education

Shifting Rhythms is an after school and summer program created with the goal of increasing creativity, self-confidence, and self-efficacy for youth in Clarksdale MS. The program provides students aged 7-15 with hands on projects related to technology, art, and entrepreneurship. Shifting Rhythms started in 2015 out of a class focused on community engaged work, at Olin College of Engineering. 

I had the opportunity to work on the project during the 2021-2023 school year and stay on during summer 2023 as a student researcher. During this time, I developed over 10 hands-on curriculum activities and I worked with 8 different groups of students in Mississippi and Massachusetts to put my work to the test. I also learned a lot about the realities of the education system in America, particularly how the legacy of slavery and segregation impact majority black public schools today. These realities underline the importance of activities that work against these patterns and focus on building confidence and social and emotional learning.