Curriculum
Tú eres Tú has been built on the theories of women of color, artists of color, first-generation writers, and other historically marginalized thinkers--creating a workspace firmly invested in inclusivity and cultural saturation. Our virtual classroom space also has an uncompromising positive affirmation of our foster youth identities. Following the critical work of bell hooks, we have chosen to teach through vulnerability--bringing our foster youth identities to the center of our work.
Recognizing art production as a liberatory practice, we approach Zines as a site of healing and growth. Our curriculum, class space, and staff have been constructed to support foster youth.
We believe that personal and global change will come from artistic expression. Tú eres Tú is joining in the fight to help our community find our voice.
Critical Race Theory
Our course syllabus is built on the revolutionary texts of educators of color. Our strategic incorporation of oppressed pedagogies covers a wide range of work within and outside the US, such as: Third World writings, revolutionary poems, boom-bap-rap/hip-hop, and ethnic studies--all creating an engaging space that reflects the lived experiences of our students.
What is a Zine?
The word "Zine" is actually an abbreviation of the word "Magazine." Zine's are tiny booklets that are independently edited and published, they can use photography, collage making, creative writing, etc. to explore any topic or theme. Zine's have been used for many years as a space to create and distribute underground revolutionary work.
Whether it's from the 70's punk scene that used Zines to capture a growing youth-led revolutionary music subculture, or the independently published Zine, Caballo Verde/Green Horse, of the nobel laureate Pablo Neruda--who's underground zine distributed anti-fascist poems under the noses of the oppressive Spanish regime.
Zines have been approached by artists, activists, and revolutionaries, as a space of full self expressionism. A platform that sidesteps the censorship of publishing houses, government institutions, and private organizations.
Our students are following this same thread of self-exploration, world revolution, and personal healing through this decades old art practice.
Why 35mm Photography?
Each student will shoot, develop, and edit their film!
Our students use 35mm cameras for two reasons: (1) they give students full control of their art practice by offering quick access to the basic components of photography, and (2) the analogue 35mm film strips offers physical lifelong memories to students who understand the difficulty of stability.
Our students get to shoot on black and white, color, and other special film stocks, learning how to document their world with their own creative eye.
While enrolled in our course, each student gets their own camera kit: a camera backpack, a 35mm camera, two lenses, eight rolls of film, a tripod, a flash, and a camera cleaning kit.
No experience is necessary to participate!
In addition to using professional photography equipment, students will take a Photography 101 course--taught by a published photographer! Students will master their cameras by the end of their time in our course!
We also have Polaroids for our students who want to ease into analogue photography!
Creative Writing
Creative writing is an umbrella term that captures multiple forms of writing: poetry, essay, free-writing, etc. Each semester, our students will be walked through writing workshops to help introduce them to the multiple forms of creative writing they can explore through their Zine.
Our students also have the opportunity to virtually meet with well-published writers from across the country! Students will have a front row seat to the process, thinking, and creative mindset of real living Latina/x/o writers.
Creative writing allows our students to explore their own identity, build their own future, and share their voice with the world. Our students deeply understand the silencing of their voice and identity, creative writing will give them their power back!
Exhibits
The work of our students deserves the full attention of our communities. Tú eres Tú creates private and public spaces for student work to be featured. Due to COVID-19 our student work is predominantly featured on our website. Over the next year, we are working with community leaders and cultural institutions to create more spaces to display the voices of our students.