I delivered a series of workshops at a local high school this fall, including both Urban Ecology and Spatial Poetry. I felt there was a really big nexus where the two meet. The observation of the urban environment, both the natural and built world, lends itself to poetic description.
I remembered that earlier this year, I attended a program hosted by our Long Beach Department of Youth Development, called “My Hood, My City.” The City partnered with the Youth Leadership Institute. My Hood, My City – Youth Leadership Institute. I thought it also fit neatly into this nexus.
The program worked with youth to learn more about their own neighborhoods, historically or contemporarily, and to lead other members of the public on a tour of the locations that were meaningful or significant to them. I participated in the North Long Beach Tour, which met at our Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library. It was a great example of letting youth lead while providing them with a creative outlet that became a medium for self-expression and community activism.
This picture shows our tour stop at nearby Houghton Park and Doris Topsy-Elvord Community Center.
More pics from Spatial Poetry and Urban Ecology
Preparation: Research to find out the history of the land and the community. Check out websites with information about Indigenous Peoples to learn more about the history of your location. If time is short, select a specific database for students to explore with you, as a group.
Project: Create a zine or a poster that depicts how you interact with your environment. Thinking of what you learned about the Indigenous People who are the caretakers of this land, how do you feel about this place? Take your notebook outside and make observations about your environment and how you feel being here. You can collect samples, draw what you see, and write down your thoughts. Think about yourself and how you fit into this environment.