Here + There (Skyline)

Photography Workshop at Skyline Middle School

Collaborators

  • Teresa Martin, Bridging Teacher at Skyline Middle School
  • Daniel Robinson, Director of The Institute for Creative Inquiry at JMU 

Project Overview

In March 2022, I designed and led another Here + There workshop at Skyline Middle School in Harrisonburg. During this 4‑week workshop, 7th and 8th graders who were new to the United States and still learning English used their growing language skills to write about their home countries, and to combine images of what they liked about the United States and what they remember about their home countries into a composite image. The images were then exhibited at the school for their peers and teachers.

Selected Work

Collaborator Feedback

Photo by Daniel Lin

Elisabeth Kvernen did a photography and design workshop with ELL students at Skyline Middle School. This was a rewarding experience for the immigrant students. They learned photography skills and were able to express their loneliness. They had to write using paragraph frames and then had to talk about their photograph at the exhibit. They had to listen and comprehend what Elisabeth and Daniel were explaining. Skyline is very appreciative to have this opportunity to collaborate with JMU. We are grateful that JMU is a part of Skyline’s village to encourage and support our immigrant community.

—Teresa Martin, Bridging Teacher at Skyline Middle School