Buenos dias amigos! My name is Amanda La France and as one of newest volunteers to the Club Acorn family, I am both honored and very excited to share with you the current ongoings of the center! At the center we just started "Nuestro Barrio es tu Casa" which means "Our Neighborhood is your Home", a multi-media project that combines self identity and environmental exploration to demonstrate the importance of community and the vital role each and every member contributes to a neighborhood that make it a home. The components of this project include Photography, Theatre, Painting, in addition to Writing short stories and poems. All of these mini-workshops will be pieced together to culminate into one final presentation to be held in January for family, friends, and the community of La Boca. With this project we hope to instill, even if just a small part, a feeling investment to the community in which these amazing young minds are a part of. And that in turn, down the road, will surface again as these children become the future leaders of their communities! Week 1 started with a discussion about our group's families, likes/dislikes, personalities, characteristics, homes, neighborhood and also what they envisioned as their perfect place. This week we will continue the theme of their unique identies as well as apply that theme as we go out into the barrio to take pictures of the aspects of La Boca that make it so special as a home. We will also begin creating short skits that will tie in messages of tolerance, anti-drug use, and community togetherness. Whew! We have a lot to get done in the next coming weeks! We'll keep you posted!