Suchitoto, El Salvador

During the summer of 2013, after I graduated from college; I had the opportunity to attend an internship program in El Salvador. The internship took place at an art center called, El centro de arte para la paz (The art center for peace).  During the summer I studied Spanish, Liberation Theology, and Monseñor Romero. I also taught art therapy, photography, and film editing. 

In my art class, I taught the students how to create their own graffiti alphabet, the difference between gang graffiti and creative graffiti, how to draw faces, and how to mimic realistic images through artistic expression. The entire class was in Spanish which was a bit of a challenge, but it was incredibly rewarding. 

In my photography class, I taught the basics of photography completely in Spanish. Some of my students had never used a camera before, and some of my students had their own digital cameras. At the end of the class the students were able to display their favorite photo work at the art center in a gallery type setting.

In my film class, I was able to teach the older students how to fix their audio when it's a bit too quiet, how to apply different color effects, as well as how to create a clean cut in their basic edits. These students will use this knowledge in the future to help them create short videos for the small museum located in the art center. 

El Salvador taught me the importance of taking your education seriously as well as putting your everything into the opportunities you're given. The life stories of the students I worked with showed me humility and courage simultaneously; I plan to use the knowledge i've gained through these experiences to better myself for the future. 

(Summer 2013)