Education Bulletin - November 18, 2021

Higher Education Art Educator of the Year Award for 2022 was awarded to Susan Barahal by the Massachusetts Art Education Association (MAEA) in recognition of her outstanding passion and dedication to the arts and creative learning. Susan Barahal's research explores how the arts facilitate and inform learning and understanding across disciplines and grade levels. Her current work explores the empathic responses that art objects evoke in viewers. She is a practicing artist and a juried member of the New England Sculptors Association. Susan's sculptures reflect the natural world which provides her with a limitless vocabulary of images. Susan's teaching continues to enrich her and is the most meaningful part of her professional life. Her teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that curiosity is natural, learning is enjoyable and life long, and self-expression is a fundamental human quality and need. She is responsive to her students, embraces inclusivity and differentiates her instruction to include all learners. She feels fortunate that the art education field and higher education are well positioned for her to model and promote the tenets of her personal teaching philosopy for pre-service PK-12 art educators.

Michaela Antunes Blanc

Current Museum Education student, Michaela Antunes Blanc, was surprised to find her school work featured in the Brazilian Times newspaper, (English translation, click on the tiny U.S. flag in the upper right corner). For an assignment in ED 287 Museum Evaluation, Michaela put out a call to Portuguese speakers in Massachusetts, asking them to contact her if willing to participate in an interview about their motivations for visiting museums. She received unexpected assistance when the newspaper picked up the call and wrote a short story about it, urging readers to contact her. Michaela shares: "It is wonderful to know that my academic efforts are being noticed.

GRAP (Global Research Assistant Program) is a project which is funded each year through Tisch College. This year's funding was awarded to Ellie Murphy, an international relations major whose intent was to focus on the policy side of global women's rights, while highlighting the impact an individual can have upon international policy. The project selected was Inshuti: Researching the Power of Mentoring, which she worked on with faculty member Linda Beardsley. The project research involved collaborating with the Maranyundo Initiative, which Ellie cited as a "remarkable example of a global partnership formed to address a complex global issue: the education of girls in Sub Saharan Africa." The Maranyundo Initiative resulted from the Women Waging Peace Conference 2000, where a group of Boston women, organized by Sister Ann Fox of South Boston, met the Rwandan delegation, which was headed by Senator Aloisea Ayumba. The Senator shared her vision of the ways in which the education of girls could empower them to become leaders and help Rwanda rise from the devastation of the Genocide Against the Tutsis. The Boston women were so moved by her words, they inquired as to how they could assist in her efforts, and the Senator responded, "Help us build a middle school for girls." Currently, the campus houses 400 students from grades 7-12 and has been expanded to include a STEM high school. The school is owned and administered by the Benebikira Sisters of Rwanda, a Rwandan religious order known for their schools and social programs. Over 50% of the students come from economically vulnerable rural families throughout the country.

Ellie's project involved assisting the Maranyundo Initiative with their Inshuti program; a program which connects MGS (Maranyundo Girls School) alumnae studying in the U.S. with one another and the initiative. The goal was to determine the ways in which a mentorship program, with a variety of activities and social media platforms, could produce networking opportunities for the current students; allowing them to retain their sense of Maranyundo community after graduating. The women would learn from each other's stories how the Maranyundo classroom is applicable to "real world issues." Over the summer Ellie, joined by two Maranyundo alumnae, Kellia Karambize and Louise Ishimwe, interviewed alumnae and current students of the Maranyundo Girls School.

Ellie shares that she was honored to work with Linda Beardsley and learned a great deal from her many years of research and personal experiences with the Maranyundo Initiative. She was grateful for their one-on-one conversations regarding empowering education for women. Linda's ability to create a comfortable environment for the girls to share their stories helped create close knit and highly productive focus groups. Ellie feels empowered by her own education at Tufts and considers herself fortunate to have been selected to conduct research that illustrates the critical role education plays in finding your voice.

Linda Beardsley's blog documenting her research trips to Rwanda can be found here.

Cynthia Robinson, Museum Education Program Director and Senior Lecturer, and Cara Iacobucci, Lecturer, co-authored an article, "What the Pandemic Taught Us About Internships," in the Summer 2021 issue of New England Museums Now, a quarterly publication of the New England Museum Association. Based on their observations during the pandemic, the article offers advice going forward, as internships shift back to onsite and in-person: "The pandemic, acting as a catalyst in a highly charged time, forced us, our students, and our internship sites to reinvent and refocus. The results were well-structured interactions that offered students chances to learn and practice new skills, participate in workforce communities, and contribute meaningful work. We know these elements are critical to successful internships, but we did not expect to see them so intentionally and visibly built into virtual experiences."

The Massachusetts School Psychology Association (MSPA) recently awarded the Ena Vazquez-Nutall Diversity Scholarship to Kat Su, a current School Psychology Program student. In recognition of Kat's accomplishments the MSPA stated: "It was an honor and privilege to learn about your commitment as a culturally and linguistically diverse graduate student devoted to serving culturally and linguistically diverse populations."

Reflecting on her School Psychology program work and experiences, Kat shares:
Greetings, fellow Jumbos,
After accomplishing years of education, our student identities are largely shaped by school experiences. Often, encountering moments of injustice, has steered us towards a college major, a commitment to volunteer opportunities and a lens shop to navigate and perceive the world. What led me to learn the way of a school psychologist at Tufts University is in part inspired by those moments. I believe that diversity can be a source of healing adversity. It draws conceptual parallels with gradients, spectrums and nuances; reminding us that variety is a hallmark of full-circle learning. Being a recipient of the MSPA Diversity Scholarship is a privilege owed to the influences that have made this outcome a reality. Thank you and much reverence is expressed to my peers, professors and family members. As the years come, I hope we continue fostering our own principal that lives in this school of thought, guided by these principles.

Education Department Lecturer and Associate Director of Social Emotional Learning for Equity and Civic Teaching (SELECT), Deborah Donahue -Keegan, was recently featured in Tufts Now. Teaching Toward Equity: The Social-Emotional Dynamic of the Classroom. Deborah discusses SELECT, an initiative aimed at helping Tufts faculty better understand the social-emotional components of teaching, such as building their own emotional stamina. Deborah clarifies: "That resilience when difficult topics come up in class-the curve ball, the charged comment or question." Participants in SELECT include faculty from almost every school at the university; among them is Vesal Dini, lecturer in physics and astronomy, currently teaching ED 091-02 Seminar for Learning Assistants in STEM. Vesal points out: "There can be a lot of anxiety when you have to persist amid confusion for some extended periods of time...this kind of persistence is usually necessary to advance understanding."

Announcement from The Education Department Graduate Ensemble, or EDGE: Edge is meant to connect, inspire, and motivate the graduate students of the Tufts Education department in the pursuit of our studies and create a sense of community and camaraderie therein. Within our group, we share a love for teaching, learning, and education throughout Tufts and the world. We hope to ease the transition into Tufts life by holding events and meetings. Additionally, we seek to help our members maintain a work/life balance to support their mental, emotional, and physical well-being and advocate for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and other forms of Justice throughout educational systems.

For more information contact Cordelia Ilton, Georges Pichard, David Zabner or Phoebe Sargeant.

The Somerville Times recently published an article showcasing Re(Sisters); Speaking up, Speaking Out, an exhibition which was on display at the Brickbottom Gallery in Somerville and was co-curated by Art Education faculty member Pamela Bower-Basso. Pamela shares: "I started doing a lot of artwork around [the time of the 2016 election] that connected with the sexism and misogynistic rhetoric that was coming out of the campaign and then the election...So, politics, I would say had a big impact on how this show came about."

MPDE is committed to recruiting and assisting in producing career opportunities for educators and administrators from diverse backgrounds, and forming collaborative relationships that will enhance staff diversity within our schools districts. With over 30+ districts represented at this event, they are hoping to fill as many positions as possible.