Bloom – a unique community experience…
The Canopy community – parents, tutors and supporters, gathered to laugh, enjoy great food, and celebrate together at our fun Bloom lunch. We saw Canopy in Action – a film created by the Canopy Student Leaders, and the biggest highlight? The remarkable Canopy tutors danced!
Carrie Strawn, an educator in the Shoreline School District, gave our call to action: now is the time to lean into being a canopy for vulnerable students in our community.
In the forest, a canopy creates a place for young trees to grow, keeps the soil rich, enables deep roots and provides protection during storms. There are storms now – in our nation and around the world, impacting underserved students. Kids are facing increasing barriers and deepening educational challenges.
At that fun lunch, we leaned into being a canopy for underserved students. Thank you everyone for your wonderful generosity!
Our event began by capturing memories on the red carpet…
Canopy families created a feast of Eritrean and Ethiopian dishes – injera, doro wat, tibs, himbasha, all part of a traditional and rich cuisine.
Canopy tutors are high school and college students. Many are bilingual and bicultural, the children of immigrants, just like the students they tutor. These remarkable tutors danced at Bloom!
First, the Step Team (Shorewood High School students and Canopy tutors) performed a percussive dance called ‘stepping’. Stepping originated in the 1700’s and is a vibrant part of African American culture.
Enjoy this fun clip of the Step Team.
The Canopy Student Leadership Council and staff created a short film of tutors and students called: Canopy in Action.
Canopy tutors treated us to dances that are traditional to the Eritrean/Ethiopian culture, and they invited everyone to join the fun and celebration.
After the dancing, we lingered and savored this remarkable day…
We experienced the vibrant cultures of Eritrea and Ethiopia, saw Canopy in action in a fun video and had an opportunity to support underserved students. We met our neighbors and focused together on being canopy for students in our community who need it most.
Thank you for being part of the Canopy community!
If you weren’t able to come to this fun lunch and would like to make a gift to Canopy Scholars, please use the button below.
