WEEK 3 - BESSEMER:...

Trace is an avenue that has allowed teens to voice their opinions and channel their creativity.    

As Trace participants (at Bessemer) we have been engaged in many teambuilding activities and educational fieldtrips.  In the third week of Trace we visited two museums, a farmers market, had a discussion regarding freedom and actively contributed to a relationship workshop with Shonettia and improv activities.

To begin our week, we had a long discussed addressing the question What is Freedom?  We touched on aspects of freedom and oppression and how they affect us daily.  Later that morning Mama Zahra orchestrated the improv activities  we participated in.   The theme of the improv activities were:  Conversations that happen at the dinner table.

The next day we visited the Chicago History Museum in which we learned about different cultures and adversity many ethnic groups faced.  In addition, we went to a farmers market a block down from the museum and were introduced to unfamiliar foods.  We also were given insight into understanding why farmer markets are in certain areas.

At the  nature museum we visited the butterfly haven and listened to a presentation about the opportunities the museums offer. The next day Shonnettia facilitated a relationship workshop in which we engaged in a conversation on the various types of abuse that occurs in relationships and later played a teambuilding game.