June Newsletter
June Newsletter
We Stand Together with Black Lives
Our hearts are sore as our people and communities are scoured by brutality, murder, and incitement to violence from the highest places. We want you to know that we are dedicated to this fight, supporting a just world, free of racism and violence for all. Read our complete message here.
Saluting the Class of 2020:
Jeremy Maltz, Clark University
Jeremy came to the Eliot School as a teen in our Summer Program for Children. He credits that experience as a key influence in his life. Not only did he develop woodworking and problem-solving skills, but he also gained self-confidence and pride in working with his hands. In high school, he sold handcrafted cutting boards at a local gift shop. The collection proudly sold out. Now a member of the class of 2020 at Clark University in Worcester, Jeremy is graduating with a degree in Business and Spanish. He will be working for Wegman’s, recently completing their management training program.The Eliot School proudly salutes the Class of 2020 and their resiliency during these extraordinary times.
Message from In House Director Claudia Fiks
In House Program Director Claudia Fiks shares a video highlighting some of our beloved faculty members and how she has handled social distance. Watch her video here.
Virtual Teacher Spotlight: Jenn Turpin
Our School & Community Partnership educator Jenn Turpin has transitioned her in-class lesson plans to virtual learning as our lead visual arts and woodworking teacher for both Boston Green Academy and English High School. Her virtual Zoom class has consisted of anime animation, DIY salt dough, and other creative ways of making for teens. Check out her YouTube channel and Instagram page to follow her journey.
Teens nominated for Teen Leadership Council
Our Teen Bridge youth are becoming more involved with leadership at the Eliot School through their new Teen Leadership Council (TLC). Through TLC, teens who were nominated by their peers will meet with Eliot School staff as an active part of the planning process for Teen Bridge/Artist In Residence. They’ll give opinions and input on planning for the Eliot School as a whole, and participate in conversations around fundraising & sustainability, eventually connecting with our Board of Directors. These teen-led meetings give our students the chance to take on new responsibilities and amplify their voices throughout the organization. We are so excited to hear what they have to say and to see what they do!
Teens and Elders Connect through Art Making in Response to National and Global Crisis
In a Zoom room, ten teens are gathering with Carolyn Shadid Lewis, a multimedia artist, and filmmaker who records people who have personal and political stories to tell. Shadid Lewis is working with Teen Bridge in a process of dialog and collaborative art-making that brings two generations together––teens on the verge of adulthood and seniors later in life––to explore stories of the past, expectations for the future, and to initiate creative ways of seeing our current moment.
By the end of the residency, Shadid Lewis and the teens will produce a video animation as a means for processing and healing for the larger Boston community.
Help Sustain the Community You Love
Now through June 30, a generous member of our community will match all gifts up to $30,000!
We need your help to sustain the future and mission of our school. With In-House classes canceled and our schoolhouse closed, we are looking at an overwhelming loss of revenue. Please make a gift to ensure we are able to continue to inspire creativity and craft for all. Please give TODAY. While a one-time donation helps us immediately, recurring donations will ensure the Eliot School is positioned for a smooth re-opening once the health crisis has subsided.