Jasmine: First Impressions of Petworth

My first impression of Petworth was that it was quiet and peaceful.  People weren't in a hurry; everything was slow and calm.  I also thought that Petworth was being modernized.  It seemed like someone was doing construction on every other street.  Petworth is also green and environmentally friendly.  Everywhere you go you see so many plants and trees and flowers.  Everything is so colorful and bright, it almost makes you want to move there.  I really like Petworth and I am looking forward to going back soon!

Here are some photos Jasmine took of Petworth-

Levi: Creative Writing Response

Levi, age 11, is part of the Southwest Waterfront group.  He wrote a creative response to some of the photos he took of the Fish Market-

Some fishermen went fishing once and cought some red fish and they caught something weird.  It was a weird fish.  So a fisherman named Bob took it to the fish market to check it out.  The fish market didn't know what it was.  Bob said "I'll name it Bobby Jack."  They played together.  Bobby Jack pinched Bob's nose.  Bob said, "Bobby Jack you're in danger, don't do it again."  One day the power went out and Bob was hungry.  His generator came on and he got a big pot, and put it to boil.  He grabbed Bobby Jack and said sorry old buddy.  Bob cooked him and steam fried him and ate Bobby Jack joyfully. 

The Best Way to Spend the Summer!

Hello everyone! My name is Jamee and I am the Outreach Programs Coordinator for the National Building Museum.  This summer I'm the lead instructor for Investigating Where We. I've worked at the Museum since 2005. I am originally from a small town in Oklahoma but have called DC home for the past five years. 

My job is fun, challenging, and rewarding. I work with teens. The best part about my job is that we, the Museum, see students grow up with us, right in front of our eyes. They spend two years to seven years with our programs. This Museum is a place where teens hang out, they know the staff, and they are made to feel welcome all the time.

Students who come through NBM programs leave with a better understanding of how they can help create positive change in their communities and also how their communitiy contributes to the overall health of the city. It's really cool to see students have such ownership of their city but also be able to discuss ways in which it can improve.  I think Jasmine, a participant in Outreach Programs for three years, explains the experience well.

“At first (three years ago), IWWL was simply a cool summer camp. Now that I have learned more about the city where I live, the areas such as Brookland and Columbia Heights are not just places on the Metro map to me. I have learned what makes them a big and important part of the DC landscape.” Jasmine – age 15

Josephine: First Impressions of Trinidad

On our site visit to Trinidad, I saw a few things I had never seen before. On the way there, I noticed a lot of construction and noise. I also heard a lot of sirens. While walking towards Trinidad, there weren't many poeple.

However, once we entered the neighborhood the first thing I noticed was the style of the houses. All of the buildings were very old fashioned, but also very colorful and different. There was a lot of plant life and a lot of flowers and trees.

Joshua: Beauty and the Beast

Josh, age 12, took this photograph is Southwest Waterfront-

Today Josh wrote a poem about the photograph in his sketchbook:

Diamonte': What I learned about photography

I learned that there is alot more to a photo then just a picture. The rule of thirds helps you balance out your picture. Also you can use leading lines to help guide you from one image to another image in the photo. Another unique thing about photos is the variety of framing you can fit into a picture. This is most of what I learned at this camp. I am looknig forward to learning more about what is in store for the camp.

Here are some of Diamonte's IWWL photos of Petworth-

Team Trinidad: Week 1

The first week has already passed, which is hard to believe. Before I know it, the exhibit will open and the summer will end. Taking care of the basics for the program, like learning about the classroom and getting to know names, is always a little stressful and time consuming, but we’ve transitioned to thinking about our neighborhoods and getting to know each other better. That’s the enjoyable part of the program.