Travel in Groups

In this photo you can see a class of children and their children moving to their classroom which was the home of a neighbor.  They have appropriately lined the children up and encapsulated them with the co-teachers.  They have a watchful eye on the children and potential traffic from the street.

Theater in the Streets: Keeping Children Safe

Can all places be made safe? Some people might not think so. Sometimes, the only place to have a class is outdoors and in a public area. By some standards (especially those in the US) where there are resources for space, teachers my look with fear and shock that a class would be held on a public street. It is possible. As in the picture above, this Bogota public street was used for a "street theater" class when space was not available for the class. During the week of the class children and teachers saw horses, motorcycles, trucks, cars and even an ice cream truck drive through a class that was in progress. It is important to note that in Colombia, pedestrians do not have the right of way with traffic, as in other countries. What made this work?

• The space was marked in the street (notice the chairs)
• The space was home territory for the children
• The street was a basic "dead-end" at the end of the block (left) so there was not fast through traffic
• The class established "look-out" roles for teachers and students who then guided the class to pick up and move when traffic approached.
• While rain presented a threat, a much smaller indoor place was very near.

Recruit: Know the Neighbors

In this bateye in the Dominican Republic, the key to starting class "on time" is the regular walk through the neighborhood by the teachers by greeting all the families.  In many cultures that are not time bound, people to not arrive for an event until they see the leader has arrived.  Building these family relationships builds trust and enlists support.  Here, the children gather around the teachers and follow them to class.

Is Your Classroom Safe?

What is wrong with this picture?  This after-school program is only 4 weeks old.  There are great teachers, plenty of children and interested parents.  In most cultures, a school is not a school without a building.  Finding a suitable structure can be difficult.  Here, a local church donated their Sunday structure for the classes.  The problem, as you can see, is the cracked concrete floor.  Throughout the class children wer constantly navigating the cracks to avoid chairs from falling. In some ways it is not much different than meeting outside, though outside might have provided fewer dangers.  Sometimes a building is not a physically safe place for children (or adults).  What options are there for this class.  One, they could meet outside, the weather was good most of the time.  Two, they could ask the church to repair the floor which could be done with only a few bags of concrete.

Clean It Up: Preparing a Site

Whether you are preparing for a mural in a neighborhood, or finding a space to meet with kids, physical cleanliness and safety is important.  In the picture above you can see the space that was designated for a community mural to be painted by kids in an arts camp in Colombia.  You can see from the sign that this was a prohibited dumping area.  The law was definitely ignored.  Cleaning this space was more than supervised children could do.  To the credit of the community and an interest in the children, adults pulled together to clean the space.  Make sure, as they did, that you have appropriate trash bags, work gloves, tools, and a method and place for removal of the trash.  While they were not wearing masks, it is good idea.  They were careful to wash following their work.

The results are truly a community mural.

What to do with Dogs

Almost no one likes barking and snipping dogs at their feet.  Children usually ignore them, home owners like the alarm, and guests are often terrified.  This one (above) was a constant noise and threat throughout a camp in Bogota.  He was obnoxious and basically harmless.  His Rottweiler cousin up the street and in the neighbors porch where children had to pass daily for a class was terrifying.  The primary concern is whether a dog will bite and if he or she has rabies.  Asking neighbors to leash their dogs is one solution but not always possible.  We learned to live with this one who eventually learned everyone and snipped at newcomers.  We never totally solved this issue.  Advice?