Open Campus Against Closed Borders
Open Campus Against Closed Borders sought to welcome to BCB campus refugees, migrants, and asylum-seekers interested in the resources and community that a university has to offer, but without the status and means to enroll in one.
The project hosted bi-monthly salons on campus in which students and refugee participants could gather to partake in sessions of discussion on topics that they found relevant. The salon planned to be concerned with translating the political and philosophical studies we do in liberal arts into conversation and action that is accessible, relevant, and co-constituted by and for our participants; together we hoped to share what is at stake in the things we study abstractly, and respond by developing concrete projects that would reach beyond the boundaries of the classroom. Another goal of the salon discussions was also to practice English and we provided individual tutor sessions for English and German language practice.
The first priority of the project was the development of a close-knit community defined by trust and openness between professors, students, refugees, migrants, and asylum-seekers that took part. We did not assume to already know the needs of the community we hoped to serve; we hoped rather that members of the community themselves would take leadership roles in designing the projects that intended to serve them. Thus, the curriculum was determined by students, professors and refugee participants collaboratively throughout the gatherings, with the goal of prioritizing marginalized voices and non-Eurocentric perspectives in our engagement with literature, theory, film, art, theater, or current events. The project facilitated an array of on and off-campus events such as refugee-led lectures, film-screenings, theater/dance/open-mic nights, cooking gatherings, etc. all of which would function as fundraisers to give back to the community at large.
Open Campus Against Closed Borders started in the academic year 2015-2016 and evolved into the ongoing community engagement project
Campus Conversations and is now funded by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service).
-
Coordinators & testimonials
-
Student coordinator: Isabella Lee
USA, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought
Born and raised in Las Vegas, I left high school early to attend Bard College at Simon’s Rock. There, through two years of studying politics with a focus on feminist and decolonial theory, I realized the imperative that the privilege of my education be mobilized and redirected toward political activism.
Working with the refugee community in Berlin has been a formative aspect of my time in Europe, and at Bard College Berlin I hoped to share the education in politics and ethics we receive with members of that community, for whom what we study in the classroom can have immediate and material importance.
-
Student coordinator: Marta Vuković
Serbia, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought
Coming from Belgrade, Serbia, I am studying Economics, Politics, and Social Thought at Bard College Berlin. During my time in high school I was involved in several initiatives such as a project on bribery and corruption, an initiative on inclusive education in Serbia that was presented at a Council of Europe conference, or a UNICEF project focusing on reducing childhood poverty in the Balkans that particularly sparked my interest in social justice. I was interested in doing this project in particular because it focuses on providing equal opportunities for conversation and access to education. In Serbia I had the experience of becoming friends with children of migrants and realizing that we all share the same values. This realization is something I hoped to share with others through this project.
-
Project Report
“The last BCB Open Campus session of the academic year took place in a nearby park where we organized a picnic, reflected on the past sessions, and played football and volleyball. Looking back, it is great to see how the project developed since its introduction into the community. As participants became regular attendees of the Open Campus sessions, they brought their friends, causing the group to grow. To me this demonstrated the success of the project as being a valuable way for people to spend their time. In the spring semester 2016, the Open Campus sessions included a variety of activities such as badminton, soccer, and picnic and classroom meetings focused on language skills. Sports sessions proved to be one of the most popular with both all participants!
Perhaps the most important success of the project is the creation of a strong community and lasting relationships. The strength of relationships between participants is extremely encouraging and was demonstrated by regular attendance on campus and off-campus participation in events like Syrian Food Kitchen. Another great experience has been to see refugees encounter friends from their home countries through the Open Campus sessions.
In the future I hope to expand the solid community created this year and continue to hold regular sessions with a variety of activities and an interesting group of participants. In May 2016, the Open Campus project was awarded a micro-grant from the Bard College Center for Civic Engagement, and I am looking forward to developing the project and enhancing the quality of the sessions.” - Marta Vuković
Bard Berlin Goes GREEN!
Bard Berlin Goes GREEN! was an initiative established in the academic year 2015-2016 to make us all aware of what can be done to live in a more environmentally sustainable way and to encourage the BCB community to change small habits to become more eco-friendly. We all come from different countries and cultures and it is natural for us all to have different levels of environmental education. Now that we all belong to the same community of Berlin and Bard College Berlin, it is time to get on the same page. When referring to the environment, we sometimes relate to the issue of recycling only but there is so much more we can do! Turning the lights off when you go out of your dorm, unplugging a device that permanently consumes energy, or using the other side of your printed page – these are only some examples. Changing small things not only makes the campus more environmentally friendly, it also allows us to live in a cleaner and more organized space.
Through encouraging reminders and signs, Bard Berlin Goes GREEN! set up systems that made it easier for students and professors to reduce their negative impact on the environment. It is believed that big change comes with small, incremental steps, and its legacy remains on campus.
-
Coordinator & testimonials
-
Student coordinator: Paula Pinto
Born and raised in the capital of the beautiful country of Ecuador, I lead my life with the philosophy of a nomad. I am a believer of learning through traveling -- by observing, listening and getting to know new cultures, people and places. This philosophy led me to jump the puddle and I found myself in Europe. I had the opportunity of being an Exchange Student in Belgium and after a short trip to Berlin, I decided I wanted to live there. A few months later, here I am, happily installed and looking forward to what is yet to come.
-
Project Reports
A Day at the Cafeteria
Everyday good food is being thrown away in our cafeteria: food that other people could eat; food that has been prepared with the hard-work of the kitchen staff and student assistants. This video aims to raise awareness of how much food is being wasted. See what happens in the kitchen with the leftovers on our trays.
It is a problem that has an easy solution if we all collaborate: simply serve yourself smaller portions and, if you are still hungry, come back for more. Do not be afraid of asking what ingredients are served and kindly let the staff know if you don’t like a certain part of the meal.
Watch the video>>
End Of Year Review: Bard Berlin Goes GREEN!
Bard Berlin Goes GREEN! has conducted small projects and helped raise awareness of environmental issues to turn the BCB campus into a more eco-friendly place over the past year. The main areas of focus in the academic year 2015/2016 were food, paper, plastic and bottles. Through correct labeling and increasing the number of garbage bins, providing information about recycling in Berlin or placing signs strategically, positive results were achieved. The project first took steps against food waste: more labeling, face-to-face communication and the making of an informational video from footage taken in the kitchen. Awareness was raised about turning off the lights and saving heat and electricity use decreased. Students were using the provided paper recycling bins in the computer lab as well as in the library. Recycling was encouraged through clear labeling and re-use was facilitated in activities like a clothing swap. This is a great start but there is so much more to be done! We look forward to implementing more and new ideas in the future.
Get Engaged 2016 Conference, a video by Paula Pinto
Watch the video>>
Pankow Theatre Company
The Pankow Theatre Company ran from 2015-2016 and provided weekly theatre workshops in English for German high school students in the local community of Pankow. The theater workshops took place in collaboration with the Pankow Youth Club JUP. The aim of the sessions was to create a comfortable environment for the students to practice their English through theatre. Theatre is an effective means to not only explore a language but also to build an identity and gain self-confidence. The project concluded with a final presentation in which the project participants presented for parents, relatives and students. Each session was co-lead by volunteers from BCB providing an opportunity for BCB students to get involved with an independent student-run project and with the Pankow community.
-
Coordinator & testimonial
-
Student coordinator: Clara Canales Gutierrez
I have been involved in theatre throughout my teenage years, participating in several productions and helping direct smaller productions at my previous schools… Theatre was very important to me growing up, as an emotional outlet and in helping build my self-confidence... I would like to offer this possibility to others. At the same time, I believe it is a great way for BCB to become involved in the Pankow community, utilizing the artistic and diverse nature of our student body.
-
Project Reports
Pankow Theatre Company: A Reflection
In cooperation with the Pankow Youth Club, “JUP”, and BCB students we had a platform, a location, and a group of engaged students to start implementing the project. In the planning of the sessions we managed the compile a dossier of possible improvisation exercises concentrating on language through extensive research.
After several sessions of having the Pankow Theatre Company be up and running, we have experimented with several types of session structures and had diverse groups of people attend. Participants have been enjoying the sessions, which we noticed in the practice of our recurring energizer: Zip Zap Boom, for example. By now we know the game well enough to have fun with it and change it up. It has also become easier to interact with each other and ask others to collaborate on our work. Overall, I am very proud of the comfort we have been able to build so far in the group.
Clara presents the project at the Get Engaged conference
Watch the video>>
Tell Your (Hi)Story
Tell Your (Hi)Story is a project that ran from 2016 to 2017 with the aim of strengthening the understanding of other people’s cultures and views. It saw that our knowledge and understanding about political or historic events of other parts of the world often depend on our own social, political, and geographical background. As part of an international community at Bard College Berlin and the multicultural city of Berlin, the project provided a platform and a safe space for the campus and the college’s surrounding community to share aspects of their cultures, to represent their heritage, or to tackle controversies about their history or politics that they felt had been misrepresented or not addressed. Through the medium of storytelling and discussion, “Tell your (Hi)Story” strove to help recognize the diversity of the student body on a level deeper than simply knowing the number of countries they came from.
-
Student coordinator: Irina Bunčić
Over the course of last three years I have learned how to go beyond the obvious and inspect things from many different angles. The interdisciplinary approach has taught me how to connect different ideas and reach (not always expected) great conclusions. However, I believe I have learned equally important lessons through my interactions with other students - realizing how many different people, stories, cultures exist in the world, and how there is an entire universe of things I was not aware of. This is precisely why this project came into existence - from a strong determination to expand my knowledge and understanding of the world around me in its entirety.
