thelearnerproject

[thelearnerproject]

[thelearnerproject]

A broken mug, hands with blood, and walls that shed tears

These are the memories of such young years

There was a tornado, a storm, all in a conflicted home

Where all she could see was in monochrome

Seeking light, she was always found gazing at the stars

Such memories of a child hoping to someday visit a planet like Mars

A far away dream soon turned into a goal

A goal she knew would soothe and satisfy her soul

  Yes, it is hard to ascend to the heavens above

But the challenge is thrilling and it is something I love

There will always be barriers that limit one’s path

But remember those barriers were only created by humans’ wrath

I literally jumped a barrier once, and I can do it once more

I won’t let such barriers kill the dreams I long for

  The wind blows, but gravity holds

And slowly but quickly my future unfolds

Whatever it takes, in the skies I shall be seen

Because I will become the Space Queen.

Sandra Matus

School for the Visual Arts and Humanities 2014 Senior

[thelearnerproject]

Infinite possibilities of what I can be

I hear my thoughts ring “knowledge is key”

So here I stand a far from home

However lost I may be, I will roam and roam

I search for the knowledge that will set me free

From the shackles of expectations my family bestows upon me

The wealthiest of my past is filled with regret and sadness

But it will not stop me in reaching for my happiness

I will roam to the ends of the earth and see

How my talents can prove my knowledge is key

Infinite possibilities of what I can be,

The search has begun, over valleys, mountains, and plains

For success and self-confidence is what I hope to gain.

Joy Esteban

School for the Visual Arts and Humanities 2014 Senior

[thelearnerproject]

What it means to be a learner is to be able to accept and learn from one’s failures, and still, try again. I believe that failing is another chance to do something right. Although accepting failure is hard to swallow, one can simply take that experience as a motivation in order to progress. During my freshman year, I was unable to join my peers in Geometry and was placed in Algebra 1. I felt utterly disappointed in myself because I have high standards for myself, and knew that I had the diligence to thrive in Geometry. In spite of this, I viewed the Geometry class as my motivation to excel in my Algebra class, so after the school year ended, I received an A for both semesters and my teacher gave me a recommendation to move up to Algebra 2, skipping Geometry. People need to learn that trying again will lead to success and quitting will lead to nowhere. Learning is a chance to acquire new knowledge and perception. I believe that everyone is a lifelong learner because there is no limitation on knowledge and it is never too soon or too late to learn something. 

Charles Mendoza

School for the Visual Arts and Humanities 2014 Senior 

[thelearnerproject]

I would say my main mission in life is to gain as much knowledge as possible. To me, knowledge is the best power one can have to bring about any real transformations in the world. For as I can remember, I have been engrossed in accumulating a wealth of knowledge. Learning is a natural process, and it is an inherent natural capability of any surviving living organism, but what sets humans apart is deliberate learning. This intention and instruction based learning process is what best describes me; spending my time, head buried in the latest encyclopedia, diving into the depths of the topics which most captivate me. My life is one of endless learning, and I am thrilled by the prospect of continuing to pursue a career that gives me the opportunity to further my intellectual boundaries. My high school journey, at least in the US, has been a fervent rush to expand my knowledge by taking as much of the available resources, like AP classes and tutoring. It is a structured path, and my next step is to get into the best college for me, which will allow me to learn my specific topics with an unmatched level of detail and resources. As an avid learner, my true purpose of education lies in the journey of learning, not the final graduation. My final certificate of the academic success lies not in a piece of paper, but in the self-satisfaction that I have utilized the available resources to gain as much knowledge as I possibly can, because that will give me the optimum possibility to cause any change of significant impact while contributing to the legacy of knowledge I have always coveted.

 Afif A Majid

School for the Visual Arts and Humanities 2014 Senior

[thelearnerproject]

The Learners Project

Hello!  On behalf of School for the Visual Arts and Humanities' 2014 Senior Class, we present to you, The Learners Project! Students, Teachers, and friends, we are all excited to be a part of this and externalize student voice in education reform. As a senior class, we are engrossed in making a positive impact in not only our school, but in all parts of the world Poetry, prose, and art work are just a few of the many incredible things we will be posting in this blog. If you are a student, a teacher, or a supporter of education reform, feel free to share your comments, or submit a poem, prose or artwork in regards to "What does it mean to be a Learner". We welcome any submissions at thelearnersproject@gmail.com . In the meantime, feel free to check out our stuff!