summer – Peace Learning Center

11 06, 2021

Social Justice Leadership Camp: The Experience

Brandi Metzger2021-09-23T13:58:45-04:00June 11th, 2021|Tags: camp, social justice, summer|

by Kyarie Shelton Hello, my name is Kyarie Shelton. I just recently graduated from Pike High School and will be attending Johns Hopkins University in the fall. For the past two or three years, I have participated in Social Justice Leadership Camp. In the Summer of 2019, I was a participant in the camp. This camp opened my eyes to issues that I was unaware of. As an African American female, I knew from my own experiences of racial and gender inequalities; however, through this camp, I learned about mental health disparities, the wealth gap, sexuality inequalities, and the injustices that other people of color face. This camp not only explores the inequality of marginalized groups of people on a surface/street level, but it dives into the institutions and ideologies that keep the marginalized groups oppressed. The structure of the camp is as unique as the wonderful woman running it. Although our days are scheduled, Clare allows the participants to speak freely, even if it deviates a bit from the topic at hand. Clare creates a safe haven for opinions to be heard, and more importantly, respected. Clare treats us all as family and makes sure to incorporate light-hearted days throughout the program to even out the intense discussions. During the Summer of 2020, I was invited back to be a facilitator, and I facilitated throughout the 2020-2021 school year. It was an amazing experience, touching the lives of

3 06, 2021

Summer Appeal

Brandi Metzger2021-09-23T14:02:38-04:00June 3rd, 2021|Tags: donations, donors, summer, support|

Do you remember an experience as a summer camper? A place where you could build community, develop a sense of adventure, and have memories that inspire you the most, all of which you enjoyed outdoors? (Which we all certainly need more of these days!) For many, camp is a chance to grow, learn, and develop into a more confident version of yourself and we are thankful to continue our summer camps to do just that. At Peace Learning Center we are thankful to continue our Summer Camps to develop Peacebuilders, Social Justice Leaders, and Climate Activists. Our camps help children and youth of all ages develop skills to grow themselves as leaders through team building in interactive and creative experiential learning opportunities. This last year we were not able to offer our camps, so the need for campers to experience these opportunities is very important! A gift of $5 will allow one student to attend one day of our camps. For a gift of $200 an entire day of our camp is possible for a whole group! Lessons our youth learn include: Communities and Working Together Self-Esteem and Personal Power Stress and My Brain Communication and Listening Conflict Resolution Responsibility/ Choices and Consequences Restorative Practices Bullying Prevention and Empathy Acceptance and Inclusion Social Problem Solving Peer Pressure Persistence and Protective Factors Hope and Purpose be the change- How I can improve the world around me! Through your generous donations,

19 07, 2019

Two Weeks of Two Different Camps

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:41:26-04:00July 19th, 2019|Tags: community, social justice, summer|

by Kate Owens July is a special time at Peace Learning Center because it is when we host our two specialty camps! Climate camp is put on in collaboration with Earth Charter–Indiana and brings together Indianapolis youth ages 5-17 to learn about climate and sustainability. Every day of climate camp is different, full of different activities such as creek stomping, yoga, and field trips. One of the most special parts of Climate Camp is participating in a ceremony called The Council of All Beings, which asks the students to choose an animal whose perspective they will look at the world through. By doing this, they learn to look at the earth more empathetically and understand how all beings are interconnected. They make masks to help them embody and understand their creatures. This exercise guides the youth climate warriors to think about how climate change is impacting the lives of other species. This powerful and inspiring week leads all those involved to renew a passion to live sustainable. One camper described his personal impact of Climate camp saying: “When I go home, what I want to do is to defend the earth from climate change. I’m going to try to lower my carbon footprint. I want to try using less power, composting more, recycling more and trying to pick up more trash when I see it.” The other specialty camp we host in July is Social Justice Leadership Camp! SJLC

21 06, 2019

Summer at PLC

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:41:27-04:00June 21st, 2019|Tags: camp, peace learning center, peacebulders, summer|

by Kate Owens Summer is a busy time at Peace Learning Center! Summer means it’s time for Peacebuilders camp! One of our most prominent summer programs is Peacebuilders Camp. Peacebuilders Camp takes place from May-July and often focuses on issues like teambuilding, conflict resolution, mindfulness and building communication skills. Different groups come to attend a day of camp throughout the summer, so no two days at Peacebuilder Camp are the same, but each one brings fun, learning, and growth. Upon arrival, a PLC facilitator goes over the day’s agenda and the students make their own “Agreements for Peace”, which is a list of guidelines the students set for themselves about how they should act to be respectful and get the most out of their day at PLC. Once the guidelines are set and agreed to, it’s time for some icebreaker games! These are important because it helps the kids get comfortable and start opening up, which is important for the rest of the day’s activities. The game River Crossing is always a hit at Peacebuilders Camp. The group must work together to get from one side of the ‘river’ to the other by stepping on a limited number of ‘logs’ or mats. If anyone falls off their mat, the whole group has to start over. To do this successfully, it’s necessary for the campers to listen to each other and work as a team to reach the other side

17 06, 2019

Meet the Intern: Ramisa Reza

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:41:27-04:00June 17th, 2019|Tags: intern, internship, summer|

Meet Ramisa Reza! Ramisa is our Special Events and Fundraising Intern for the summer. She is a rising Junior at Purdue University majoring in Public Relations & Strategic Communication, as well as Global Studies. What brought you to Peace Learning Center? I aspire to a career in the non-profit sector! While my current studies are focused on global issues, I was determined to take this summer to become active in my local community. When researching Indianapolis based non-profits, Peace Learning Center was perhaps the most dynamic organization I found. Additionally, it boasted a cause that I care about, as I was actually in the midst of an awesome Peace Studies class! I was eager to put my education into use and after having the chance to speak to Jay Horan and Tiffany Talbert, I felt this opportunity would be a valuable first step into my dream field. What is a cause you’re passionate about and how does it relate to PLC? My interests lie particularly in Human Rights. Being a first-generation American, I have always been hyper-aware of the privileges I have had in my life when compared to the life I could have lived in a developing nation. The rights and freedoms we hold, from freedom of expression to the right to an education, are not as common around the world as we may think. And while cultural relativity cannot be overlooked, I do believe we, as a world, can offer better. As such, I would argue that it is at the intersection of Human Rights and

10 06, 2019

Meet the Intern: Sara Hafyane

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:41:28-04:00June 10th, 2019|Tags: intern, internship, summer, volunteer, volunteering|

Meet Sara Hafyane! Sara is one of our Youth Program Interns for the summer. She is going into her fourth year at IUPUI. She is studying Environmental Policy and Sustainable Management with a minor in Geography. What brought you to the Peace Learning Center? I've always been interested in the place whenever I'd hike by from its name because it sounded interesting. As I did more research I saw their mission statement and what they do and wanted to work with them. They posted that they were looking for an intern on social media and that was how I got into contact with them. What is a cause you’re passionate about and how does it relate to PLC? I am very passionate about the environment. From a young age I spent most of my time in parks and I feel at home when I'm in nature. I really like the placement of PLC and how it is in the middle of the biggest city park in Indiana. When people, especially kids, come out to PLC they can get a chance to truly connect with nature and they'll understand why we all have to take care of it. The PLC has a summer camp partnered with Earth Charter Indiana that has a focus on Climate Change and combatting it locally which I think is amazing. What are you hoping to get out of this summer/your internship? I hope to gain

18 04, 2019

Social Justice Leadership Camp Taking Applications

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:41:29-04:00April 18th, 2019|Tags: social justice, summer|

by Clare Wildhack-Nolan Social Justice Leadership Camp for 2019 is now taking applications! We cannot wait to meet the new leaders who will arrive at camp. Each summer it has been amazing to facilitate and get to know the bright, powerful youth who come to camp. Each day is an adventure watching the group get to know each other, gaining trust as a group and in themselves. In this text and computer-based world it takes extra bravery to share your authentic selves with people, offering your hopes and struggles, being challenged in a face to face format; however, each summer teenagers crush stereotypes and do it, better than most adults can! Social Justice Leadership Camp is a two-week day camp, July 8th to the 20th (9:00 am to 4:30 pm), with optional overnights on Fridays. Each day involves activities designed to build leadership skills, analyze power through critical thinking skills, develop community, provide time for self-reflection, and have fun! The themes of each day include: Who I Am, Social Justice Leadership 101, Economic Justice, Racial Justice, Gender and Sexuality Justice, Using Our Voice for Justice-Taking Action, Community Tours, and a SJ Leader Lunch. The camp will be held in the Butler Tarkington Neighborhood at the UUI Church. The cost is whatever families can afford, between $10-$200. We want to make sure money is not an obstacle for any participant. Please let us know if you need transportation assistance. Here is

18 07, 2018

Impact Story: Peacebuilders Camp

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:41:33-04:00July 18th, 2018|Tags: peace education, summer, support peace learning center|

by Mame Keita I did not know what I signed up for when I agreed to co-lead with Arianna, one of our amazing interns, a workshop on “Empower for Change” for Girls Rock. Girls Rock is a pretty amazing organization that works with girls age 9 to 16 and empowers them through music. I was super excited to meet all these young girls willing and ready to be leaders in their lives and their communities. Our objective was to help them figure out how to use music or creative expression to tackle issues they were passionate about. We started by gathering everyone in a circle, shared names and favorite artist and played an icebreaker. The campers had fun getting to know each other better and discovering commonalities and differences. Our next step was to brainstorm and share our thoughts on values and on their importance identifying them to be able to create change. The conversations got deeper and more personal. One camper shared kindness was her top value because everyone was so valuable. They had a lot of strong values ranging from family, love, equality, acceptance, kindness and of course, music. With those values firmly in place, we then asked them to think about a problem they would like to tackle. Their awareness and understanding of all societal issues were impressive. They mentioned gun violence, sexual assault, wage inequality, gender inequality and challenging school environment with the new changes

5 07, 2018

Meet the Intern: Sam Jo

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:41:34-04:00July 5th, 2018|Tags: intern, internship, summer, volunteer, volunteers|

Hello everybody! I am Samantha Clark and am one of the interns at Peace Learning Center this summer. I am currently a sophomore at Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis studying social work and would like to continue on to get my master’s in the same field. My goal is to become a school counselor. I have always loved working with youth and learning more ways to help teach, guide, and support them as they grow. Children are our future and I want to do my part to help it be a bright one! I actually started my internship in late April because I also work as a nanny in the summer and I wanted to get as much experience as possible while I could. I am very grateful to Peace Learning Center for allowing me to work with all the amazing people there, and to all the wonderful children I have met along the way. I have never worked so closely with a nonprofit organization before and it is honestly eye-opening and amazing to see what it takes to make this organization work. I have even thought about minoring in philanthropy or nonprofit as a result of the experience I’ve had there. My experience here at PLC has been more than amazing so far. It has been awesome working with and learning from the people at Peace Learning Center. Popular Education is a big thing we focus on

19 06, 2018

From the Intern: Hi, from Helmi

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:41:35-04:00June 19th, 2018|Tags: intern, internship, summer, volunteering|

Hello everyone. My name is Helmi Khosyi and I am one of two communications interns for the summer. I am currently a senior at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) studying psychology. I have a strong interest in nonprofit work. My interest stems from my family who has always emphasized putting the community first. I believe in the idea of a collectivistic community and Peace Learning Center encapsulate this idea by teaching young students to professionals about conflict resolution techniques, teaching effective communication skills and many other programs that are offered to the community. I learned about Peace Learning Center (PLC) during a Nonprofit Expo at IUPUI. I was with my friend and we came across the PLC table when we first walked in. We talked with Jay (Director of Engagement) and Tiffany (Director of Operations) who taught us that interning at PLC would be time spent working with kids at Eagle Creek. Personally, I was looking for an internship that I wanted to better the community and work with a diverse group of people. After learning more about PLC, the same day I chatted with Jay and Tiffany, I sent in my resume and thankfully received the light of day to come intern here. During my time here I look forward to helping make a change and learn more about the ins-and-outs of nonprofit work. I anticipate this summer to be exciting and eventful. Peace Learning Center