Pre-Conference Praxis Excursions

This year’s conference seeks to push the envelope in facilitating unique juxtapositions between different disciplines and people, which is the catalyst of creativity. We are also seeking to diversify our modes of engagement with issues to encourage us to reframe. Looking and listening with different lenses (experimenting with aesthetic, relational, problem solving, and ecological epistemologies for example) will help us to get to new insights. In our excursions we are seeking a more dynamic interplay between head, hands and heart to facilitate a more ready abstraction of learnings and application of them to diverse contexts. 

Sign up for a Praxis Excursion! Come a few hours early - and move beyond conversation to more hands-on application and fresh exposure. 
When:  Fri. Aug. 7th, 12:00-4:30 pm
What:  Hands-on, participatory workshops that invite you to embark on an "excursion" of sorts -- one that prompt exposure, exploration and application in new contexts. 
How:  $20 (includes lunch and transportation).  Sign up at www.TDconference.org on the Registration page. 
Logistics:  Sacked lunches and transportation are included in cost.

This year's topical Excursions are:

1.  Creation Care / Creation Walk 
[Venue: Valley Forge National Historical Park]
This walk will begin with an exploration of environmental remediation projects on the Eastern University campus. The group will then travel to nearby Valley Forge National Historical Park for an easy walk along a river. The agenda also includes informal discussions of natural history, creation care and the environmental assessment of development projects. Participants should come dressed for light walking, heat, humidity and for sitting on the ground.

2.  Arts & Transformation 
[Venue: Artology, Second Baptist Church in Germantown, PA]
Glimpse into how the arts can be utlized and integrated into development programming to bring healing to communities in tough places around the globbe.  Staff from BuildaBridge, an arts education and intervention organization, will guide you through the intentionality and ethos of its programs and building space, including a visit to Artology, an art and science camp for underserved children in the Philly area.  You will see and learn principles of how to design a program that is multi-faceted and multi-funded.

3.  Storytelling for Transformation 
[Venue: TBD]
Through exploration of form and content in verbal and visual storytelling, this excursion seeks to bring greater awareness of this mode of engagement. Because it has such power to shape both us and those whom we serve, storygathering and storytelling for transformational development requires intentionality, creativity, and integrity.  Topics: Visual composition & power dynamics, What moves me?, Metaphor & meaning making, Principles of good storytelling, Shock and awe & integrity.