Exploration Week Preview: A Sneak peak into what is happening for Exploration Week 2015 Exploration Week has always been an incredible way to gain hands-on experience through diverse opportunities outside of the classroom. While some students have looked at various forms of art in Boston, others have lived “off the grid� in New York, and other students have had the opportunity to learn about marine biology in Florida. However, Exploration Week also gives our school the opportunity to experience, hands-on, Tikkun Olam. It gives students the opportunity to deeply engage in issues of social justice and to formulate new passions. This year all Exploration Week programs have integrated social justice topics into their trip by striving to answer and examine social action related questions. While students will still be able to learn new skills and experience new adventures, all students will also be addressing different social justice questions depending on their program choice. When choosing a program for this year we urge you to consider the social action questions that the program will be examining. Each program is categorized under one of the following headers:
Attaining Social Justice: Empowering Change- Programs categorized under this
title will deal with how to create and implement change. These programs will focus on social justice as a concept, what tools can be used to combat injustice, and how to motivate people to step up and act for change?
Humanity and Community- Programs categorized under this title will deal with social justice issues surrounding how people connect with others in their own community and in different types of communities around Boston and North America.
Poverty- Programs categorized under this title will deal with social justice issues
surrounding poverty. These programs will address different issues associated with poverty and examine different responses that organizations and stakeholders have to help combat things like inequitable education, fair access to housing, and nutritional needs.
Sustainability and Environmental Awareness- Programs categorized under this
title will deal with social justice issues surrounding how we create more sustainable products and mindsets for future generations. It will also look at how our actions impact the world around us and what we can do to change them
Attaining Social Justice: Empowering Change DC for Wonks Social Action Questions: • How do we effectively advocate and lobby for human rights? Location: Washington D.C. Departure Date: Sunday March 22nd, 2015 from Logan Airport Return Date: Friday March 27th, 2015 at Logan Airport Program Leader: Yoni Kadden Maximum Number of Students: 15 Price: $800
What does it take to argue a case before the Supreme Court? What does it mean to sit as a justice on the Supreme Court? How does a bill become a law (from an insider’s perspective)? How do organizations effectively advocate and lobby for basic human rights? How does the President know if what he is about to do is legal? What are the inside politics that determine which artifacts and stories make it into (and which get left out of) the Smithsonian Museum? If these questions excite you, this trip is for you. No ordinary trip to Washington DC, this is a wonks dream tour for those who eat, sleep, and drink politics.
Engendering Equality Social Action Questions: • What is gender inequality? How do we know it exists • How does gender inequality impact social, economic, and political spheres? Location: Boston, MA Program Leaders: Chana Penini and Alexendra Somers Lahr Maximum Number of Students: 12 Price: $350
Gender equality remains an elusive goal across the world. Despite recent progress, clear disparities exist between genders in the economic, political and social spheres. This program will focus on gender equality and women’s empowerment and the issues within American society that pose challenges towards women’s advancement. The program will begin by building group cohesiveness through team building exercises. We will then spend the remainder of the week traveling around the greater Boston area and exploring issues that impact women in our society including poverty, reproduction rights, and women’s representation (or lack thereof) in the arts. We will also explore women’s issues from a Jewish perspective. Finally, we will learn about and celebrate the women in history who have made lasting contributions to the city of Boston.
Film History through the Los Angeles Lens Social Action Questions: How do filmmakers, directors, and producers most effectively utilize film as a medium for spreading messages and causes surrounding social justice? Location: Los Angeles, CA Depart Date: Sunday March 22nd, 2015 from Logan Airport Return Date: Friday March 27th, 2015 at Logan Airport Program Leader: Ray Daniels Maximum Number of Students: 18 Prerequisites: Students interested in applying for this program must complete a short questionnaire detailing their interest in the program. Please see the program leader to pick up this questionnaire! Price: $1400 Los Angeles is the epicenter of all things film. This trip to Los Angeles, California will focus on the art and production of film and will emphasize the way in which film is used as a medium for spreading messages and causes surrounding social justice. Over the course of the trip students will explore examples of social justice films, such as PSAs and documentaries like An Inconvenient Truth. Students will also investigate choice of directors to convey messages of social justice through their fictional- or 'based on a true story' films. We will explore, discuss, and experience films that have had a significant social impact and how the time in which a film is released, can have a monumental impact on the film's relevance and importance. Through this exploration we will discover how we can best use film to make a positive impact on our community and broader world. Through this experience, students will gain a deeper understanding of the effort and heart that goes into creating a meaningful film and that the students will aim to imitate that art. •
The Arts of Boston Social Action Questions: How do minority voices utilize art as a means of expression? In what ways can art be used to empower change? Location: Boston, MA Program Leaders: Abby Shapiro and Lindsay Metivier Maximum Number of Students: 20 Price: $200 "What is good art?" This is a very small question with a very big answer. This program will be run jointly by teachers in both the Gann Arts and English department. Each day we will travel around the greater Boston area to experience both cultural artistic events and explore local art installations. Each day will focus on different art forms including music, theater, dance, film and visual art. Afterward, we will sit together to process what we have experienced and hopefully determine our own answers to the question of "what is good art?” This program will cover multiple art forms and interpretation not only to provide a summative arts immersion experience, but to also demonstrate how voice is expressed in art. • •
Humanity and Community AIDs Activism in the Bay Area: Social Protest and Personal Renewal Social Action Questions: • How should a community take care of its own during times of crisis? • Why are some marginalized communities more successful than others at enlisting
help from outside their community? Location: San Francisco, CA Departure Date: Monday March 23rd, 2015 from Logan Airport Return Date: Friday March 27th, 2015 at Logan Airport Program Leader: Matt Conti Maximum Number of Students: 20 Prerequisite: This trip is for students who have completed or are currently enrolled in American History. Price: $1450 A trip that will explore two unique features of the San Francisco Bay Area: beautiful natural surroundings and a dynamic social justice environment. This trip will balance thoughtful exploration of the early years of the AIDS pandemic and how the San Francisco community responded to a health and social crisis. We will also spend time exploring Muir Woods, the Berkeley Hills and the streets of San Francisco. A love of learning and the outdoors is required. We will be outdoors rain or shine.
An Epicurean Expedition Social Action Questions:
How do communities come together around food? How can we use food as a tool to create community and serve the greater community? Location: Boston, MA Program Leader: Lisa Jacobs and Rabbi Sara Meirowitz Maximum Number of Students: 18 Price: $500 Do you stay up way too late watching Chopped, Diners Drive-in’s and Dives, and Cutthroat Kitchen? Do you wear a string of pearls and speak in a French accent while cooking just to try and emulate Julia Child? Do you think you can Beat Bobby Flay? Then this Epicurious Expedition is for you! Students will not only have the opportunity to work with different types of foods, but will also learn from local chefs and restaurants. Students will be cooking, baking, learning new skills, and engaging in conversations around food. Additionally, students who participate in this program will also have the chance to interact with questions of food, hunger and community. • •
An Exploration of Eastern and Western Faiths Social Action Questions: How do people of other faiths view the notion of Tikkun Olum? What are some models of “social action” in other faiths? Location: Boston, MA Program Leaders: Sarah Fendrick and Rabbi Jethro Berkman Maximum Number of Students: 12 Price: $150 Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a Hindu, Buddhist, Christian or a Muslim? How do they practice their religions? How do they answer some of life’s essential questions? For a week we will burst out of our Jewish bubble and explore the values, ideas and practices of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. We will visit religious sites such as Hindu and Buddhist temples, churches and a mosque. We will also meet practitioners and religious leaders, and try to see the world through their eyes. During our week we will also reflect on our experiences and examine our responses to the different faiths that we encounter. • •
"The person who knows only one religion understands none . . . One who knows only one culture or one way of living knows none. To know ourselves--who we are, who we could be-means we must know others. And to know others means we must study that which informs and guides their sense of self, society, and world. To study what people believe is ultimately real, good, beautiful, true, and the way they put this into practice is to study religion.”- Max Müller
Games of Strategy and the Mind Social Action Questions: • • •
How do pandemics spread? Can they be prevented and if so by whom? Who is most likely to be affected by pandemics and why?
Location: Boston, MA Program Leader: Chris Senhouse Maximum Number of Students: 10 Price: $45
Modern strategic boards games have relatively simple rules, short to medium playing times, and indirect player interaction. They emphasize strategy, play down luck, lean towards economic rather than conflict themes, and keep every player involved until the end. We will explore the design and mathematical underpinnings of modern strategic board games. We will look at how these games reflect the realities of life and human experience. After playing a few titles we will brainstorm strategies and test them out and analyze the results. We will learn basic game theory and see how it applies to complicated board games before getting our pencils out and designing and building our own strategy games to be enjoyed by both others and ourselves. This program may include guest speakers from throughout the gaming world and an off-site visit to a local game store!
Saluton! Social Action Questions: What is the experience of an immigrant to the United States? How do we treat immigrants in the Untied States? Location: Boston, MA Program Leaders: Carol Englander Maximum Number of Students: 12 Price: $230 Hola! NiHao! Ciao! Shalom! Have you ever wanted to learn a foreign language, but never had the time in your schedule? Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a teenager in another part of the world? Have you ever thought about whether Jews practice the same way in Italy as they do in Spain? If so, then this program is for you! Thanks to a partnership between the world languages, Hebrew and Judaics departments, we will spend our week immersing in four different languages and cultures (Spanish, Chinese, Italian, and Yiddish), learning vocabulary and conversational skills, and exploring the culture and the history of immigration of each languages’ native country! Students will do so by, going to art museums, learning native dance, eating cultural food, and speaking about personal experiences of those who have immigrated here. No experience necessary and all are welcome! • •
*Saluton means “Hi” in Esperanto, an original language developed by Jewish Doctor and Linguist Zamenhoff, that was meant to combine many languages into a universal one.
Voyage à Québec Social Action Questions: How does gentrification manifest in Montreal and Quebec City? What are the effects of gentrification on members of the community? Who benefits from gentrification and why do they benefit? Location: Montreal, Quebec and Quebec City, Quebec Depart Date: Sunday March 22nd, 2015 from Gann Academy Return Date: Thursday March 26th, 2015 at Gann Academy Program Leader: Shira Androphy Maximum Number of Students: 18 Prerequisites: Students interested in applying for this program must complete a short essay detailing their interest in the program. Please see the program leader to pick up this questionnaire! Price: $935 The only French-speaking province in Canada, Quebec is a mere 300 miles from Boston, yet feels so much farther due to the language and cultural contrasts. In Montreal we’ll explore the historic Old City, experience the renowned music scene, browse famous art galleries, and of course, take advantage in the abundance of delicious kosher restaurants! A daytrip up the Saint Lawrence River to Quebec City—one of the oldest cities in North America—will transport us back in time to 1608 as we follow in the footsteps of Samuel de Champlain in this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Montreal is also facing the reality and implications of gentrification. Students will learn beforehand about gentrification in Montreal and while there, investigate, the effects it has had on the city and its population. Embark on a journey like no other to discover the cultural wonders of Quebec! • • •
Poverty Educating our Youth Social Action Questions: • Is education a civil right?
How do we best educate the next generation? What should the relationship be between public schools and private schools? Between their teachers and students? • Are charter schools an important part of the education equation? Do they help their students significantly? Do they hurt other public schools? Location: Boston, MA Program Leader: Dr. Jonathan Golden Maximum Number of Students: 20 Price: $0 Students will be spending the week thinking about and engaging with the question of education. Students will be spending time volunteering in local early childhood education centers, elementary, middle and high schools. Students will have the opportunity to learn from leading educational visionaries in addition to working with one of the leading charter school networks in the United States. Students will have the opportunity to reflect on their own educational experiences and privileges. • •
Fighting Against Hunger and Homelessness Social Action Questions: • What policies and practices contribute to the violation or denial of food and shelter? • Are there some who benefit and others who suffer indirectly, as a result of the
current state of hunger and homelessness in Boston? Location: Boston, MA Program Leader: Dr. Susan Cheloff Maximum Number of Students: 15 Price: $100 Poverty and lack of basic resources such as food and shelter are a daily reality for so many of the people on this planet. Here in Massachusetts, over 10% of the residents live in conditions of poverty with some lacking basic shelter. It is easy for people blessed with resources to keep themselves separate from people in poverty. This program aims to break down this separation and expose our students to the realities of poverty. Poverty is a complex issue and the first step to confronting it is for all citizens to better understand it and to meet and learn from the people for whom poverty is a reality. By exploring direct service and advocacy as a means towards social change, students will be able to put a human face on the issues of homelessness and poverty. We will be meeting and working with several organizations that work to fight poverty and hunger in the Boston area, including Community Servings in Jamaica Plain and the Pine Street Inn in Boston. The week will challenge all of us to think about why these issues exist and how we, and others can make a difference.
Rebuilding New Orleans Social Action Questions:
How can we create fair access to housing? How do neighborhoods form Why did the flooding and devastation particularly victimize one specific cross section of the city? Location: New Orleans, LA Depart Date: Sunday March 22nd, 2015 from Logan Airport Return Date: Friday March 27th, 2015 at Logan Airport Program Leader: Kevin Cattrell Maximum Number of Students: 18 Prerequisites: Students interested in applying for this program must complete a short questionnaire detailing their interest in the program. Please see the program leader to pick up this questionnaire! Price: $1200 This program combines experiential learning and service work. We’ll participate in the ongoing effort to rebuild New Orleans by volunteering with the St. Bernard Project, an organization whose mission is to help families with limited financial resources (many of them victims of contractor fraud) move back into safe homes. At the same time, students will learn about the continued struggles of Gulf Area residents to recover their lives and homes in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. We’ll meet people from various socioeconomic backgrounds in order to gain a better understanding of the complex political, economic, and ecological dimensions of the catastrophe. Over nine years since Katrina hit, the work in New Orleans is far from complete. While much of the city has healed during this time, many people still are not back in their homes. Some are just returning to the area, while others have been living in small apartments with their families, living in unfinished homes, and living in trailers on their front yard. Gann has chosen to return to New Orleans each year to continue the work that has not been completed. While the horrific devastation is not as visible as it was in the months following the storm, it still can be seen. This is the eighth year that Gann is sending a delegation of students and faculty to New Orleans to continue to help in the rebuilding effort. When asked, why do we still need to volunteer in New Orleans? We reply that, even though the crisis has receded from the media spotlight, the people of New Orleans still need our help and there is still work to be done. • • •
Sustainability and Environmental Awareness Artisan’s Maker Space Social Action Questions: How can we utilize alternative materials and products to meet the needs of the current generation while preparing and keeping in mind the needs of future generations? • In what way do maker spaces foster or hinder the efforts of sustainability? Location: Boston, MA Contact Person: Heather Lambert Maximum Number of Students: 26 Price: $375 Ever have an idea for an invention or product, but don’t have the time or space to actually create your invention? Artisan’s Asylum is a maker space in Cambridge, MA, a place for, “design & fabrication…that empowers individuals to give form to their ideas.” Students will not only have the opportunity to create, but to engage in discussion surrounding the role that places like Artisan’s Asylum have in creating a more sustainable future. Students will choose from one of three distinct programs: ◦ Computer-Aided Manufacturing: Introduction to 2D and 3D modeling, laser cutters, and 3D printers ◦ Sculptural Metalworking: each day a new small, creative metalworking project, covering welding tools and basic metalworking power tools ◦ Analog Electronics: A fairly in-depth electronics class building noise making machines •
A Battle Ground Investigation of the Civil War Social Action Questions: • While much of the ground on which major Civil War battles were fought have been
protected, we are still in danger of losing precious acreage to commercial development. Students will reflect on whether these historic sites ought to be preserved; what they can teach us; and how they function collectively to create and maintain a national identity. Location: Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania Departure Date: Sunday March 22nd, 2015 from Logan Airport Return Date: Friday March 27th, 2015 at Logan Airport Program Leader: Kevin Levin Maximum Number of Students: 15 Price: $1050 The American Civil War is the most important event in American history. Four years of bloody war left 750,000 Americans dead and a nation fundamentally transformed. The Union was saved and four million enslaved people freed. On this trip students will walk some of the most important Civil War battlefields in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. We will explore how soldiers experienced combat, its impact on civilian populations, and the unraveling of the institution of slavery.
Glassworks Social Action Questions: What role do local artisan shops and businesses have in creating a more sustainable world? • How can smaller shops and business influence bigger business to think about the products that are created and to make them more sustainable? Location: Boston, MA Program Leader: Ya’akov Komisar Maximum Number of Students: 18 Price: $670 This experience will be an exploration of different types of glass work, including four full days of classes at the Diablo Glass studio in Jamaica Plain. On Friday the program culminates with students reflecting on their experience by discussing and presenting about the role that small businesses have in sustainability. The Diablo staff will arrange an introduction to techniques in the Flame Shop and the Hot Shop. In the flameworking studio, the class will cover all of the basics of shaping colorful glass over the flame of a stationary propane/oxygen torch. Through periodic demonstrations followed by plenty of practice time, students might create glass pendants, beads, marbles, small vessels and/or sculptures. Diablo instructors will work closely with students to guide them in techniques with molten glass, “gathering” the glass and using glassworking tools to create solid glass paperweights and sculptural forms. •
Off the Grid and Being Riparian- Voluntouring on the Columbia River Social Action Questions: • •
How can service projects help to deepen the exploration of a new city? How can we create nature experiences for city dwellers and why does it matter? Or in other words-what is the role of urban nature centers? • How can we help reduce construction waste? What is construction waste? Location: Portland, OR and Washougal, WA Departure Date: Sunday March 22nd, 2015 from Logan Airport Return Date: Sunday March 29th, 2015 at Logan Airport Program Leader: Laila Goodman Maximum Number of Students: 18 Prerequisite: In order to participate in this experience, you must be willing to travel to Portland, Oregon with no cell phone, computer, IPod, Apple watch, etc. and instead be grounded in earthly, 3-D experiences. Price: $1300 Learn how to put your commitment to making the world a better place into your travels. Give up pings, tweets, pics, screens, updates and traffic and use your freed eyes and ears and hands to explore a new city through service. We will work at Columbia Springs urban nature center on the Columbia River, at a construction waste-recycling center in Portland, and we will also explore some local hikes including a 1-mile lava tube at Mt. St. Helens. Together we will create a fun, safe space to cook, eat, pray and live in a beautiful farmhouse in Washougal, Washington. Students will explore another city while also living without constant connection to the Internet, phones, and screens. Students will learn about service travel as a way to practice Tikkun Olam while exploring new places.
Sea Camp Social Action Questions: What factors cause damage to the Florida reefs? What measures can be taken to benefit the reefs? What are the effects of development, runoff contamination, and habitat destruction on the Everglades Ecosystem? Location: Big Pine Key, FL and Miami FL Departure Date: Sunday March 22nd, 2015 from Logan Airport Return Date: Friday March 27th, 2015 at Logan Airport Program Leader: Greg Kee Maximum Number of Students: 30 Prerequisites: Students must pass a 25-yard swim test. Additionally this trip is not suitable for students on a medically restricted diet Price: $1600 Sea Camp is an opportunity to learn about the science of the sea in the Florida Keys! Our pretrip reading provides background that is expanded on by our on-site naturalist guide. Each day we conduct hands-on experiments with fish, sponges, anemones and algae. You’ll even get to dissect a squid! We will encounter sea life directly by snorkeling at the coral reef and kayaking among the mangroves and tidal pools. Flat-top oceanographic research boats provide lecture space and a platform for our group snorkeling. This is an opportunity to explore marine biology and the effects of modern development by direct interaction with sea life. We are studying the sea from 9am to 9pm each day (some labs are after dinner). We will also explore marine life at Everglades National Park. • • •