Lorna Porter - Community and Human Development
Lorna who graduated with Department Citation in 2013 will begin her Master’s in International Education at UC Davis in the Fall of 2015, on a full merit scholarship. Lorna writes about her ISF experience: ISF has helped me approach every situation with a multi-disciplinary approach, and with the confidence that I can create my own path. ISF taught me that those that are willing to work outside the system are often those who create impactful change. I absolutely loved working on an honors thesis, one that focused on the integration of Rocinha (a Brazilian favela) as a legalized neighborhood into the city of Rio de Janeiro. I also really enjoyed all of the classes I took in the Education department, as they gave me hands-on experience, as well as the classes in the Public Health department and Public Policy department. Both departments focused on solution-based approaches to social problems.
Since graduating, Lorna has been involved in three different projects, her main focus being on developing alternative art and education programs for underserved youth. She received funding from UC Berkeley’s Big Idea contest to run an art program in Oakland for middle school students. The students take photos of their world, transfer the image onto reclaimed wood, and use paint and reuse materials to complete the pieces. The students also journal, do small projects with reuse materials, and engage in dialogue about community, their relationship with their own community and surrounding communities, and more. While doing this, she has been developing the eco-education programs for Matter of Trust Eco-Center in San Francisco. This includes curriculum writing, grant writing, and leading the youth field trips, camps, and after school programs. Third, she has been working with the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse to organize large-scale community giving events for migrant farmworkers and their families.
