Write a Letter to Woolman (and help a student sustainability project!)

Dear Woolman friends and family,

For my sustainability project, I am constructing a creative print-media journal about the power of place at Woolman, focusing on the sustainability of storytelling. I will implement a “Letters to the Land” living history program for Woolman. Through this program, I am asking students, semester alumni, John Woolman School alumni, interns, faculty, community members and more-- to write a letter documenting their experiences at Woolman, specifically focusing on preserving their memories for the future. I am hoping for these letters to be a biannual tradition that will document the rich and diverse culture of this place.

In your letter, please reflect on the time that you have spent here and what it has meant to you. I encourage you to do this by recalling a specific experience, conversation, or revelation that occured during your time at Woolman. Through this experience, further discuss your current and developing relationships with this place. It is important to be authentic in your responses, as the purpose of this project is to record both the struggles and triumphs that inevitably take place at Woolman- honesty will make this project more powerful!

You may either print your letter (using Arial font, Size 12) or write out your letter in a thoughtful and readable manner (for instance, writing your letter on stationary would be awesome- but not on a crumpled piece of paper!) Letters should be about two paragraphs to one page in length (although longer is totally fine). Please begin your letter “Dear Woolman.” After that, you have complete artistic control! If writing a letter does not see like the right format for you, other options include providing a picture, collage, poem, drawing, or any other artistic format your heart desires. If you have any questions, please email Emily (Global Issues and Peace Studies teacher) at emilyz@woolman.org.

Other things you might want to think about while writing:

• Your relationship and connection to the land and people at Woolman
• What you imagine for Woolman's future- hopes and fears etc.
• What you would like future semesters to know about Woolman and/or experience during the semester.

Thanks SO much!

Annelise Hildebrandt