Four times a year Live It Learn It publishes a newsletter called the Quarterly Update (QU). It highlights the new and noteworthy events in student programming and for the organization more broadly. You will also find stories from the field, which capture the great moments that happen during our units.
Programming Updates
By the numbers—Since the start of the school year, LILI has conducted 237 lessons and field experiences for over 1,700 students from DC’s Title I schools. 5th grader Amiya reflected on her first LILI lesson saying, “LILI are the best field trip managers ever! They make me feel like I can do anything.”
New Field Experience with Peirce Mill—Students from Boone ES (Ward 8) and their families recently visited our new partner, Peirce Mill, for a Heritage Day Festival. We engaged with the 19th century by making corn husk dolls, mortaring a brick wall, pressing cider, and handling freshly milled cornmeal.
Providing Graduate Student Education— 15 pre-service teachers from George Washington University’s graduate school visited the National Portrait Gallery with LILI to learn about designing community-based experiences for their students. As a reflection activity, participants drew a classmate’s portrait and then added to their own to capture their learnings.
Organizational Updates
New Year, New Team Members— Live It Learn It welcomes three new colleagues to our team. Our new experiential learning educator, Erin McSpadden, is an avid historian and once taught her students vocabulary by having them act out scenes from various mythologies. Raven Barnes and Da’Jae Miller are Urban Alliance interns. Both high school seniors, Raven keeps busy with track and the marching band and Da’Jae participates in an advocacy group that mentors younger classmates.
National Guild for Community Arts Education— 36 educators and leaders engaged in LILI’s workshop on supporting multi-generational organizations at the National Guild for Art Educators’ conference in Baltimore. One participant shared that LILI “facilitated a great sense of community,” and another “learned how to better relate to each other.”
End of Year Giving Campaign—Your generosity provides our students with access to incredible hands-on learning opportunities. Please consider making a gift today at liveitlearnit.org/donate.Thank you!
Spotlight: The Experiential Learning Fellowship
Our inaugural cohort of 10 teachers from Title I DC Public Schools are spending this school year growing as experiential educators and leaders in their school communities. They recently completed a cycle focused on teaching socio-emotional skills. Take a peek into two of their classrooms.
Marlén Joglar
Bruce Monroe ES, Ward 1
Early Childhood, dual language
Ms. Joglar’s pre-K students are studying light and color. Students read The Color Monster and reflected on the connections between colors and emotions. In their daily community circles, students use color language to express their emotions and to encourage each other. In centers, students explore light and color through hands-on activities.
Brittany Jackson Machmer
Hendley ES, Ward 8
3rd grade
After learning about building resilience, Ms. Machmer had her students engage in goal-setting. Each child set a goal for math, reading, and personal habits. She was surprised with the self-awareness one of her students demonstrated when he wrote, “I want to work on being kind.” For a child that truly struggles to be kind to himself and others, this activity allowed him to reflect and set a goal that is meaningful to him.