Photo: Paloma Sandoval
Photo: Paloma Sandoval
Workshop at Ojai Valley School Upper Campus: Narrating Climate Change with Creative Practice
In December 2023, I facilitated a 1.5-hour creative workshop on topics relevant to climate change in and around Ojai for 50 high schoolers. After I spoke briefly to the Upper Campus students at Ojai Valley School (OVS) about my background and research interests and performed a piece of my poetry, I walked students through a creative writing exercise using “found” language scavenged from articles. The students worked in small groups to draft, revise, and share their writing on pollution and good fire. Finally, they had the opportunity to share their pieces with the whole school on a volunteer basis. I am grateful to Paloma Sandoval for inviting me to OVS.
Poem by Yanyu Chen written in Dr. Hannah Palmer’s “The Oceans” course, February 2024. Thank you, Yanyu!
Guest lecture at the University of California in Davis
In February 2024, I gave a guest lecture on creative oceanography in Dr. Hannah Palmer’s “The Oceans” undergraduate survey course of approximately 100 students. As part of my presentation, I gave the students a creative writing prompt about place. Dr. Palmer said she “was blown away by their work and I am so impressed by your ability to bring this out of each of them.”