Week 1: Intro to AYV

Just before Spring Break and Semana Santa, we introduced the Adobe Youth Voices class formally to the girls. The project begins when the girls get back from Spring Break and finishes in early June. Every week we will build on the last. We will be introducing the girls to photography, story telling, production, video, audio and ultimately helping them build a multimedia group project with their newly acquired skills.

writing their observations

For the first session, we wanted to give them a feel for the class and what they could expect and to also tune their observational skills. We designed an activity that recruited all five senses and asked that they look at familiar surroundings with a new eye.  Here’s the assignment we gave them:

ACTIVITY: We, the HaHaHooHoos, are visiting from the planet HaHoo a planet of ice and sky and no noise or music. There is no language spoken and we get our energy solely from the cold ice and sun. So We’ve landed in Guanajuato to explore the city and discover what makes it special. We only have 15 minutes before the spaceship leaves Guanajuato and returns to planet HaHoo.  Each of us must observe and describe in writing what we see so that the Council of HaHoo elders can decide whether to create a HaHoo vacation colony here.

TASK: Imagine coming from planet HaHoo where there are no trees, colors, or noise and then arriving in Guanajuato. Your assignment is to be as descriptive and specific about the details you are observing so that your fellow HaHaHooians can get a good sense of Guanajuato and if they should move there.  Use your 5 senses to write your description: sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste.

The HaHoo council, (Katie, Juanita, Beca), wants to understand your observations but they just can’t imagine what you are describing through your writing alone.  So, using any imaginative medium at your disposal, be creative and come up with a presentation for the council on your favorite aspect of what you observed…you can focus on any of the senses.

REFLECTION: What sense do you gravitate towards with your observations?  Why do you think we did this activity?  What did you learn from it? How can you expand your observations for future classes?

We sat and observed for 15 minutes on the steps of the church. Afterwards, we went back and the girls shared their observations.  A few presentations to the HaHaHooHoo Council, like Luz Elena’s, were particularly animated. One even resembled slam poetry (a surprise from little 11-year-old Marla).

Vanesa, presenting to the HaHaHooHoo Council with clay on her face to show the color of the Guanajuato earth

Luz, giving an animated presentation

At the end of the class we reiterated the time commitment to the girls and took a vote to see which areas of creative expression they are most interested in working on and learning about.  It was a great start to our program!

taking a vote on topics for our course

Our next class is next week so please keep checking back here for more updates!!