Dream, Learn, Serve. That is the Mission of the American School of Bombay (ASB) and why Frame the Message Ink is here coloring outside of the lines for the next 5 days. It’s why I traveled over 8,068 miles from Phoenix, Arizona, endured 24 exhausting hours in airports and airplanes…. To Mumbai, India.
To support the learning of 740+ students and 250+ teachers and leaders in the community. Creating visual notes from learning in sessions, capturing a visual history from the voices of those who dreamed of what an international school could be, and illustrating the hopes and dreams of ASB’s young people as they graduate into the world.
Dream. Learn. Serve.
It is a DREAM come true to be here, at @ASBPluggedIn alongside these wonderful people in a culture that supports the dreams of others. Although I am still learning a lot about the culture and traditions, one thing is clear….ASB stays true and committed to the hopes and DREAMS of their teachers, their students and their families.
Dream. Learn. Serve.
Today I LEARNED a lot. I spent the day capturing visual notes about Third Culture Kids, through the heart wrenching story of global mom Melissa Dalton-Bradford. I gained mindfulness from Cindy Cleary from MiSP, and discovered the true meaning of pre-assessments with the my educational hero Thomas Guskey.
Here at the elementary school where I’ll be for the next 2 days, learning spaces speak loudly of what ASB believes in. Modular furniture, floating walls, children creating, playing and learning in maker spaces. Music, colorful artwork, materials that inspire play and learning. Are you kidding? I am in my element here, yet can’t help wishing American schools kept sight of what it means to LEARN. ASB knows… and commits to creating a school where students can thrive and families can feel secure that as ‘global nomads’, their children will have the best education this international school can provide.
Dream. Learn. Serve.
I am proud to be SERVING here in India. Today I captured the voices of some critical people in ASB’s history. In 1981, the school began SERVING students in three small rooms located in the U.S. Consulate. After 35 years, the school has gone from 12 students to over 740 and grown to three campuses. While their facilities have expounded and they now have some impressive resources and learning spaces for students, they have always known what was most important hasn’t been the size of the desks, but who is in them. They are here to SERVE. And that has been apparent since the moment I arrived. The hospitality of these people is unprecedented. It is the heart of India and the spirit of this place that captivates me.
Dream. Learn. Serve. It’s why I am here… and also why I cannot feel my feet. Walking, standing, moving between the 6 floors and mazes of creative learning spaces (and it’s only Day 1). It’s exhausting, but as I listen to their stories and to their heaARTwork, I want to give them everything I can. Frame the Message Ink is about Mastering the heART of Communication, and I am proud to be in service to the learning, and dreaming of this community!
With such a full day of dreaming, learning and serving….what will Day 2 hold for me? Follow #ASBPluggedIn and #framethemessageink to find out!