Mixing It Up and Staying Connected...Preparing for July Summer Institutes and Labs @writingproject

Tonight will be my 4th orientation for the Invitational Summer Institute at Fairfield University. This year we have 14 teachers attending for five weeks, three days a week. While they are tuning and exploring their pedagogy as teachers, CWP-Fairfield is also hosting 7 young adult literacy labs and 1 Ubuntu Academy (the funding was finalized yesterday when Bridgeport Public Schools kicked in transportation for 15 relocated refugee youth in the district). We hope to host over 100 guests on our campus this summer, increasing participation by 25.

Meanwhile, I realize, as the Director, I'm sort of the Dee Jay for making things happen. Actually, Ellen Israel has been my producer extraordinaire who works the presses, advertisements, recruiting, and organization and pulls all the paper work together. I'm good with the vision, but in order to see clearly I have needed my right-hand woman who grounds me and makes everything happen. She's been my telescope, binoculars, and magnifying glass. I've been her manic boss in need if her management skills. Our programs are about ready, however: materials ordered, guests scheduled, demonstrations on the horizon, rooms secured, teachers hired, teachers accepted, and research design complete.

The image (above) is how I felt last night, however, while juggling between emails, texts, calendars, technology, dates, times, bureaucracies, budgets, and dreams.  I feel like I'm chiseling away at a piece of clay, but then I realize it isn't musical enough. This work is much more lyrical and rhythmic. I am dj'ing a soundtrack for summer.

And so the countdown begins for our summer of staying connected and making together. It's the most wonderful time of the year!