Mural by Pável Acevedo in collaboration with Kate Deciccio
An Evening for Educators:
I Learn America
Viva Events Center
Join us for an evening of interactive activities based on the I Learn America project, youth-led storytelling workshops that spark creative “home-grown” community conversations around migration, identity and education. I Learn America instructors will be on hand to lead small group discussions. Artist Pável Acevedo will demonstrate classroom projects and lead hands-on activities! Light refreshments will be provided.
Free for Educators with ID - Call Now to RSVP!
To learn more about I Learn America visit: http://ilearnamerica.com/
Jean-Michel Dissard
With support from the McArthur Foundation, Jean-Michel Dissard directed and produced I LEARN AMERICA, a documentary that follows 5 young immigrants – with various legal statuses – over a personally tumultuous year in an American high school.
Through the I LEARN AMERICA project and with support from the Ford Foundation, Jean-Michel now works to actively promote in students, educators and school communities a sense of understanding, urgency, and purpose about the need to support immigrant students to build their path in their new land, to own the stories of their lives and to “Learn America”.
Prior, Jean-Michel produced award winning films chronicling adolescence, including RIKERS HIGH and RAISING VICTOR VARGAS. Originally from France, Jean Michel migrated to the US when he was 15 years old.
Pável Acevedo (Photo by Tim Musso)
Printmaker and muralist Pável Acevedo was born in Oaxaca, Mexico and completed his studies at Rufino Tamayo Plastic Arts Workshop and Escuela de Bellas Artes de Oaxaca. Since 2010, he has been involved with a number of social justice projects throughout California, including I Learn America. He has led workshops and exhibited throughout the United States and Mexico and was selected as one of the 2019 Demo Artists by Speedball Art Products.
Jacqueline La Torre teaches Design & Media at The Los Angeles School of Global Studies in a Project Based Learning environment on the Miguel Contreras Learning Complex (MCLC). MCLC is in their third year of developing their I Learn America project as a tool to engage and build their newcomer and English Learners while integrating them into the school community. MCLC believes all students deserve an equitable education. She works in collaboration with Nicole Solig's ELD/Geography course to create SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) activities and ELA (English Language Arts) lessons that evolve into the voice of their students in the form of written stories, digital stories and art forms.
Jacqueline La Torre
Anthony Nittle
Anthony Nittle teaches English and ELD (English Language Development) at the Academic Leadership Community on the Miguel Contreras Learning Complex, located in downtown Los Angeles. He piloted the I Learn America program at his high school this past year. The program has helped immigrant students tell the stories of their journeys to the United States through words, art and maps. Contreras is collaborating with local organizations to create a high school Dream Center on the campus. The Dream Center will support immigrant youth through language development, socioemotional counseling, college preparation and legal advocacy.