PILLARS OF PRACTICE
Activating Readiness to Learn
The Identity Project takes a deeply creative approach to addressing the challenge of readiness to learn in underserved youth. Amidst the multitude of strong education reform models, few recognize that a student’s readiness to learn must change before meaningful academic success is possible. Even fewer engage the arts as a catalyst for holistic, student-centered change. Fewer still are grounded in the study of trauma and the science behind how it creates a crisis of self, impacting identity development across a lifetime. The Identity Project is unique in that it incorporates all three of these powerful reform strategies. In essence, our model offers a profound educational reframe. As educators, instead of asking, “is this student smart?” we are asking, “is this student ready to learn?” This shift initiates a positive ripple effect, beginning in the body of the student and spiraling outward into our students’ communities. Ultimately, this reframe establishes the foundation for students to develop the capacities to self-heal, self-actualize and self-advocate — all essential precursors to engaged, life-long learning.
Emergent Theory of Education
Grounded in an emergent theory of education, our model is constantly iterating in response to the needs of youth communities we serve, the personal assets of our core team, and emerging evidence-based practices in the field of education. Our commitment to applying an emergent theory of education is evidenced by our pedagogical framework and our original curriculum in documentary storytelling and critically reflective identity work. We consider these foundational documents to be “living documents,” continually growing and iterating in response to emerging evidence-based practices in education. As of the 2021 academic year, we have now woven into our program model the following evidence-based practices.
culturally responsive teaching
creative youth development
multiple modes of knowing
science of learning and development
trauma-informed teaching and learning
somatic practices for trauma recovery
community-based art-making
mindfulness-based practices
relational cultural theory
Arts as Catalyst for Change
The Identity Project invites young people to explore their personal power of voice through a transformative curriculum in documentary arts, narrative practice and critically reflective identity work. Over the course of an implementation, students are guided through three primary learning phases including poetry, photography and performance. At The Identity Project, we believe documentary arts combine the act of creation with a motivation to tell truths and reveal honest realities. Once immersed in our program, Identity Project students quickly discover that they themselves have the inner-capacities for self-healing and self-advocacy that they crave. For underserved youth, these realizations are exacting and seminal, and for Identity Project students they build the foundation for serious creative and critical inquiry. Students emerge from our program equipped with a newfound capacities to employ empathy, value humanness, and honor the inherent narrative in each of us.
