In the Winter of 2023 my colleague Naomi Canino and I co-founded a community workshop group called BRACKISH. Our group consists of a diverse collective of RISD Landscape Architecture students who see landscape as an immensely powerful educational tool that can help tackle complex social and environmental issues.
Our program focuses on developing landscape inspired educational workshops as a means to expose underserved high school students to our field and help provide students with the tools to make meaningful social and environmental change within their communities
Charcoal rubbing activity and student critique
Students notate permeable and impermeable surfaces in their neighborhood at South Providence 360 Highschool
Images from the final critique of our hybrid plan and collage activity!
Interactive Section Model game created by BRACKISH member Cody Young
Charcoal sketching in the vacant lot next to Blackstone Valley Prep Highschool
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
We see our classroom as an ecosystem where each student and teacher is a collaborative member with unique qualities that foster opportunity for mutual learning amongst the collective. Our approach is rooted in humility, where teachers and students stand as equals, engaging in reciprocal information exchange and allowing for the creation of a safe learning space. We view students as agents of change, empowered to apply landscape principles to their lives. Beyond the classroom, our teachers continuously reflect on our educational privileges, striving to dismantle exclusivity in higher education and create an inclusive environment where everyone can be heard.
Brackish Team members on a site visit!
Special thanks to our BRACKISH team members Danah Alqunfuzi, Mary Ritchie, Meeghan Truelove,Alexandra Goodenough, Denzel Amoah, Cody Young, and Julae Tan. This work would not be possible without your support.