TLS Brochure 2015 by Bard College

TLS 2015 Trustee Leader Scholar Program

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND SOCIAL ACTION

Bard

It is a sweltering day in Cali, Colombia, the first time we meet the youth orchestra in the Siloé slum. The open marketplace, selling everything from raw meat on wooden slabs to cheap hair accessories, is filled with bicyclists, shouting, stray dogs, and the smell of burning garbage. At the gate to the school sits an old man on a weathered wooden stage blasting salsa from a beat-up stereo. Children of six and seven frenetically chase a half-deflated, dirt-encrusted soccer ball around a field of cement. We walk to a classroom full of students. We are greeted with thunderous applause. Attendants hastily grab some bent and rusty music stands and request we play. We pull up old chairs, get out our instruments, and dive into the first movement of Schubert’s String Quintet in C, salsa pumping in the background. DANIEL ZLATKIN ’16, SOUNDS OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Front cover image: A student from Sounds of Social Change teaching in Cali, Colombia. 2 Photo by Maureen A. Whiteman, mother of Daniel Zlatkin ’16, project leader.

Theme for the Year: Get Close to Your Materials My father had extraordinary strengths, was a beloved professor of film and theater for 60 years, and won distinguished teaching awards at every college he worked for. He survived a childhood in 1930s Germany living on the streets, sometimes actually living under the streets in sewers. His strengths were passion, physical stamina, and arrogance. Given the circumstances of his youth, taking deep meditative breaths and entering states of motionless curiosity were not survival techniques, and he never acquired these as an adult, either. I am 10—at the beginning of my life as a maker of things, a human being responsible for his world—watching my father repair a door handle. The spring-loaded bolt that comes out of the door won’t go through the hole in the strike plate on the frame, so the door won’t stay shut. He twists the handle over and over, mutters to himself, gets a tool, loosens the screws on the strike plate, breaks some wooden matches in half and shoves them behind the plate, tightens the screws, then closes the door. The bolt will not go into the hole. He stalks off, snarling under his breath. I get down on my knees, put my eye nearly into the small gap between the door and the strike plate, stay still, turn the handle gently and slowly release it. Of course the bolt won’t go in the hole: the strike plate is not too far away, it’s too low! My father acted out of assumption, out of impatience, without data, without questioning, without even really looking. Cultivate curiosity “Getting close to your materials” is what I have come to call the process of slowing down, being as physically close to a thing as you can possibly get, and looking, really looking, at the microrelations, the juxtapositions, the tiny movements, the edges, the rockings, the springs, the tensioners, and the levers in a thing. This life skill is an ironic gift from my father. It is a combination of his expansive energy and the creation of a secure life for his children that provides me with the privilege, opportunity, and motivation to contemplate the subtle workings of door handles. The clues are always there When you blow up the picture of a mechanical system, expand it so that you can see every nut, washer, bolt, and spring—that is called a schematic. When I encounter a situation—physical, organizational, logistical, interpersonal, even emotional—I try to think of it schematically. That is the way I

find the fulcrum, the leading edge, the center of gravity in a thing, a proposal, or even a conflict. Like a good mystery, the trick is to hunt for the clues, the connections, the not-so-obvious relationships between parts of a system. With door handles and motors and bridges and plumbing, the connections are sequential and proximate. Family affiliations in a small Palestinian village are not so obvious. Everything starts with good questions Effective investigations start with good questions. This is true of repairing doors or building cross-cultural bonds. Everything in TLS starts with questions. When a student comes to our office we ask: What do you want to do? Who do you want to do it with? How do you know they want it? What does it look like? Why does it matter to you? Who will join you? As project leaders mature, our questions deepen. TLS students write substantial monthly updates, which often go beyond mechanics into the places of the heart. For example, the theme of a recent TLS retreat dealt with the relationship of fear and personal rules. A month later our students responded to the prompt: “Please write about what you notice since the fear and courage workshop. Do you notice and experience fear or resistance in yourself differently? We’re also curious about rules—yours or other people’s. Do you notice them differently in any way?” TLS student Meg Gilbert ’14 wrote: This semester, Anne Gridley, cofounder of Nature Theater of Oklahoma, taught a class titled Devised Theater Lab. Halfway through the semester she asked us for a list of the things that we hate about theater. We answered, “spectacle for spectacle’s sake,” “men dressed up as women,” “lots of unnecessary shouting,” “pretending to be an animal.” Later we did “screen tests” (à la Andy Warhol, exactly four minutes and 12 seconds long) and revealed what we love about theater. The answers were “because it makes people feel less alone” and “it transcends barriers.” The things we hate about theater are tangible and accessible. The things we love about theater are conceptual and untouchable. I can point out a man dressed as a woman and Spiderman swinging from the rafters on Broadway; I cannot point my finger at commonality or transcendence. My personal fears are like the hates in theater, very concrete: bugs, illness, nuclear bombs, technology. My loves mirror the abstract way I think of my personal rules: live with integrity, love much/judge little. Who can put their finger on integrity, or love, or judgment?

I don’t know where this instinct to be intangible in love and material in hate comes from. Maybe it’s because contemporary culture seems to focus on things we disdain before noticing things we admire. Then I looked back at my free write from the TLS retreat and thought, “What if I let the positive things become concrete instead of creating rules for my life that I can never actually fulfill?” Instead of the abstract “love much, judge little” how about tomorrow morning I “make sure I ask whoever gives me breakfast how their family is”? As for my fears, perhaps focusing on the material ones is a way to avoid the large ones like “ending up alone, failing my parents, or never finding love.” I wonder and hope, if I shift my life rules to support the day-to-day business of living, perhaps those larger, intangible fears won’t be necessary. Be willing to make messes Sometimes Bard students think having the answers is sufficient; they seek to know it all in a land of know-it-alls. The unfortunate corollary to knowing it all is critique; tearing things apart carries the patina of knowing. I detect the edge of this in Meg Gilbert’s reflection on fear and rules. I do not believe critique has ever been enough for making the world. Creating and making are often sloppy business; there are going to be mistakes and variations. Critique tends to be clean. TLS is about creating, often from scratch. Successful projects can be sloppy and full of questions. Sometimes they have begun and we don’t even know it! For example, after Hurricane Katrina I took a trip to New Orleans with Stephen Tremaine ’07, a Bard student who grew up there. We drove around the muddy streets in Lakeview where the levy failed and looked at houses washed over onto their sides, rode into the lower Ninth Ward, and it was simply gone, a field of mud and weeds in its place. Everywhere was brown— the trees, the roads, the buildings, even the sky, it seemed. We didn’t have a plan. We only knew that Stephen felt an urgent need to participate in the recovery of his home. At the intersection of Claiborne and Napoleon we saw a banner: Broadmoor Community Meeting Loyola Campus Center Auditorium Sunday, 5–6 pm The meeting was led by an energetic woman named LaToya Cantrell. She showed a slide of the famous Green Dot map that designated the neighborhoods slated to become barren drainage fields. It was clear, listening

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to the impassioned speakers that afternoon, that the Broadmoor community had no intention of vanishing to the bottom of a pond. When the meeting ended precisely at 6 p.m., Stephen and I agreed we’d found our people. Next day we joined the education committee and learned about Broadmoor’s first priority: recovering the elementary school. At that point; so early in the process, Stephen and I were a third of the voting membership, and we were completely welcomed. During Bard’s winter break, more than 250 of our students traveled to New Orleans. They rented Dumpsters, pried open the doors, and wearing Tyvek suits donated by a construction company in the Hudson Valley, began gutting the elementary school. This is how TLS projects start. The leadership development program for students at Bard is not based on big ideas. Rather it is the training of the investigative, questioning eye and the nurturing of radical curiosity. We think leadership is the willingness to be surprised, coupled with the nerve to take a risk, joined with the will to act. Final notes Meg Gilbert, having graduated, recently worked with performance artist Amanda Palmer on The Bed Show, which premiered at Bard. Stephen Tremaine is now a Bard employee and runs a wonderful early college program in New Orleans. He is also on the board at Wilson, the rebuilt state-of-the-art charter school in the heart of Broadmoor. Emily Wolff ’10, who ran arts-based workshops in Broadmoor during the summers, was recently named director of the Broadmoor Improvement Agency. Emily frequently schedules activities at the new library across the street from Wilson, in the Green Dot Café. LaToya Cantrell is a city councilwoman in New Orleans. And on that day 55 years ago, after my dad stomped away, I found a chisel, butchered the wooden frame, but fixed the doorknob. Paul Marienthal Director, Trustee Leader Scholar Program

Trustee Leader Scholar Program The Trustee Leader Scholar Program (TLS) of Bard College supports undergraduate and leadership development in the context of hands-on, studentinitiated community engagement projects. What is TLS? The Trustee Leader Scholar Program is the formal civic engagement and leadership development program for undergraduate students at Bard College. TLS supports the liberal arts mission of enlightened citizenship: personal development in the context of community building. Who is in TLS? Every Bard student is eligible to apply to TLS, and TLS students come from every academic discipline on campus. Approximately 40 undergraduates participate in the program at any given time, and most TLS students remain actively involved in the program throughout their college careers. What do TLS students do? TLS students design and implement social action projects based on their own compelling interests. For example, they run poetry-writing programs in local prisons; build biodiesel processors on campus; run summer camps for Palestinian children in the West Bank; provide music lessons for economically challenged teenagers in local middle schools; build houses in hurricane-ravaged Nicaragua; and act as teachers’ aides in rebuilding New Orleans. TLS students write extensive proposals, budgets, and personal accounts of their activities. They meet one-on-one with program administrators and attend workshops to explore issues in social action, public speaking, and facilitation. TLS students also raise their own funds, and many become proficient letter-writing campaign organizers. What makes TLS special? Many colleges provide volunteer and community service opportunities. Bard is one of the few that puts substantial resources and trust behind student-led initiatives. Students must start the work. The fundamental criterion for accepting a project is that it must contribute positively to the world and challenge the student—organizationally, ethically, politically, and emotionally.

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What are some key values in TLS? TLS addresses the issues of paternalism and privilege that are stirred up by the notion of “helping others.” Students are encouraged to read widely about oppression, identify their own motivations and needs, and experiment with ways of organizing that treat other people as partners, not passive recipients. We try hard to strike a balance between inward reflection, societal awareness, and compassionate action. TLS considers this life training. We also say “yes” a lot. What is the ultimate goal of TLS? TLS strives to put into the world capable, sensitive adults who have the ability to generate, plan, fund, and implement large-scale projects that matter and that influence environments humanely. Many TLS students leave Bard capable of creating their own nonprofit organizations. A number of important College initiatives began as student projects in the TLS Program, including the Bard Prison Initiative, Bard Early College in New Orleans, and the award-winning Spanish-language magazine La Voz. How does TLS differ from similar programs? TLS is a leadership development program, not a community service office. TLS students do not earn academic credit for their efforts; for their participation, TLS program members receive stipends and transcript recognition. Separating TLS work from academics allows participating students to design and implement ambitious civic engagement projects spanning multiple years. TLS recognizes that organizing a major project while completing Bard’s rigorous academic requirements is a demanding load, and is not for everyone. It is worth noting, however, that many TLS students have said, “My project was the most important thing I did in college.” How do you apply to the TLS Program? TLS applications are considered on a rolling, year-round basis. The best way to start the process is to talk with TLS staff members, who are always open to hearing the words, “I have a TLS project.” Students are encouraged to consider TLS from the moment they arrive on campus. How can you help if you are not a Bard student? Making contacts and building networks are crucial to every project’s success. TLS flourishes because of the enthusiasm of Bard students, faculty, and administrators, as well as community members outside of the academic environment who generously give their time, creative energy, and financial support.

Current Projects Astor Services for Children and Families Astor Services for Children and Families in Rhinebeck, New York, functions as a school and residential space of rehabilitation, providing mental health services to children who have experienced emotional and/or physical trauma. Bard students become mentors and positive role models for these children, leading a range of activities for two hours each week. Activities are taught in a one-on-one or group setting, and range from theater and cooking to pottery and science projects; the activities depend on the shared interest of the Bard volunteer and Astor student. The project serves as an opportunity for children to be part of a safe, fun environment in which they can develop their passions and learn skills. This program helps children who are overcoming obstacles in their lives to feel appreciated, listened to, and acknowledged. Student Leaders: Serena Accomazzi and Helena Wippick Bard Biodiesel Cooperative The Bard Biodiesel Cooperative makes environmentally friendly fuel from community waste. The co-op works with Chartwells (Bard’s dining hall operator) and local restaurants to acquire waste vegetable oil. The oil is made into biodiesel in our on-campus processor and can be used in place of petrodiesel in vehicles, home furnaces, and farm equipment. Biodiesel is virtually carbon neutral and emits fewer particulate emissions than petrodiesel. Members of the cooperative not only receive a share of the fuel, but also a hands-on education in biodiesel processing. The fuel is also sold at chemical cost to members of the Bard community. The co-op makes alternative energy a reality. Student Leaders: Yangstsho Gyaltshen and Emmet Mahdavi Bard Branches Community Center The Bard Branches Community Center is a comprehensive after-school and community engagement project. We provide tutoring, mentoring, and creative education programs for middle school students in Germantown. Bard Branches engages a number of other Bard TLS projects and clubs in its mission to provide alternative creative education programs to students who otherwise wouldn’t have access to after-school education opportunities. In addition to our work in the schools, we organize community events to connect Bard students with local families, and a summer program on the Bard campus. Student Leader: Sylvia Estes

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Barn raising at the Bard College Farm.

BardBuilds BardBuilds was founded on the belief that physical structures can have an immense impact on the quality of an individual’s or community’s life. We work with communities on and off campus to democratize the design and construction processes of spaces that affect them. This project gives Bard students interested in urban planning and architecture the opportunity to step outside of the classroom and engage practically with theories they’ve learned, while providing local organizations with help they need. Students interested in architecture work with members of Bard’s faculty and staff to improve the infrastructure on campus and give voice to student needs. Those interested in urban planning work with the planning office of the City of Kingston, New York, to develop a master plan for the city for 2025. Students interested in sustainable living work with the Long Spoon Collective in Saugerties, New York, to further develop the off-grid housing and farming community. The work includes designing models and drawing sketches, constructing “tiny” homes, collecting data on zoning laws and city components, mapping (drafting and digital), writing grants, and community organizing. Student leaders organize on-campus workshops to train

other students in these practical skills so that they approach our local communities with specific planning and design skills. Student Leaders: Shireen Khan and Nicolas Shannon Bard College Community Garden The Bard College Community Garden, a haven for agricultural enthusiasts since 1997, will be used to demonstrate permaculture design, which addresses food scarcity, diminishing space, and soil depletion and uses nature’s biological processes to create regenerative, long-term food systems. This project is intended for Bard students, faculty, and staff, as well as members of neighboring communities. Workshops will be held on a variety of topics including natural building, herbal healing, and diverse methods of plant care. The ultimate goal is for the garden to serve as a hub for sustainable and conscious living practices for Bard and the greater community and to connect sustainable food systems to the local disenfranchised populace. Student Leader: Antonia Perez Bard Food Initiative From earth to table to earth again, every step of the way, we are resolved to make tomorrow a sustainable and fair food future. We, the students of Bard College, have committed ourselves to building our awareness of the impact that our methods of food production, procurement, and preparation have on our health, our society, and our planet. Every day, the students of the Bard Food Initiative learn how we can best support the poor family farmers of the world, environmentally sound practices of food production, humane treatment of animals, and the Hudson Valley economy. Then, we make the decision to do it. Student Leader: Carter Vanderbilt Bard Math Circle The Bard Math Circle is a mathematics enrichment program for upper elementary and middle school students, families, and teachers. We invite students and teachers to the Bard campus and travel to local libraries and schools in order to facilitate a partnership between the College and the surrounding community. Activities such as games, puzzles, and problem sets are presented to participants in an enthusiastic and encouraging manner, allowing students, educators, and volunteers to explore mathematics outside of the typical school curriculum. Both creative, hands-on approaches and teamwork are highly encouraged, introducing a stimulating community aspect to a subject often thought to be dull and isolating. The Bard Math Circle bridges the gap between academic and recreational mathematics;

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critical thinking skills learned with us are applicable both at school and in general. Learn more at: bardmathcircle.org. Student Leaders: Eliana Miller and Justin Shin Bard Model United Nations Initiative The Bard Model United Nations Initiative (BMUNI) strives to assist in the establishment, development, organization, and education of Model United Nations (MUN) teams in the Hudson Valley region. BMUNI works closely with students and faculty at Red Hook High School, where students meet on a regular basis to learn how to write foreign–policy position papers, research and discuss international current affairs, and become confident public speakers. BMUNI runs an annual Model United Nations conference at Bard College, BardMUNC. BardMUNC is run collaboratively by Bard students, Bard-affiliated students, and Red Hook High School students. Teams attend conferences and engage in an expansive discourse with hundreds of other schools, drafting resolutions to solve the world’s most pressing international crises. BMUNI aspires to increase knowledge regarding the international community and aid in the development of academic and social skills of participating youth. Student Leaders: Henry Gonzalez and Jason Toney Bard Palestinian Youth Initiative The Bard Palestinian Youth Initiative (BPYI) is founded upon the belief that constructive civil engagement, cultural exchange, and education are fundamental means to changing the situation on the ground in the Palestinian territories. Every year, 20 Bard College students travel to Mas’ha, a small village in the West Bank where, in partnership with the local community, we run children’s summer camps and community engagement projects, teach English classes, and join in cultural discourse. The only entirely studentrun Palestinian engagement program in the United States, BPYI is part of the Sister Cities Project working to establish a relationship—among Red Hook (the town where Bard is located), an Israeli town near Nazareth, and Mas’ha—that is grounded in a dialogue of artistic expression among the youth of three towns. Student Leaders: Jordana Rubenstein-Edberg and Ameer Shalabi Bard Prison Initiative Volunteers The Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) creates the opportunity for incarcerated men and women to earn a Bard College degree while serving their sentences. Current Bard undergraduates support BPI by tutoring incarcerated students in a wide range of subjects—including writing, German, Chinese,

calculus, and biochemistry. BPI undergraduate tutors are very qualified in their subjects and are constantly bettering their teaching skills through monthly tutoring workshops. BPI and undergraduate volunteers collaborate to sponsor speakers, workshops, and conferences in order to spread campus awareness of the issues of mass incarceration in the United States. Student Leaders: Emily Brown and Moriah Mudd-Kelly Bard Science Outreach The Bard Science Outreach (BSO) is a student-run project that aims to promote science education among middle and high school students in the Hudson Valley region. Each semester, BSO organizes visits from local schools to Bard’s Annandale campus to participate in science experiments in five areas: chemistry, math, physics, biology, and computer science. Bard students and professors lead these experiments. This is a great way for young students to get a real flavor of science, because science is best understood by conducting laboratory experiments. BSO also hosts and participates in many other community activities, such as mentoring students with independent science projects and working with the Citizen Science program or other TLS projects, such as the Math Circle, to develop other outreach opportunities. Bard Science Outreach strives to make science approachable and enjoyable through involvement in scientific activities, and welcomes participation from both science majors and those simply interested in science. Student Leader: Olja Simoska Bard’s Senegalese Sewing and Sustainability Project Bard students support the technical education of young women in Sandiara, Senegal, West Africa. A lack of resources makes it impossible for most of the young women in the village to continue their academic lives. Left to fend for themselves, they frequently are sent to cities to become maids, working shifts of 12 to 14 hours per day. In this Bard program, young women learn a trade. For now we concentrate on sewing and tailoring. In addition to technical skills, the women receive education about financial management, marketing, and gender equality. Participating young women prepare to take their products to market and earn real incomes. This project was brought to the attention of Bard students by residents of the village, and is operated with the assistance of a village resident who began sewing instruction for young women in her home. The need for instruction, equipment, and training far exceeds the limited resources and working space available. We hope to construct a small, sturdy factory building in the village that will provide a dependable opportunity for skill building and work. Student Leader: Julia Tinneny

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Bard Science Outreach

There are 120 eighth graders in the lab. What’s so great about doing science, they ask. I hold a beaker full of mysterious clear fluid. I light a Bunsen burner, which shoots out a long bright blue flame. The kids gather around. It’s hot and smells like burning gas. I unwrap a massive glass syringe with a long sharp needle and 240 eyes go wide. I suck the mysterious liquid out of the beaker, and shoot it through a nebulizer; it turns into a mist, which is sucked into the burner and the flame turns bright luminous pink! One hundred and twenty throats gasp. That’s what’s so great about doing science. OLJA SIMOSKA ’15, BARD SCIENCE OUTREACH

Brothers At Bard Brothers At Bard is an outreach program focused on the mentorship and character development of young men of color from underserved backgrounds and communities. Brothers At Bard targets boys of middle- and high-school age in Kingston, and Hudson, New York. Project volunteers are active members of the Brothers At Bard campus forum, who play the roles of “big brothers” or mentors to the young men of the cohort. The safe space created by the brotherhood uses group mentorship to discuss important issues that affect young men of color globally and personally. Brothers At Bard looks to expose the cohort to successful, college-educated men of color, enhance the community, and empower future leaders of black America and beyond. Student Leaders: Harry A. Johnson and Dariel Vasquez Building Up Hudson Students in Building Up Hudson tutor and mentor high school students in Hudson, New York. We lead workshops catering to career development, college preparation, and college admissions; personal skill building; and positive personal expression. We also raise funds for Building Up Hudson scholarships for eligible high school seniors who could not otherwise afford college. The Building Up Hudson staff, consisting of the college mentor team, publicity squad, and fund-raising committee, is dedicated to the personal and academic growth of the young scholars we work with. We hope to instill values that will foster confidence for impacting the world. Student Leaders: Helen Aracena, Tayler Butler, and Karimah Shabazz

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A Brothers At Bard session with high school students in Kingston, New York.

Child to Child Nepal Bard students travel to Nepal in the summer to work with novice monks at the Manjushri Di Chen Buddhist Learning Center in Pharping Valley. They teach English to novice monks (ages 5–13), and along with the elder novices (ages 14-19), administer a program based on Bard’s Language and Thinking Program to the wider community. Although Bard students work primarily with children at the Buddhist Learning Center, they also accompany the elder novice monks to a nearby public school to assist in teaching the children there. Student Leader: Isabella Wilcher Community Engagement Arts Project (CEAP) The Community Engagement Arts Project (CEAP) focuses on community art making that supports the process of finding a personal, creative, and empowering voice of expression through visual arts, movement, theater, music, poetry, and play. CEAP members use the arts to interact with children, teens, and adult community members to explore the emotional content of their lives and overcome personal challenges. Members attend

on-campus arts workshops led by professional practitioners and educators to equip themselves with the knowledge and confidence to design and implement their own workshops at sites such as the Astor Home for Children in Rhinebeck, New York; the Center for Spectrum Services in Kingston, New York; Red Hook Residential Center in Red Hook, New York; and Ferncliff Nursing Home in Rhinecliff, New York. In addition to engaging in arts programs with communities outside Bard, CEAP seeks to use the arts to build stronger community here at Bard. Student Leaders: Brooke Kipling, Nellie Ostow, and Laura Thompson Dream To Achieve Dream To Achieve (DTA) works with at-risk and underresourced students in the Hudson and Kingston communities to build a culture of academic achievement and college aspiration and success. DTA connects area youth with Bard College students, faculty, and resources on campus through engaging activities, educational opportunities, mentoring relationships,

Ground rules for gatherings of Brothers At Bard: One mic: One speaker at a time, all eyes on the speaker; at its core this means respect on all levels, for everyone’s voice, remembering that everyone’s voice is on the same level. Safe space: Embody no judgments, but you can talk about whatever you want, including emotions, and not be critiqued, as long as you speak without judgment and blame of others. Attack the idea not the person: This ties in with safe space; we acknowledge there will be disagreements, but a disagreement, even if it’s really strong, has to be aimed at the point, not at the person. “Vegas” rule: What happens in a session stays in the session; this includes not gossiping to teachers, janitors, parents, siblings, or friends; it’s crucial for building trust. DARIEL VASQUEZ ’17, BROTHERS AT BARD

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and academic support. Basketball, in particular, is used as a hook to engage students in our year-round programming in their communities and on Bard’s campus. Student Leaders: Ben Diamond and Harry A. Johnson Germantown Tutoring Program College students work closely with teachers in third-, fifth-, and sixth-grade classrooms at the Germantown Central School District. Tutoring in a variety of subjects with diverse teachers allows Bard students to engage in different kinds of classes. The Bard Germantown project is ideal for students interested in teaching, because it allows students to observe and engage in elementary school classrooms on a weekly basis. For the Germantown students, our project presents an opportunity to build relationships with college students who can inspire them to be interested in higher education and learning. Germantown, New York, is an area with an incredible amount of need. The high drop-out rate at the school motivates Bard students to lend a hand to the local community. We are impressed by the impassioned and hard working teachers and happy to give our time to the amazing Germantown kids. Student Leader: Julia Jardine Hope in Devereux The Devereux Foundation helps and inspires hope in some of our nation’s most special individuals. It provides a continuum of care for children, adolescents, and adults faced with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Devereux believes that “family engagement is one of the most important building blocks in successful treatment and outcomes.” Hope in Devereux expands this family and offers a community of young adults who volunteer in the closest Devereux site, in Red Hook, New York. We provide patients with homework help, drawing and art experiences, and simple companionship with people around their own age living a different kind of life. The work inspires Bard students by providing the experience of relating to very different kinds of people. Student Leader: Britt Shachum La Voz La Voz is a Spanish-language magazine, distributed monthly throughout New York’s Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, and Columbia counties, that elevates the discourse and news coverage accessible to the Spanish-speaking population of the Hudson Valley. This project involves continual dialogue with the communities served by the magazine. La Voz is a critical source of information on immigration law, available health services, legal rights and

resources, educational opportunities, and local events relevant to the more than 106,000 Hispanic/Latino area residents (almost 80,000 of whom prefer to speak Spanish at home). Bard students work directly with editor Mariel Fiori ’05 on all aspects of the magazine’s production, from illustration and reporting to community outreach and distribution (5,000 copies to almost 400 locations in about 20 towns every month). Fiori began the magazine with Emily Schmall ’05 as a TLS project while an undergraduate at Bard. After graduation, Fiori was hired by the College to publish La Voz on a permanent basis. In 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011, the magazine received the Ippie Award for best overall design from the New York Community Media Alliance (formerly the Independent Press Association of New York). In 2008, La Voz was recognized by A.H.O.R.A. (Association for Hispanics to Obtain Resources & Assistance), a Poughkeepsie-based organization focused on aiding Hispanic residents. In 2010, La Voz was awarded a Special Citation from the Dutchess County Executive’s Arts Awards. Student Leaders: Andrés Martínez de Velasco and Emely Paulino Administrative Contact: Mariel Fiori New Orleans Exchange Since 2005, the New Orleans Exchange has strived to empower New Orleanians working to rebuild their city as a more just, equitable, and sustainable place. An entirely student-run program, the Bard New Orleans Exchange’s members have traveled to New Orleans twice each year since Hurricane Katrina. More than 500 Bard students have worked to meet the needs of local communities through close partnerships with organizations such as the Broadmoor Improvement Association, McDonogh 35 High School, Andrew H. Wilson Charter School, and Bard Early College New Orleans. Students have gutted buildings and provided summer remediation programs for high school students striving to make up for class time lost to the storm; biannually surveyed existing property damage in

New Orleans pushes me to dream up solutions for education in the United States. How about four small schools in lieu of one large school? This would allow for four Hamlets, four quarterbacks, and four newspaper editors: almost impossible to get lost in a tiny sea. Students need someone to make proud until they can work to make themselves proud. LIZ BOYD ’17, NEW ORLEANS EXCHANGE

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New Orleans Exchange

the Broadmoor neighborhood and created geographic information system (GIS) maps of spatial concentrations of specific needs; and provided tutoring and facilitated arts workshops for children in elementary and middle schools. Currently, the members of the exchange work as teachers’ assistants in the Wilson school for three weeks during the January intersession. Bard students help elementary and middle school students develop basic reading comprehension and math skills through working in individualized groups. Members of the exchange also participate in a five-week program in June working as counselors in a literacy-based summer camp. During these trips volunteers stay with families in the Broadmoor area. The homestays help maintain close ties to the community. In addition, the exchange has initiated a series called “Bard Talks: A Dialogue on Education” with the purpose of uniting the experiences of other education-based TLS projects. The goal is to speak about the hands-on experiences working in different sectors of the school system, in addition to fostering a discussion on the state of public education in the United States. Student Leaders: Alana Bortoluzzi and Mikhaela Singh Nicaragua Education Initiative The Nicaragua Education Initiative facilitates educational projects that empower community members in Chacraseca, a rural town in western Nicaragua. For more than 10 years, Bard students have traveled to Chacraseca for three weeks in January to live with host families. Throughout our relationship with the community, the project has evolved from hurricane relief to sustainable education. We teach English to community members, ranging from age five to adult, and implement art projects as a means of encouraging creative expression. We maintain a presence in the community, even when we are back at Bard, funding an English teacher and various scholarships. While our project provides community members with a unique learning experience through English and arts education, it also fosters a multicultural exchange. Student Leaders: Brooke Kipling, Abigail Margolis, and Julia Vunderink

Nicaragua: land of lakes and volcanoes, sore feet covered in mud, tanned hands under layers of paint. Breathe in dirt, sleep in smoke, eat dust for every meal. Craving this and the satisfaction of fulfillment; every other day lacks the adventure of this new family. JULIA VUNDERINK ’15, NICARAGUA EDUCATION INITIATIVE

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The Old Gym Project The Old Gym is Bard’s only student-run performance space; located in the center part of the Annandale campus, it is a converted black-box theater with all the amenities of an amateur theater. We focus on presenting original student work to showcase the abundance of creativity and talent at Bard. The Old Gym’s mission is to provide a safe, multipurpose space for anyone (dancers, actors, directors, musicians, photographers, visual artists, filmmakers—both majors and nonmajors) to create radical, visionary work and share that work with the Bard community. Student Leaders: David Bull, Eileen Goodrich, and Audrey Rosenblith Red Hook English as a Second Language (ESL) Center Red Hook ESL Center is a community exchange program that offers free ESL tutoring sessions for children and adults of the following New York communities: Red Hook, Kingston, Rhinebeck, and Tivoli. Organized and staffed by Bard students and community volunteers, the center serves a diverse and emerging population in the Hudson Valley. Twice a week, Bard students individually tutor nonnative English speakers from a variety of backgrounds and language proficiencies. The program seeks to create a comfortable learning environment for community members who might feel isolated by limited English proficiency. The center also strives to create a space in which students and tutors can build relationships with people whom they might not otherwise meet, thus creating a basis for community exchange. Student Leaders: Liz Boyd and Caley Cross Red Hook Residential Tutoring Program A group of Bard student volunteers hold biweekly, one-on-one tutoring sessions with first-time youth offenders incarcerated at the Red Hook Residential Center in Upper Red Hook, New York. Subject areas include reading, writing, math, and GED prep. We tailor specific material to fit individual needs and align with class curricula. Through this project, we hope to offer students at Red Hook Residential the opportunity to meet or exceed their grade level, to enhance their understanding of fundamental academic material, and, most of all, to foster in them an appreciation for continued education. Student Leader: Anias Stambolis-D’Agostino

Sister Cities Project The Sister Cities Project, still in its infancy, will ultimately strengthen the bonds between Red Hook, New York (Bard’s hometown), and towns in the Middle East: Kfar Tavor, Israel, and Mas’ha, in the West Bank. Red Hook has a well-developed relationship with Mas’ha and is cultivating its relationship with Kfar Tavor. Working with schools in these towns, the program will connect Israeli and Palestinian youth to the youth of Red Hook. Bard College students work closely with the Red Hook Town Sister Cities Committee to cultivate these relationships. In 2012, Mayor Nedal Amer of Mas’ha visited Bard College and Red Hook and participated in several events. Student Leader: Jordana Rubenstein-Edberg

“Hey Nino, how was your weekend?” I get the usual, “It was good” and the usual grin that accompanies his not wanting to elaborate. “Did you dress up?” His grin vanishes. I wonder if he’d been part of any Halloween activities. He asks, “What is that word ‘dress up’?” I know he knows about Halloween because we just had our Halloween party where we meshed ESL games with pizza and getting to know each other. “Well, on Halloween people like to wear outfits that they normally don’t wear and pretend to be a character as part of the holiday.” He replies, “Oh no, no, I didn’t dress up.” Nino is quick to use the vocabulary I have just taught him. He continues, “I don’t feel comfortable participating in American holidays.” Nino has lived in the United States for five years. He is able to hold a conversation, and to most people he would seem fluent in English. I might have expected him to say that he doesn’t like dressing up or that he didn’t have any invitations to a Halloween party, but I didn’t know how to respond to his feeling that he didn’t have an invitation to take part in the culture in which he lives. I wanted to have etched an invitation in stone for him, but I’m not sure if even that would have changed his mind. LIZ BOYD ’17, RED HOOK ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) CENTER

Current Projects | 23

Sounds of Social Change The members of Sounds of Social Change believe that music builds strong bridges between people, communities, and countries and helps mitigate important societal issues. We are a group of Bard Conservatory dual-degree students interested in contextualizing our music education, and using it to inspire youth and build cultural bridges. In August 2014, we traveled to Cali, Colombia, and worked closely with the Orquesta de Siloé and Foundation Sidoc to teach and collaborate with young musicians living in the slums of Siloé. Our goal was to inspire these children to ignite change not only within themselves but also within their community. For more information, go to: www.facebook.com/pages/ Sounds-of-Social-Change/693207624058541. Student Leaders: Avery Morris and Daniel Zlatkin Surrealist Training Circus The Surrealist Training Circus (STC) is a creative forum at Bard College where students have the opportunity to learn unique skills such as acrobatics, fire breathing, juggling, and poi. All of these are taught directly to Bard students by other Bard students or Bard alumni/ae, and all students and community members with any (including zero) experience level are welcome to learn. STC members believe that academic and rational training falls short in preparing students for the absurdities of today’s world; in response, they pursue public theater and circus arts, and favor postapocalyptic lifestyles as modes of training for our futures. STC performs on campus through the year and is often invited to perform at venues off campus as well. STC puts on a show at the end of every May that is one of Bard’s most attended events; students—who have worked hard all year to learn and perfect their skills—perform for their peers and community members in a show completely designed by them. Student Leader: Megan Snyder

Young Rhinebeck Youth Program: Life, Learning, and Language Young Rhinebeck’s Life, Learning, and Language program provides a local support network for immigrant children and their families. Rhinebeck, New York, is home to a large population of ESL (English as a Second Language) speakers, whose academic and social needs are not always met by the school district alone. Young Rhinebeck strives to meet this need. Tutors from Bard work individually with elementary school students to help with homework and serve as mentors and models of higher academic goals. The program provides local family advocates and translation services to help maintain steady contact between the families and the school district. As advocates, mentors, and tutors, we also are in constant contact with the Hispanic community in the Hudson Valley, and seek to raise social awareness of immigration and education issues. Student Leader: Ivan Ditmars

We ring the doorbell and squint through the tinted glass, willing the woman at the front desk to notice us freezing outside. Though we come every week at the same time, getting her attention is always a process. The season has changed twice since we started at Red Hook Residential tutoring incarcerated young men, mostly from New York City, serving time for nonheinous offenses. We shiver and remember the warm wind of Indian summer and then the lovely crunch of autumn leaves. We stare through the glass and exhale white vapor. Our relationship to teachers and the young men is more seamless now that we all understand it’s a partnership. And the young men grow more confident communicating with us at every new session, leading our time together with increasing tenacity to utilize us best. The woman at the front desk finally sees us, stands up slowly, and unlocks the door. Inside, our breath disappears. By spring, how much progress will my tutee have made structuring paragraphs? Will I be a better teacher to him by then? Will he memorize the scientific method by April? I will certainly be a better learner because of this place. ANIAS STAMBOLIS-D’AGOSTINO ’16, RED HOOK RESIDENTIAL TUTORING PROGRAM

Current Projects | 25

Sounds of Social Change in Cali, Colombia. Photo by Heidi Paster Harf, cousin of Daniel Zlatkin ’16, project leader.

JOIN A TLS PROJECT Every project needs volunteers. A TLS student initiated and facilitates each of these projects, but the success of the work always depends on widespread participation. Please get involved. Contact the student leader listed in this booklet. HAVE YOUR OWN IDEA FOR A PROJECT? Meet with us to discuss how to make your project come to life—even if your idea is still in formation. We are always available. Paul Marienthal, Director Susanna Armbruster, Assistant Director Room 213, Bertelsmann Campus Center 845-758-7056 service@bard.edu

Selected Project Archive Activists Worldwide AIDS/HIV and Reproductive Education (AWARE): Russia Bard Health Initiative (BHI) Bard Permaculture Initiative Bard Space Program Bard-Sri Lanka Project Bhopal Memory Project Chiapas Solidarity Project Children’s Gardening Program Children’s Rights Are Human Rights, Amnesty International Conference Coalition for Peru Relief Conversations on Education Ghana Project Global Cultural Outreach Great River Sweep Habitat for Humanity at Bard International Tuberculosis Relief Project Kosher/Halal Kitchen and Multipurpose Prayer Space Linden Avenue Middle School Drama Project Media Analysis Project (MAP) Mexico Solidarity Network Delegation Migrant Labor Project “One Year Later” (academic conference on the anti–Iraq War outpouring in 2003) Rhinebeck Connections Homework Help Program Senior Citizen Writing Project SSTOP (Students Stopping Trafficking of Persons) Student Labor Dialogue Thailand Project Trans-Action Initiative Understanding Arabs and Muslims Visible and Invisible Disabilities Awareness Project

For the entire project archive, visit the TLS website: www.bard.edu/civicengagement/tls/

Back cover photo: Ameer Shalabi ’16, BPYI member and Mas’ha native All other photos by Bard students

Archived Projects | 27

The community finds relief in answers. We don’t explain ourselves. We survive the way we are. That is enough. There isn’t much room for “the other” to begin understanding us. BPYI creates the opportunity for curiosity. We show that no matter how much is known and answered, that there is always more to discover. Our approach, exploring proposals and ideas openly, makes an uptight and closed community more flexible and open. Mas’ha is coming to appreciate curiosity. We understand it is a means for survival. AMEER SHALABI ’16, BARD PALESTINIAN YOUTH INITIATIVE

Bard College PO Box 5000, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504-5000 845-758-7056 | service@bard.edu | http://inside.bard.edu/tls