National Museum of the American Latino - Rebeca Ventura, Week 2

 Week 2 of my internship at NMAL was very exciting! My week began on Tuesday, at the NMAL offices. I got introduced to my project for the rest of my internship, which is to create an outline for new Learning Labs that will be coming out soon. I began doing research on two Latinas that have contributed to Latina history in the United States: Emma Tenayuca, a labor union organizer, and Josephine Ledesma, an airplane mechanic during World War II. It was very interesting to learn about new people from our history and their impact. 

On Wednesday, I spent the day at the Learning Lounge in the Molina Gallery. While there was no formal activity that we conducted, we played games and had interesting conversations with visitors. My favorite part of working in the Learning Lounge is conversing with the educators and adults that wander in. They have different perspectives and experiences regarding education, children's development, and the Latino experience. It is fascinating to talk with so many people about their experiences and their admiration for a space like the Learning Lounge. 

However, I also cherish the moments I get to spend with the children to participate in activities in the lounge. A little girl with her aunt and mom walked in, and we spent time reading a book together one-on-one. I would help her with the words she didn't know, in both English and Spanish. Helping someone understand new concepts (especially one from a different culture) is always a fulfilling experience, and it was exciting to see the gears working inside her brain as she read aloud. Especially as an English Literature major, it was so fun to see a young girl appreciate literature and witness firsthand the beauty of it!

Thursday was another day in the office, and I continued with my research. I also poked around the Project Zero resource from Harvard, which is full of different questions to ask students to foster critical thinking. In Learning Labs, there are questions at the end of the presentation and activity to create next-level thinking, and I was trying to think of different questions using the resource. While doing my research, I was reminded of our debrief at the end of each day during Washington Week. Having time and space to talk through our experience provided a way for us to fully reflect on what we have learned and how we can apply it to our lives beyond Washington Week and our internships. Deep thinking and reflection are vitally important for us as we begin our collegiate experience and into our future careers. I have also never realized how difficult it is to create questions that can open up a lot of discussion and really force students to think.

Friday was my Young Ambassador Reading Day; I was very nervous beforehand but I had a lot of fun! The kids were very engaged and enjoyed the reading. I feel so lucky to have the author and illustrator present for the event. I got to read alongside Michael Genhart— I read in English and he read in Spanish and the illustrator,  John Parra, facilitated the art activity. Afterward, they held a meet and greet and book signing. Many families bought the book and had it signed, which I'm sure is a memory they will cherish. Overall, it was so exciting that I got to meet the author and illustrator and chat with them. Since I hope to go into the publishing industry one day, it was so interesting to speak to them and hear about their experiences. 

NMAL is such an open and welcoming environment, and I can't wait to be back next week!