IDEA Corps Intern: Amara Njoku

My name is Amara Njoku. I am a rising sophomore at Towson University studying Cellular & Molecular Biology and minoring in Spanish. Outside of the classroom, I spend my time dancing on one of Towson’s student-led dance teams, engaging with the Towson Honors College, and volunteering weekly at a local hospital. Despite my being born and baptized in the southern U.S. like most of my family, I was raised in Baltimore and am coming to understand my community for what it is and what it can be. This summer, I will be working with Reverend Dellyne Hinton of Gwynn Oak United Methodist Church and Gary Gillespie, who both work with the Central Maryland Ecumenical Council.

I will be working Reverend Dell to plan a freedom school at Gwynn Oak that teaches children about non-violent conflict resolution so they can develop peaceful methods of approaching conflicts in the future. Gary will be preparing me for this by teaching me the history of non-violent resistance in historic international protests. I am coming to learn that non-violence is more than just idealistic passivity, but a practical and courageous method of addressing injustice – it is my hope that I can help others learn the same. Despite my being a Christian for most of life, my first interaction with the Methodist Church was last Easter when my family and I started attending Hampden United Methodist Church here in Baltimore.

I am pleased to say that the experience has been positive thanks to Pastor Galen Zook, his family, and the rest of the congregation, who have all been extremely welcoming. I have found that Hampden UMC is a tight-knit and uplifting community that is deeply engaged in the Word of God and in the well-being of the surrounding Baltimore community. I am very grateful for my time at Hampden UMC; in fact, it is because of Pastor Galen that I was made aware of this internship. If it weren’t for him, I would have never found such a unique opportunity to get involved in my church and community. Upon my acceptance of this internship, the following Sunday, the pastor and the rest of the congregation prayed over me – it was truly a blessing to have experienced such encouragement from the church community, and it was just what I needed moving forward into my placement.

Whenever I tell people that I study Biology and Spanish, I tend to get the same reactions– surprise or curiosity—potentially because the combination is not what people typically have in mind. I chose Biology as my major because quite frankly, it’s hard to see myself in any other major. Of course, I have my various interests, but Biology has always stuck with me. Despite popular belief, there are quite a few options for those seeking to continue education after receiving their bachelor’s degree in biology – yes, aside from medical school—and that’s partially what draws me in.

Earning a degree in biology allows me the chance to explore the field and get a better understanding of what’s out there. For me, the options that stand out the most after college are studying to be a Physician’s Assistant or working in the field of DNA Forensics. I chose to minor in Spanish for two reasons; the first being that I think learning new languages is one of the coolest things a person can do if they have the time and resources, and the second being that learning Spanish would allow me to be a more efficient healthcare professional if that is the career path I choose to take in the future. My interest in this internship placement may seem bizarre given that the work I am doing does not involve discussions of protein synthesis or el pretérito imperfecto.

I believe this placement offers me the opportunity to better understand the Baltimore community, by getting to know the youth and helping them as they develop their conflict resolution skills. It is my hope that I can help them in understanding the nature of non-violence and share the message that non-violence is a sign of courage, not weakness. Week 2 It is no exaggeration to say that violence has plagued our world for generations. In our history classes, we learn about a mere fraction of the many wars and violent expressions of hatred that have shattered the hearts of countless people. Likewise, it is no exaggeration to say that the city of Baltimore is no stranger to such acts of violence. Growing up in Baltimore, it becomes increasingly easy to tune out the constant sirens, news articles, and radio alerts, but that does not make the violence any less real. People should not have to grow up with threats of violence around every corner.

Parents should not fear for the safety of the children within their own neighborhoods. Children should not be so accustomed to violence that they are numb to it. And yet that is the case for many people in Baltimore, the United States, and around the world. So, what’s the goal of this placement? Establish world peace? Not necessarily—that would be tough to do in one summer, though I respect the optimism. Instead, the goal is to educate young people on non-violent conflict transformation and resolution. At first glance this tactic may seem too idealistic. Of course this was a nice idea, but how do we execute it? The plan is to share tactics of non-violent conflict transformation and resolution by means of an afternoon freedom school run by Gwynn Oak United Methodist Church.

A Freedom School, according to my mentor Rev. Dell Hinton from Gwynn Oak UMC, is a historical means of maintaining literacy and mentoring predominately Black children over the summer to help them develop their strengths and give back to their communities in the future. As the work to set up the freedom school started, I began to learn more about the concepts of non-violent conflict transformation and resolution; they’re more than just empty words that people throw around. They are methods of helping the children we’re working with approaching conflict in a healthy manner. In fact, Rev. Dell told me that she uses the term “conflict transformation” instead of resolution because transforming a conflict into one that is not aggressive allows for a fairer and more productive resolution process. Sometimes transforming the conflict so that it is no longer violent or aggressive is what the parties involved really need, then they can resolve the conflict together.

When talking with Gary Gillespie from Central Maryland Ecumenical Council about nonviolence, I came to better understand the goal of this freedom school. Though it would be great to see immediate results in working with the students, the overall goal is to plant the seed of knowledge regarding non-violence so that as they mature, they can apply it to their own lives and communities. Earlier Rev. Dell had told me that we can’t control what the kids will face outside of the school, nor how they will respond, but we can give them the tools needed to address conflicts without violence, so when the time comes, they can have a better alternative. It appears that this advice is what responded to my worries, as I had initially found myself concerned about the immediate results, rather than seeing how the actions we take now can have a cascade of effects within and around our community in the future.

In my senior year of high school, I worked on a project with my peers that explored the issue of injustices in the United States while also focusing on the people who have made an effort to counter these injustices. In this process, I dove into the criminal justice system and how it generally tends to wrongfully persecute people of color. I did research on individuals who were wrongfully targeted by this system, as well as organizations that are making an effort to bring justice to those individuals with the hopes of improving the criminal justice system.

It was around this time that I became aware of the concerning case of Julius Jones, a black man who was set to be executed by lethal injection in the state of Oklahoma. In 1999, Jones was accused of shooting and killing a man named Paul Howell. He was tried before a mostly white jury and, in 2002, was charged with three counts, including the death penalty. This decision was highly controversial, as there was overwhelming evidence that pointed to Jones’ innocence—he did not match the description of the killer, he has an alibi of being home with multiple family members at the time of the shooting, and the star witness of the case, the getaway driver Christopher Jordan, confessed that Jones was not responsible for Howell’s death but that he himself was responsible.

Despite this, Jones remained imprisoned for several years, and was placed on death row. I discovered this information the morning of November 18, 2021, the day Jones was set to be executed. Upon discovering this, I was (of course) disturbed by the thought of a man being mere hours away from dying for a crime that he didn’t commit. I sat in my room, about to get ready for yet another day of school, while a man and his family over a thousand miles away prepared for the worst. I truly felt like there wasn’t much to do in this situation but pray, so I followed my conviction. That morning at school, I approached my religion teacher (I attended a Catholic school) and put out a prayer request that Jones would be granted clemency by Oklahoma’s governor. 

Like me, my religion teacher was completely unaware of this case, so she asked that I share some information with the other students in our class when we did prayer later that day—so that’s what I did, and we hoped for the best. After school I quickly turned my phone on and searched for any updates on Jones’ case. To my relief, Jones had been granted clemency hours before his execution—he would live to see another day. I remember bursting into my teacher’s office with the news, to which she responded, “Yay, prayer works!” In that moment, I could feel that my God is a God of justice and mercy; and looking back over a year later, I could see Him moving in the hearts of those who genuinely wanted to see Julius Jones live—his family, and many Oklahomans who did not want to see him succumb to injustice.

This experience has reminded me to bring prayer into my placement; to let God move in my heart, because He wants what is right and just even more than we do.

The city of Baltimore is no stranger to racial injustices and their economic effects on communities of color. Our city has seen countless violent crimes and has been home to a struggling public school system that fails to meet its full potential for the sake of our communities. Due to institutional racism, the economic impacts of such issues have long been perpetuated in our communities and most people of color have been subjected to it in some capacity; this includes the location of my placement. The goal of my placement is to work with Rev. Dell Hinton to run a month-long freedom school.

The goal of this is to help kids in the Gwynn Oak community of Baltimore maintain their literacy and critical thinking skills over the summer in addition to teaching them healthy methods of problem-solving with their peers. I believe this is a small yet important step in the fight against institutional racism in the city of Baltimore and its effects.

Overall, it is my hope that this effort will help the youth in battling potential economic or societal hurtles by supporting the development of their interpersonal skills and creative thinking for the sake of healthier community.

Freedom comes from the power to love,
Using a voice to advocate and rise above.
Who are we to determine those “deserving” of joy, 
As our neglect of equity continues to destroy?
Justice cannot prevail without inclusion’s aid,
So we must speak up and not be afraid.

As a black woman of Nigerian ancestry, I have gradually come to appreciate my cultural heritage from both African and African American aspects of my identity. I am grateful for the togetherness and cultural enrichment that the Nigerian community offers, along with the hospitality and warmth of my African American family members from the South. I am especially grateful to carry my cultural identity with me, every day through my Nigerian (Igbo) name; it reminds me of my loving family that is constantly rooting for me. 

These are aspects of my identity that I believe will lead me to carry perspectives of unity, discipline, and diligence into my placement at the Gwynn Oak United Methodist freedom school with Rev. Dell Hinton. Growing up, I have come to appreciate my blackness—there is something uniquely beautiful about the sense of togetherness that can come from the black community. As we start up the freedom school this month, it is my hope that we can help our students with understanding the parts of their identity and community that they appreciate and how we can work to maintain and improve livelihoods as members of these communities. 

Each week during the freedom school has a different theme that focuses on the various ways that we can be stewards to ourselves and those around us. The activities of each week highly emphasize creativity and literacy practice for our young students with the goal of delivering these messages through discussions of the activities in relation to the work they have done. We hope that throughout the weeks, we can discuss how these aspects of community should be preserved, and how we can do so through non-violent conflict resolution.

As a worker at a Freedom School for elementary-aged children, one of the main goals is to maintain and nourish literacy. This means that we have a lot of activities that involve reading, writing, and discussions so they can absorb and express their ideas more fluently. One of such activities involved the kids making posters on which they wrote the things they liked about themselves, the things others liked about them, and a person they looked up to (this week was themed around identity). 

One of the younger kids in particular was still getting the hang of her spelling skills, so I stood by her to help. Under the “who do you look up to” section of the poster, she asked me to help her spell “mom”. I knew the girl had it in her to figure it out, so I asked her to try each letter first without me giving the answer to her. After each letter she looked to me for reassurance, to which I responded with a cheerful nod of my head. When she wrote the final m, I congratulated her on her good spelling. The best part of this story was seeing the girl’s mom standing near the doorway waiting to pick her child up for the day and proudly witnessing the whole thing. 

Looking back, I feel like God was in this moment. This was only my second day interning at the Freedom School, so I was uncertain about how I would perform; unsure of how helpful I could be. This experience helped me better understand the good that I was becoming a part of, and that resonates with me. I am grateful to have been a part of that moment, and in the future, I hope that the girl’s mom is fond of this moment too.

In an ideal world, I don’t see my placement as something to engage in politics with. I work at a Freedom School that helps maintain literacy and appreciation of the Gwynn Oak community for local kids over the summer. What about that need be politicized? I don’t think the education and growth of black children is something that needs to be politically debated; it should be a given right. How could someone morally oppose that?

Of course, I understand and appreciate that in a historical context, freedom schools have been the soulful source of education and growth for many black individuals and communities. There’s no doubting that. What concerns me is that in the past and today, there are people that still don’t see the importance of properly supporting the education of systematically oppressed minorities. 

There are individuals in power who find it unnecessary to properly support and fund public schools in communities of color. This I see as an issue that need be addressed, but in an ideal world, the education of POC children (both in and outside a school setting) would not even have to be questioned because all children deserve a quality education that will serve them and their communities. So no, I do not think that my placement should be an object for political debate. A child’s right to a nourishing education should not be politicized, but guaranteed. 

One question that has repeatedly entered my mind in some form has been, “How am I actually making a difference in my placement?” This may sound pessimistic but hear me out: I think it can be too easy to approach placements like mine thinking, “I’m going to change these kids’ lives.” When you enter with your expectations sky-high, I think it can negatively influence both your and the kids’ experience. 

I think part of accomplishing our goal as mentors to kids can be as simple as being a good role model and being observant to the best ways to do our jobs. This is not a movie; these are people’s actual lives and I think it’s best not to force the idea that the kids have to come out of the Freedom School “changed”. 

They don’t have to fit our expectations of what “changed” even means. We don’t have to become some kind of social justice superhero to make a difference, meaning we don’t have to romanticize our work to make it meaningful. Chances are that if I act as a role model and be observant to how I can help, I can be a personal hero in my own community—without all the bells and whistles.

My definition of inclusion is being welcoming to others and treating them with respect because they are human beings who are made in God’s image, regardless of our differences. I see this as important in my placement at the Gwynn Oak UMC Freedom School because even though all the kids and teachers have one thing in common (we are all Black), we still must teach the students the importance of welcoming others in the circle. This can be found in simple acts like making sure nobody sits alone at their group tables, or making sure that everyone shares their crayons—things like that make a difference in how we treat one another in the future.

An important aspect of equity is meeting people where they are. This is also an important part of our freedom school. We have kids of different ages, and thus different reading levels and problem-solving skills all in the same space. Because of this, it is important that we give time and attention to all kids, especially during activities that require reading and spelling because some kids will need more help than others, and that’s okay.

Our freedom school’s demographic is entirely Black, which reflects Baltimore’s mostly Black population.  Because of this, it was important to us that we discuss the issues of racism that pervade throughout the Black community while emphasizing that we are not reduced to racist stereotypes or notions, but rather we should celebrate our community’s culture(s) and the beauty it holds while acknowledging room for improvement. One way this was addressed was by discussing Black hair, which is a large part of Black culture and history. 

Our hair comes in different colors, textures, and absorbencies. We discussed how all such types are “good hair,” regardless of what we have been led to think. We discussed locked, braided, straightened, wrapped, wigged, naturally worn, and beaded hair, all of which are or have been popular and meaningful styles in the Black community. 

Most importantly, we discussed how no one should tell us what to do with our hair at school, at work, or elsewhere. All these topics were explored one day during reading time when we read Crowning Glory by Joyce Carol Thomas with our volunteer teacher Ms. Pam. We discussed the beauty of our hair and the beauty of our Blackness, and I believe this is an important way to combat racist lies that have fed to us throughout the years. 

Though the demographic of my placement is entirely Black, I still believe there can be opportunity to embrace diversity because there is a lot of diversity to be found in the Black community as a whole—nationality, ethnicity, cultural practices, language, etc. Such aspects of diversity have potential to be addressed in our freedom school, depending on the backgrounds of our students.

Based on the teachings of the United Methodist Church, I would define advocacy as taking action and voicing concerns on social or environmental issues. 

In my placement at the Gwynn Oak UMC Freedom School, I see advocacy in the lessons taught to the kids. This week for example we discussed God’s creation and environmental justice. I helped manage the class while one of our volunteer teachers, Ms. Pam, talked with the kids about various forms of pollution and how they harm our planet. I could tell that this discussion really had the kids thinking about environmental issues in our communities. 

Furthermore, Ms. Pam read the students a book called Old Enough to Save the Planet by Loll Kirby, a true story about several kids around the world who are taking steps to improve the environment health of their communities by addressing issues like air pollution and deforestation. Thanks to Ms. Pam’s immersive storytelling, the kids were able to see how people their age can make a huge difference in helping the environment. I see this day as a form of advocacy because I saw Ms. Pam nourishing the minds of younger generations who, like the rest of us, have the capacity to improve our treatment of the environment. This I believe fits the definition of advocacy; it may not be as direct as going straight to state or federal legislation, but it is certainly a viable method.

This picture shows an activity that our volunteer teacher, Ms. Pam, carried out with our students. We had each student sit in front of a colored sheet of paper that was lit up by a projector screen. Using the shadow created by the projector, Ms. Pam traced their silhouette with a pencil onto the paper. The kids then cut out their silhouette. Earlier that day, I worked with the kids to make acrostic poems using their names and matching words that describe themselves. 

Ms. Pam had the kids glue those poems onto their silhouettes—it's like a visualization of their identities! For privacy purposes, the kids’ names and poems were blurred. I see this as a visualization of advocacy for younger kids (especially those of minority groups) to better appreciate who they are and the communities they belong to.

One fun fact aspect of myself that I would like to share is my love for learning languages; predominantly Spanish. I have been studying Spanish as a subject in school for several years, but in high school I found myself wanting to increase my proficiency – hopefully so I can speak, read, write, and listen like a fluent Spanish speaker. Because of this, I chose to minor in Spanish in college. I am very pleased with my decision to do this, because not only do I get the chance increase my proficiency, but I also get to learn about the cultures of many Hispanic regions through my teachers, peers, and curriculum. I one day hope to put my Spanish into action by studying abroad at some point in college. 

In general, I think learning new languages is one of the coolest things you can do if you have the time and resources because it better facilitates communication in many scenarios. With biology being my major, it is very possible that I may work in the healthcare field in the future. With Spanish becoming a more commonly spoken language in the U.S., I think being proficient would increase my efficiency and helpfulness as a healthcare provider, or simply as an individual outside of the workplace.  

A (somewhat) recent read that I enjoyed was The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. It is a historical fiction of the many trials faced by two adult sisters, Vianne and Isabelle, during World War II in France. The two have very different lives, with Vianne being a housewife on the countryside, and Isabelle being a rebellious young adult who seeks to sabotage Nazi efforts – even if it means risking her life. Despite the two characters’ differences, the reader comes to find that they are equally brave in heart and spirit. I fell completely immersed into the story and its well-written characters; as the reader is led through events taking place before, during, and after the war. My review on Goodreads says, “This book does not hesitate to convey the indescribable grief and anguish of WWII while still creating human characters with the capacity to love and persevere in immense hardship.”  

I was only asked to mention one book, but I couldn’t finish this entry without mentioning the novel A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum. It tells the stories of generations of Arab women and their experiences both in Brooklyn, New York, and overseas in Palestine. It is partially a historical fiction, taking place in the 90s as we follow an 18-year-old Isra and her struggles with being put into an arranged marriage and leaving her life behind in Palestine to move in with her new husband Adam’s family in New York. 

Many years later we learn about a Deya, a teenager in New York who grew up being told by her grandmother that her parents, Isra and Adam, died in an accident. As we go back and forth between the two storylines, we watch Deya struggle with her own identity while also coming to see that everything was not as it seemed. The book is extremely well-written and hard-hitting, as it talks about the struggles and dangers women can face in their own communities. Once again, my review on Goodreads says, “the ending left me scrambling to pick my jaw up off the floor.” 

I like a decent amount of movies; Encanto andSpiderman: Into the Spiderverse are some honorable mentions. But I would have to say that one of my favorite movies is Hidden Figures starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae. The film follows the true stories of three Black women (Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson) who worked as mathematicians for NASA during the height of its space program in the early 60s. The women are constantly dismissed or belittled due to their race and gender despite their obvious qualifications, but the three prove others’ prejudices  wrong, one calculation at a time. I believe this movie shows a beautiful part of Black history; giving us a look at Black households, churches, and communities during this time, showing how Black people lifted each other up when no one else would. The movie is by no means perfect (occasionally painting one of the white characters as a “savior” to Black folks), but I think it has a lot of heart and tells the stories of three amazing Black women in STEM who deserve to be acknowledged. 

I know I just said that I like a lot of movies, but I like even more songs. 

My music taste is highly variable, but there has been one song that I feel very nostalgic about and that means a lot to me, and it is “Get Up” by Mary Mary. My first exposure to this song was several years ago when my mom played it on a CD in the car. I remember falling in love with the song for its upbeat tempo and its triumphant melody. I still enjoy those fun beats today, but as I’ve grown up, I’ve also grown to appreciate the lyrics and the meaning behind them. Some notable lyrics for me are, “From now on, just try to live more, want more, work a little harder, dance more, laugh more, be a little smarter, hug a little longer, love a little stronger, you’ve been down but now it’s time to get up.” I find the song so inspiring; to me it means that we must make the best of every day and do our best to bring joy to others and ourselves –doing so in a way that brings glory to God because every day is a blessing from Him. 

I used to have this unhealthy notion that my success in school defined me as a person. When I was in middle school, I found myself obsessed with videos on YouTube of people reacting to responses from colleges after they had submitted their application for admission. I was so inspired after seeing dozens of teens freak out or burst into tears after finding out that they got into Harvard or UCLA. As amazing as that is, I as a middle schooler had no perception of the amount of work and sacrifice that went into such accomplishments; all I knew was that I wanted those accomplishments them no matter what. From that point on, I felt the need to be an overachiever – that didn’t just mean going above and beyond, that meant being as close to perfect as I could be. 

When high school hit, I realized that getting into college was not as simple as I thought it would be. It turns out that it takes more than good grades to get into MIT. I felt myself drowning in a sea of comparison; feeling that I was not as good as my peers or my countless other “competitors” in my college application pool. I gave myself the highest of expectations and took on as much work as I could. At one point near the end of high school (I am not quite sure when), I realized that my ambition had all the wrong motivations, and that I as a person was more than whatever school I chose to attend, or the grades I earned.  

Does that mean I no longer care about my grades or my success in school? Absolutely not – of course I still care, and of course I have high expectations for myself! But I am working on making sure that my intentions are in the right place. Instead of holding my high expectations to impress someone in the future, I am holding them because I know I can accomplish great things if they are God’s will for me. Instead of seeking the idea of success that I had in middle school, I am working to seek a healthier form success, where I am conquering goals both in and outside of the classroom. Where I seek growth, not solely for the approval of an admissions committee, but for my and my community’s benefit. I still consider myself to be an ambitious and overachieving person, and maybe that is in part due to my perceptions of success as a child. But I like to think that my perceptions are now changing, to become healthier and more meaningful.  

I was born in South Carolina but was raised here in Maryland. Even though South Carolina is where the majority of my immediate and extended family are from, I spent most of my life growing up in Maryland. I took my first steps here, I said my first words here, I’ve made all my friends here, held all my dance recitals here, and am currently learning to drive here – many milestones have taken place here for me, and I like to think that it was easy for me to grow accustomed to life here. 

I am not sure if the same can be said for my parents, who like me were born in South Carolina, but were also raised and educated there. My parents and I moved here when I was 11 months old because of an important job offer for my dad. The move was a big deal for my entire family because we hardly had any family and friends in Baltimore. For my mom and dad, moving to a bustling city from the rural and suburban communities that they grew up in was no small feat. The news of the move was so big that you would have thought we were uprooting the entire family (it should be noted that I was the only grandchild on my mom’s side of the family – I suppose I was too adorable to leave). I imagine it was not easy for my parents to pick up and move somewhere where they were not familiar with, knowing that it was a potentially risky decision to be somewhere that lacked the immediate support of their family – they didn’t know how long they would be staying so far away. 

However, behind their fears and doubts, I imagine that they also had some optimism for us three. I am grateful that they took the risk, even though they meant sacrificing their comfort for a hopeful future. I love my family down South and I enjoy visiting them, but it is hard for me to imagine who I would be today if it weren’t for the experiences I’ve had here growing up. To be honest, I don’t know how much I am willing to sacrifice to make a difference in others’ lives like my parents did for me. It’s hard to really know how much I am willing to sacrifice until I get to the point where I am ready to do so. There are times when I am willing to sacrifice sleep for better test scores or my time for a clean room, but I only know this because I have gotten to the point where I must consider what is important to me in that moment. 

Heavenly Father, Some verses from scripture that I pray more often than others are Numbers 6: 24-26 - “May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you peace.” I really like these verses because they remind me of the kind of God You are. You are the kind of God Who blesses us even when we have wronged You. You are the kind of God Who looks after us like no one else can do. Your light, mercy, and peace are like no other from the world; yet I am so undeserving of all these things. How great is it to serve such a wonderful God; yet I slip up every day. I pray for forgiveness for the times I have fallen short of Your call. I thank You for always being there to help me up again and again. 

Please help me to continue on Your path. In Jesus’ name, Amen.  

To be honest, it’s hard to say what life at Gwynn Oak UMC will be like in 20 years. By then, the “kids” I worked with during this first experimental summer will be in their late 20s. I imagine that the freedom school will have continued for many years, being a source of academic and social nourishment for about a generation of kids from the surrounding community, perhaps growing in popularity or simply staying the same size. This summer was the first time a freedom school was attempted at Gwynn Oak UMC, so I like to think that future attempts will run more smoothly as the lesson plans are perfected, and as the church gains more experience.

It’s hard to say what the physical location of the placement will look like. My guess is that the area will remain predominantly black, a reflection of Baltimore’s racial demographic. The age range of the kids attending the freedom school, however, may change. This summer, I worked with kids between the ages of 3 and 10, but that was not the initial plan. We had first planned to work with older kids as well—middle schoolers and perhaps high schoolers.

We wanted to teach the same lesson themes that we did with the younger kids, but with less juvenile methods. To be honest, I am glad that we focused mainly on the younger kids this summer because working with too many kids at once would have been overwhelming for our first attempt at freedom school. In the future though, I like to think that there will be enough experience and confidence to expand the age range of the kids involved in freedom school.

It’s hard for me to confidently and accurately say what the economic strengths and weaknesses of my placement are. I do understand that Baltimore is a predominantly black city, and that this demographic has been historically underserved and mistreated, leading to generational economic struggles, food insecurity, drug abuse, and crime. In addition, Baltimore, being one of the oldest cities in the country, has many old and deteriorating structures that the city and its residents struggle to maintain. 

Some of these struggles can be seen in the Gwynn Oak community—these I would say can be identified as economic challenges. I think my placement’s communal economic strengths come from the resilience of its residents; I think the same can be said for many cities like Baltimore. Despite being underserved for generations, we still see people who make the most of what they have even in modern circumstances of mistreatment and inequality; lifting up their families and those that will come after them.

I would say the strengths I brought to the table were my problem solving and creativity. These are things that everyone has to use daily, and for me, I often applied them to this internship. When coming up with activities for the kids, for example, I had to think creatively about what the kids would best engage with, allowing them to better absorb the lesson. I also had to engage in problem solving amongst the children in any conflicts that they had with one another, as it is my hope that doing this will give them a better idea of how they can address their conflicts in the future.

I believe that such strengths of problem solving and creativity are beneficial to both me and my community. Personally, these strengths have been useful in my educational career, allowing me to improve my academic approach. I believe this serves my educational experience and, hopefully, my career pursuits as well. In terms of my community, I hope that my strengths will enhance the success of community pursuits like this inaugural attempt of the freedom school, even if it is not necessarily identical to it. For instance, I would like to bring my strengths to the volunteering that I do at my local hospital, making life a little easier for the hardworking nurses that I work with.

A strength that I believe was developed during this internship was my communication skills. I’ve always felt like a good communicator, but this internship has tested my skills on another level, because not only did I have to make sure that I shared my thoughts and ideas fluently, but I had to make sure I did so in a way that the younger kids I worked with would understand. I found myself slightly adjusting the vocabulary I used, but not entirely—so they could be exposed to any useful words that they might not hear amongst themselves. I found myself using teaching tactics that would engage them rather than simply lecturing them as if they were college students my age.

And I found myself building lessons that catered to their interests and attention spans. I hope that my communication skills continue to improve after this internship, to better engage with the people around me, regardless of their age or background.

To any potential students that may enter this internship next summer, my advice to you is to be prepared and willing to leave your comfort zone in terms of your strengths and skills. I am a biology major and Spanish minor, yet I did an internship that has little to do with either of those academic topics. Despite that, I have learned lessons outside of the classroom that I can carry with me in the future—I have a feeling you will do the same if you put genuine effort into the work that you’re doing. Furthermore, know that the work you’re doing is so much bigger than you. It may not feel that way in the moment but know that big movements often get started somewhere small.