summer and still hard at work

after a successful semester at five los angeles area high schools, the-green-heart team has been hard at work scanning all of the posts created by the wonderful students who participated in the “what is in your heart? – the world is listening to students” project.

all of the posts are up on the facebook page and can be found in each schools corresponding album.  be sure to check it out and feel free to leave us comments.  we’d love to hear from you!

thanks to all the students, teachers and laep for making the first annual green-heart project in schools such a success!

–Petra Eiko and the-green-heart team

media workshop @ laep

the-green-heart ambassadors from lincoln (accompanied and brought to us by their wonderful teacher larry mowrey) and grant participated in our media workshop today.  the lovely ms. samona caldwell (from state farm public affairs) conducted the workshop and gave us detailed look into the workings of a press release.  leanndra and laep made sure the students were filled with pizza and soda to keep them fueled and ready for the workshop…and what a fantastic workshop it was!

not only did the students learn the 5 w’s of a press release, but we were privileged to hear the great progress the project has made!  megan romero from grant told us how the project allowed her to reach out to other students and meet new people.  the-green-heart project is opening the doors and connecting the students with one another.  ana sosa from lincoln has given us insight on how one piece of paper allows students to break the habits of the superficial with the aspect of anonymity and makes them feel special in the world.  she also told us about the wonderful poetry written that the students take time to stop and read as they are passing by.

all in all, the workshop gave the students from two different schools a chance to come together and share their experiences with one other.  each of the schools will be working on their own press releases for the-green-heart project and approaching not only their school newspapers, but also local papers.  we are eager to see how far the students go and the press that picks them up!  go team go!

also…be sure to check out the facebook page: what is in your heart?–the world is listening to students.  we are so happy to see the progress everyone is making…check out the new pictures…there will be more to come!

–Petra Eiko

Grant High School: Period 5 Journalism Team

Throughout the process, many students have been curious and have approached room 702 and discovered the importance of this project. They have drawn a variety of pictures on each different paper and some students have also written down poems, family member names and a quantity of things that are in their hearts. It seems as though they have found this project to be a lot more amusing now that they participated in this project. It’s surprising to see what many people have written so far. Everyday the room seems to get more crowded with people and their art. It’s a total success.

Santee Education Complex: the-green-heart stage 2

We got another request for more paper: Santee Education Complex. How great is that. So we, Leanndra from LAEP, Kristy from the-green-heart team and I went to Santee and delivered the supplies. The leaders of the ambassadors of the-green-heart gave us an update on what they accomplished and what the plans are for the upcoming weeks. It is so incredible what new and fresh ideas flow into the-green-heart through the students from all the High Schools that are involved in the project. I like to thank all of the schools for their effort and energy to make this a special and successful project. The students of Santee are starting to give tours of the-green-heart to other students from the entire campus to give them the chance to experience the power of visual expression and to let them participate in the-green-heart art.
–Petra Eiko

Grant High School: Period 3 Journalism Team

Room 702 is filling up!

As the room started filling with more and more papers and drawings that express what’s in our hearts, we’ve realize the enormous change it’s making on the room. Slowly we see change happening and in every corner we see the expression of love for their families, friends, sports, etc. It has even risen up to the ceiling. One of our teammates put up a drawing of her family and animals that are in her heart. In the beginning everyone worked really hard to set up everything that was needed. It is a work in progress, yet to be completed more and more everyday.

Grant High School: the-green-heart room

Yesterday I visited Grant because they needed more paper. How great is that? Already out of paper! So I got my camera and went to Grant to deliver more tape and papers to Mrs. Kommer’s class. Mr. Arreola took time out of his lunch break to show me the green-heart room @ Grant. They dedicated a whole room to the-green-heart. He opened the door and switched on the light. The illuminated room showed two huge walls all full from top to bottom with posts. I was left alone in the room because classes were about to resume and I found myself standing in this amazing space looking at the work of these students. It was an incredible experience. The room pulsated with thoughts from the heart. It was so much fun and I was eager to photograph the wall. Excited I took out my camera to find out that I forgot the chip @ home. “Great!” I thought. “Aren’t we lucky to have cell phones these days?” lol… So I took my pics and made my way back towards the entrance, all the while noticing numerous signs with a painted green heart and the room number 702. Three young smiling ladies approached me. It turned out that these girls were ambassadors of the-green-heart and told me their experiences with the project and their plans on how they like to proceed. They told me that many of the students told them that they never thought about what is in their heart and that it makes them really think.
It was a pleasure to talk with these beautiful girls. Today we found some pics on our facebook page from the room and some from the promotional t-shirts they designed. What a great idea. They all look so cool in these t-shirts…
the-green-heart ambassadors from Grant started a new trend…the-green-heart fashion.
– Petra Eiko

Grant High School: Period 2 Journalism Team!

This project started slowly and started growing. People are getting creative showing off what is in their hearts. Students are being involved and expressing themselves. Most of the artwork is about love and happiness. The goal of this project is to be asked what is in student’s hearts, as well as expressing ourselves. the-green-heart project has taught the team members leadership as well as dedication skills.

Santee Education Complex: the-green-heart stage

the-green-heart‘s thoughts are revolving around the schools and the students, wondering what the students we met while introducing the-green-heart are doing. The students elected ambassadors for the-green-heart and took the project in their hands. Then, yesterday we were invited to Santee Education Complex. It was amazing. The students that had created the stage and a background for the-green-heart had added two arm chairs so people can sit and relax and read the posts and give them a chance to think about what others had written and reflect on their own heart. They said that they like to create a really warm feeling around the-green-heart. We heard that other classes are asking to participate and the wall is growing each day. One of their students painted beautiful green hearts on large sheets of paper to promote it throughout the whole school. They will be hung in all of the hall ways throughout the campus. The ambassadors have great plans for a splash of the-green-heart but we are not telling yet. It is all very exciting and sounds like a lot of fun. Great work Santee…we love what you are doing. Keep going!!!

ready-set-go!

Grant, Lincoln, Roosevelt, San Fernando & Santee (left to right)

the-green-heart walls have been successfully installed in all five schools. thanks go to the teachers and students who met with us and assisted in the installations. we are very excited to see the progress you’ve all made in the coming weeks.

stay tuned for upcoming stories and photos posted on the facebook page: what is in your heart?–the world is listening to students.