Based on the project first started in America by retired teacher/poet Julie Landsman and Kentucky’s previous poet-laureate/teacher George Ella Lyon, the “I Am From Project” has multiple goals, but one of their key aims over these past ten years has been: “To help people of all ages and backgrounds use the ‘Where I’m From’ poem as a prompt to write about experiences that shape them.”

Much more can be found on the website https://iamfromproject.com, but every year teachers across America start their school years by giving students a structured poem outline to which the students can add in their own personalised elements to make the poem “theirs”.  Ajarn Trisha has participated in this project at international schools in the Czech Republic, China, and now Prem. But her Prem students stepped it up a notch and all 19 students not only wrote the poem but submitted video entries to make it a visual story poem as well. The results were stunning and highly personal, with these IBDP students reaching deeply to explore where they’re from and how it is shaping where they are headed tomorrow. Over the coming week on our social media, we will highlight some of the most unique standouts in our class; they range from top-notch student-filmed drone footage of Bhutan done by Jigme to hand-drawn animated sketches by Ariel; then there are the four superb word choices and storytelling artistry examples of Caitlin, Daniel, and Jampel. It was impossible to pick just one. We have been showcasing these on our social media all week so if you would like to watch them please go to our FaceBook Page.

Trisha Pospisil

Head of Water House, Boarding Parent,

DP Language & Literature Teacher, G10 Water Homeroom