In Fall 2023, the Elizabeth River Project was awarded a competitive National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) B-WET grant to bring hands-on environmental education programs to all 6th graders and their teachers in Portsmouth, VA for the next three years.
Through this grant, they are partnering with Portsmouth Public Schools, Norfolk State University and Old Dominion University. They wrapped up the first 3-part teacher training at NSU earlier this month in the James Wise Gallery. The workshop "Mapping an Inclusive History of the Elizabeth River," was led by Solomon Isekeije, NSU Professor of Fine Arts.
“Art based hands-on activities with tools, encourage exploration and support divergent learning among students, who often develop new manual dexterity skills,” says Isekeije. “Developing manual skills will prove more useful to the current Gen Z, who are often referred to as digital natives, as against previous generations.”
Teachers created a unique mixed media print that visualizes the Native and African American history of the Elizabeth River, helping to provide an inclusive history to incorporate into curriculum.
Previous workshops included an interpretive history walk for teachers through downtown Portsmouth, emphasizing the little-known role of the Elizabeth River in the Underground Railroad. In January, the teachers visited the Elizabeth River Project's new Ryan Resilience Lab for a session with Dr. Shanda Jenkins, ODU Director, Office of Faculty Diversity and Retention, that focused on “Reading and Teaching African American Students in Portsmouth Schools” and highlighted the importance of incorporating movement and hands-on, active learning to setup Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) youth for successful learning experiences.
See more photos of the workshop on Flickr.