Reading and Writing the Book of our Lives

School isn't just about reading books, studying for tests and putting our thoughts on paper. We try to bring our eyes, ears, hands and hearts into the learning process. That was the intention as the Dreamers and college students met at Nautilus for the first time this semester, four days after working together at the Roots in the City community garden to celebrate Martin Luther King Day. Half of the students illustrated patches of cloth with messages and images of peace that will eventually form a quilt honoring Dr. King. We're sending the quilt to the Nicaraguan Sonadores in Chacraseca as a gift this summer. A colorful symbol of our love for each other started emerging before our eyes.

The other goal of the class was to introduce the main project for the semester, also for the Sonadores: a book about the garden they can read to learn about Miami. We’ll hold class at the garden three times in the next few months to observe its beauty and reflect on its importance—an experience that will form one of the main “readings” for our class.

The garden book will say something about not just that little square block of dark soil and green plants in the middle of Overtown, but also about our everyday lives. We’re structuring the book as a tour of the garden with thirteen stops, each the basis of student essays. As half of the students illustrated and patched the MLK quilt, the other half looked at pictures of the garden and reflection questions to start developing their essays. Trenice chose to write about sunflowers. Malana chose to write about Dr. Marvin Dunne, the founder of the garden. And Sendy chose to write about the Dorsey House across the street (a historical building that was once the residence of D.A. Dorsey, Miami’s first black millionaire.)

Here are the thirteen garden stops on our tour and some reflection questions for each--the seeds of what we hope turns out to be an interesting story about where we live and who we are!

--Alex Salinas

1) Garden Itself: Welcome!
What are the different tasks in maintaining a healthy garden? What part do people play? What part does mother nature play? What other things in life are like maintaining a garden?

2) Food Crops
The garden has sustained collard greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, bananas...does anyone cook these foods in your family? Do these foods bring back any special memories? What does food have to do with traditions?

3) Dr. Marvin Dunn
Why did Dr. Dunn start the garden? What do you think he has learned from working there?

4) Jackson's Soul Food
What kind of food and atmosphere this restaurant offers? Why do you think the owners chose this kind of food and atmosphere? Why are restaurants important to neighborhoods?

5) Church
Have you been to this church or one like it? What do you gain from the experience and what do you learn from it?

6) Expressways
Where do these expressways go? How did the expressways affect the development of Overtown? Are most people in Miami aware of these effects?

7) Doug Dunn
Doug organizes work at the garden. What is the biggest challenge you think he faces doing his work? What do you think he has learned from working there?

8) Dorsey House
Who was Dorsey? Why is this house preserved? Why is it important to preserve old buildings? Is Dorsey's story still important today?

9) Sunflower
What is unique about this plant? What does it contribute to the experience of enjoying the garden? What do the colors and shapes of the flowers remind you of?

10) Herb
How do people use these plants?

11) Garden Staff
How does the staff believe the garden benefits the community? What have they learned from working at the garden?

12) Mound of Dirt
Why is soil important to plants? Describe the process of moving the soil to the beds and what this says about the importance of teamwork in everyday life?

13) Condominiums
What is gentrification? Do you think the residents of the condominiums know about the garden? What would you tell them about it?

Writing Introductions

This is a quick post. We had a great time on Thursday. Everyone talked a bit more about audience and then worked on introductions. These are still in the preliminary stages of development. Here are some samples:

• Keyala and Karen
• Lonnie
• Madeline
• Sendy
• Vernon

Scared

Every Thursday I walk through the halls of Nautilus Middle School scared. "Will they remember me?" I just don't seem to grasp the idea that the Dreamers actually remember all of us. How they are capable of remembering our faces so clearly, to remember all the little conversations we've had--books, movies, even our family--really surprises me, but more than anything it fills a part of my heart with a warmth found in their smiling faces. To see them brighten up with curiosity... "what will we do next? what are we going to talk about now? Are we going to teach them about Nicaragua?"... it makes me want to be with them everyday, to teach them more and more, to lead them through the right path to success. When I'm with them they bring out the little kid in me and I try to bring the out the college student in them. So every Thursday these kids and I lose ourselves in time and learn from each other once more. How I wish it wouldn't end so soon.

~Thalia Anyosa

Solidarity Work

Last Thursday’s visit to Nautilus Middle school grabbed my attention, why? Because of the solidarity and excitement we were surrounded by. The assignment this week was to help the kids from Nautilus write a letter to the kids of Nicaragua. When Mr. Salinas and Mr. Gonzalez gave the assignment, I felt very unsure and hesitant; the kids didn’t seem to want to cooperate or do anything at all, maybe because they were wondering how the kids from Nicaragua would understand their writing if is in another language. But then the professors informed everyone that it will be us, the college students, who will do the translating. That’s when the whole environment and sensation in the room changed. The college students started to move around the place and went to help each student individually; the kids were now not only writing but also drawing in order to make their letters look better; also they were making comments, asking questions and forming ideas of what to write, in other words everyone was getting involved. At that moment I felt really excited and anxious. My hesitation was completely gone; within seconds of this change I found myself working with my kid and helping him develop ideas.

Luckily for me I avoided the translating stress because my kid, Christopher, knew how to speak, read, and best of all, write in Spanish. I’m just starting to know him and so far this kid is awesome. He is very independent and hyper active, in a good way. He’s always asking questions and making comments just to get attention from me and my classmates. I think I’m starting to form a bond; hopefully it will grow bigger with time. Overall this past visit to Nautilus went great, and so far it’s been the day that I’ve enjoy the most. It was strange, but the fact that could actually see and feel how everyone was doing the effort of making the assignment look interesting and fun, really gets into you and also works. At the end making the goal of making another group of kids happy and excited was reached.

~Giordano Sanchez

Everything Was Fine

It was around 3:30 pm when I got to Nautilus Middle School. I was feeling a little nervous; I really didn’t know where to go in by. I finally got out of my car and just went in through the nearest entrance. I went right in and I asked the security if I needed to check in. He opened this red folder and so I signed in. He then directed me to another office, and said I needed to speak to a lady called Luz. Luz was very welcoming and nice; I turned in my volunteer paper, my ID, and my volunteer number. Everything was fine and I was cleared; I was ready to go and meet the kids.

At around 3:40 pm the bell rang. Luz and I started walking to the class where the kids where going to be. When we got there, the kids where still not there. I was so nervous I didn’t know what to expect. I had heard from previous mentors that they were nice and sweet kids, but still I was nervous. The eventually started arriving; Luz was giving them a cookie with a juice. They all looked so innocent and loving.

After that I found out they are writing a book for the children in Nicaragua, so they had to pick topics to write about. So we broke up into groups. I got a group full of girls and one boy. Emily and I were in charge. At the beginning they were a little rowdy, but then they got it together and it went smooth. There were two little girls Malaya and Estrella that caught my attention they are super smart. I really loved it, and I can’t wait to do back on Thursday.

~Marilyn Fernandez

From One Generation to Another

This is my second time experiencing the I Have a Dream program at Nautilus Middle School. I had my doubts today whether I would continue visiting the school. I had not thought of the effects my presence with the kids would have, however. Today at the school, I realized how knowledge and experience can be shared from one generation to another. Working with our group today, I had the experience of understanding why it is important to be there for the Dreamers.

Kids were asked to formulate questions based on the Nicaragua project. From the same questions they brought up, my ears and mind opened up widely. I could have never imagined these youngsters having such brilliant ideas to help those in need. I find it astonishing how they asked and listened to our feedback. It feels s great to know that children at Nautilus Middle School await our arrival. I feel committed to guide them and help them become better people in life.

~Carlos Hernandez

A Good Feeling

As we grow up, we face changes that help us understand why are we alive and what are we doing with our lives. Today, I visited Nautilus Middle School with some of my college mates and professors. Going there to help the I Have a Dream program was such a good feeling, because if there is something that I love personally, it is to make people happy, and I can say that those kids, the Dreamers, enjoyed the day a little bit more than usual. I am a current student at Miami Dade College and as a student, I have the opportunity to get involved in a variety of organizations, and I think that tutoring the kids is one of the best activities I could do, simply because we, as a team, can put a smile in the kids’ faces.

Our goal is to encourage the kids to go to college and graduate. The program has been helping them since they were in first grade, and now we can see how much they have grown and learned not only from school but from each other too. Kids use to copy and do what they see in others. Being part of this beautiful team is showing me the great impact and influence we have in their lives. They have so much potential; they are so energetic and full of life and I think we really enjoy being together. As I said before, we will always have changes, and I hope them to smile every time they remember these beautiful moments.

~Betsabe Nalbandian