and emphasize creative connections between students and their school day.

Current Program

Expressions currently thrives under the guidance of Penn student facilitators Joanne Douglas and Yinka Green. Entering into a second year of Calvary Lutheran Church and Shaw school partnership with the same student participants, Expressions is expanding its curriculum and will serve as a model for other arts-based after school programming as well as additional Expressions at other sites. A new site at Word Tabernacle will begin in the Fall of 2003 with 10 more sixth graders from Shaw Middle School.
We engage students in themes that encourage them to reflect on issues relevant to their lives: neighborhood, nutrition, family, and the environment. The arts (writing, theater, music and visual arts) are incorporated into each weekly theme.

Ten to twelve students participate twice a week from 3-5:30pm in the Expressions program.

History

Expressions is a student-founded and -initiated program inspired by the Penn Program for Public Service summer internship and Dr. Harkavy’s seminar on university and community relations, in which Noga Newberg (C02) participated in the 1999. Through guidance of the of the course and the internship, Noga identified the problem that many West Philadelphia youth do not have a safe space to go to after school hours. Additionally, Noga learned that the arts as a discipline and as skill had been wiped out of the curriculum in many West Philadelphia. By the end of the summer, Noga developed a proposal to solve her identified problem by creating an after school program that would serve as a safe haven and an outlet for creative expression for local West Philadelphia youth.

In collaboration with another Penn student, Christine Nangle, and Newberg’s work with PUCFSN, the Center’s communities of faith initiative, Expressions found a strong ally in Pastor Larry Falcon of Covenant Community Church. In the fall of 2000, Expressions was implemented at Pastor Larry’s storefront church space and ran there for two years, reaching approximately 25 young people. The program outgrew the space and moved into the West Philadelphia YMCA. Currently, Expressions is located at Calvary Lutheran Church and partners with Shaw Middle School teachers and students.

Leaders and Community Partners

Noga Newberg, Expressions founder and advisor

Erica Gelser PUCFSN Director

Joanne Douglas (C’05) and Yinka Green (C’06), Expressions facilitators

Reverend Carlton Rodgers, pastor, Calvary Lutheran Church

Ms Wells, teacher, Shaw Middle School

Carolyn Chernoff, Community Arts Partnership Coordinator

Anecdotes on impacts of the program:

Expressions’ work-study student interviewed Ms. Welles, Shaw 6th grade teacher:

Ms. Welles is ABSOLUTELY THRILLED about the program. Terrell Cord is the one student in the program that is also in her class and she has seen a BIG CHANGE in him. According to her, he has become more motivated. He has started writing more and his participation level is increasing. Whereas he has usually been more shy and quiet, he is expressing himself more in class and more excited about school in general. He is getting more and more involved in schoolwork. He wants to do more, whereas he merely knew he simply had to do work. Mrs. Wells added that Terrell is more conscious of himself. Lastly, Terrell himself loves the program. Ms. Welles was not afraid to imagine that there were similar positive progresses being made by the other students in the program.

“At Expressions you feel like you are wanted and needed, and
that is always a nice thing”
~Yinka Green, site coordinator of Expressions and Penn freshman.

“Paper city is a project my team made. It showed how some parts of Philadelphia are. The project was also to show how creative we were…It was a nice little city on a piece of power board paper. Our team had things like stores, a hospital, a car dealership, etc. I believe that the project was good because it did seem realistic. It looked just like a real city of Philadelphia, but only in some parts.”
~ Katrece Truesdale describing the city building project.

“My mother is the best person in the world
And she raised me from a little girl
Rah-Rah I love you is what she always said
If I ever got hurt she’d carry me right to be
And if anyone ever tried to hurt me, man there would be something
Here she stands with me today and there is nothing more I am wanting!”
Mariah Sullivan wrote a rap about her mom.

“I like many things about the Paul Robeson House. I like the fact that he teaches now, even if he’s not living. The think that I like about him is how he inspires kids to keep going…”
~ Terrell Cord reflects on his visit to the Paul Robeson House

“My identity is important to me because I proud of my culture. My identity is important to me because all identities are difference. I love the world and myself. I have a chance to achieve things. I love my family for brining me into this world. I also think my identity is important to me because it is good to know about your history. I think my identity is important to me because even though people are different we can all be friends. My identity is important to me because I have something to lie for also because I have my own personality.”
~ Marina writes on her identity



	EXPRESSIONS Description Expressions is an after school community arts program which provides empowering expressive arts opportunities for West Philadelphia students. This program promotes writing, problem solving, and reading skills through arts-based activities. This collaboration between students, teachers, and community activists from West Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania furthers the Center for Community Partnership’s mission to promote meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships between these two communities. Need After school time is a critical time for youth. Juvenile crimes are at their peak between the hours of 3 to 6 PM. Arts involvement is a crucial indicator of school success, including graduation. Arts-based after school programming, such as Expressions, can decrease delinquency and emphasize creative connections between students and their school day. Current Program Expressions currently thrives under the guidance of Penn student facilitators Joanne Douglas and Yinka Green. Entering into a second year of Calvary Lutheran Church and Shaw school partnership with the same student participants, Expressions is expanding its curriculum and will serve as a model for other arts-based after school programming as well as additional Expressions at other sites. A new site at Word Tabernacle will begin in the Fall of 2003 with 10 more sixth graders from Shaw Middle School. We engage students in themes that encourage them to reflect on issues relevant to their lives: neighborhood, nutrition, family, and the environment. The arts (writing, theater, music and visual arts) are incorporated into each weekly theme. Ten to twelve students participate twice a week from 3-5:30pm in the Expressions program. History Expressions is a student-founded and -initiated program inspired by the Penn Program for Public Service summer internship and Dr. Harkavy’s seminar on university and community relations, in which Noga Newberg (C02) participated in the 1999. Through guidance of the of the course and the internship, Noga identified the problem that many West Philadelphia youth do not have a safe space to go to after school hours. Additionally, Noga learned that the arts as a discipline and as skill had been wiped out of the curriculum in many West Philadelphia. By the end of the summer, Noga developed a proposal to solve her identified problem by creating an after school program that would serve as a safe haven and an outlet for creative expression for local West Philadelphia youth. In collaboration with another Penn student, Christine Nangle, and Newberg’s work with PUCFSN, the Center’s communities of faith initiative, Expressions found a strong ally in Pastor Larry Falcon of Covenant Community Church. In the fall of 2000, Expressions was implemented at Pastor Larry’s storefront church space and ran there for two years, reaching approximately 25 young people. The program outgrew the space and moved into the West Philadelphia YMCA. Currently, Expressions is located at Calvary Lutheran Church and partners with Shaw Middle School teachers and students. Leaders and Community Partners Noga Newberg, Expressions founder and advisor Erica Gelser PUCFSN Director Joanne Douglas (C’05) and Yinka Green (C’06), Expressions facilitators Reverend Carlton Rodgers, pastor, Calvary Lutheran Church Ms Wells, teacher, Shaw Middle School Carolyn Chernoff, Community Arts Partnership Coordinator Anecdotes on impacts of the program: Expressions’ work-study student interviewed Ms. Welles, Shaw 6th grade teacher: Ms. Welles is ABSOLUTELY THRILLED about the program. Terrell Cord is the one student in the program that is also in her class and she has seen a BIG CHANGE in him. According to her, he has become more motivated. He has started writing more and his participation level is increasing. Whereas he has usually been more shy and quiet, he is expressing himself more in class and more excited about school in general. He is getting more and more involved in schoolwork. He wants to do more, whereas he merely knew he simply had to do work. Mrs. Wells added that Terrell is more conscious of himself. Lastly, Terrell himself loves the program. Ms. Welles was not afraid to imagine that there were similar positive progresses being made by the other students in the program. “At Expressions you feel like you are wanted and needed, and that is always a nice thing” ~Yinka Green, site coordinator of Expressions and Penn freshman. “Paper city is a project my team made. It showed how some parts of Philadelphia are. The project was also to show how creative we were…It was a nice little city on a piece of power board paper. Our team had things like stores, a hospital, a car dealership, etc. I believe that the project was good because it did seem realistic. It looked just like a real city of Philadelphia, but only in some parts.” ~ Katrece Truesdale describing the city building project. “My mother is the best person in the world And she raised me from a little girl Rah-Rah I love you is what she always said If I ever got hurt she’d carry me right to be And if anyone ever tried to hurt me, man there would be something Here she stands with me today and there is nothing more I am wanting!” Mariah Sullivan wrote a rap about her mom. “I like many things about the Paul Robeson House. I like the fact that he teaches now, even if he’s not living. The think that I like about him is how he inspires kids to keep going…” ~ Terrell Cord reflects on his visit to the Paul Robeson House “My identity is important to me because I proud of my culture. My identity is important to me because all identities are difference. I love the world and myself. I have a chance to achieve things. I love my family for brining me into this world. I also think my identity is important to me because it is good to know about your history. I think my identity is important to me because even though people are different we can all be friends. My identity is important to me because I have something to lie for also because I have my own personality.” ~ Marina writes on her identity