Community to Community to Community: Louisville to Syracuse to Bridgeport #ConnectedLearning

Throughout the summer, I've been helping the Director of Upward Bound, Rony Delva, run a men's group on Wednesday nights to address issues important to the minds of urban males who have an aim for academic achievement with tremendous hopes for college and career success. For several weeks, while listening to their concerns and taking notes, I  designed a workshop for them on the importance of writing.

Earlier this summer, I asked Rony if he'd like to get his students reading Lost Boy, Lost Girl to initiate a conversation about place, relocation, schooling, history, opportunity and the importance of education. This was on the back of their minds.

With knowledge of this, I wanted the young men to meet Werdi Mugaya, a Somali Bantu youth who graduated from Nottingham High School in Syracuse last spring. Working with Bridgeport youth, I channeled my National Writing Project days of working with Omega Psi Phi in Louisville to run a Men of Quality program. I decided that the time has come for the young men in Upward Bound to write an editorial for the paper (which we workshopped last night) that replicated the writing I used to do in Kentucky with students. I contacted Werdi, however, for him to offer insight about relocating to the United States and to discuss his emphasis on education and the hard work he put in to achieve in school. His brother, Haji, was brought to  Bridgeport when he first arrived, but then moved to Syracuse to be with family once they arrived. The connections are everywhere when we open our eyes to them.

I still feel terrible that I was unable to attend Werdi's graduation. I was teaching a content literacy course in Fairfield and missed the ceremony.  It is one of my biggest regrets. For this reason, it was awesome to SKYPE with Werdi last night between the young men of Upward Bound and him. It was connected learning at its best - a fusion of the TRIO program, CWP-Fairfield, research, the NWP model, technology, and the possibilities for bringing communities together.

Pictured above is Werdi wearing my doctoral hood and I am thrilled that I will see him in a couple of weeks to celebrate his graduation. He, too, deserves accolades and applause. I write today's post, though, to emphasize that men of integrity need to meet men of integrity. Hopefully soon, the collaborative writing we've written will be published in the Connecticut post.

I will definitely be sure to let you know if it has.