Spring Semester 2026 – Page 2 – Bryn Mawr College

Ingrid Layman, HC ’27

Praxis Course: Museum Studies Praxis Seminar   

Semester: Spring 2026

Faculty Advisor/Professor: Professor Monique Scott   

Community Partner: Wexler Gallery

Praxis Site Supervisor: Maeve Daly

  Praxis Poster:

HART_IngridLayman

Further Context:

My work this semester at Wexler Gallery was largely behind-the-scenes as I performed database maintenance, an area the Gallery needed support in since their team is small! Wexler Gallery is one of many art galleries in Philadelphia focused on interior design (furniture, painting, sculpture, mirrors, etc.). The gallery is located in Fishtown, a neighborhood known for its arts, culture, and food scene, although Wexler also maintains a showroom at the New York Design Center in New York City. Wexler Gallery exclusively represents 30 artists from around the world working in almost every medium imaginable.

My main projects at Wexler were to update client files, add new art pieces into ArtBase, and update already-existing inventory records. These were done on a weekly basis, but I also sat in on meetings with artists to discuss forthcoming work, helped host an exhibit opening of Malcolm Mobutu Smith’s ceramics, uploaded object information in PDF form to the gallery website, and drafted communication highlighting new artists and exhibits to be sent to the gallery’s client list. I also worked with the online platform1stDibs to help list the gallery’s pieces for online purchase.

I enjoyed the regular routine of database work and never knew what to expect when I arrived at the gallery, since the day-to-day was always changing. Sometimes it would be me and the salesperson; other times the whole office was there, including the Sales and Marketing person, who is located in New York. The projects were also always changing, so my work was varied and allowed me to interact with all sides of the gallery’s work.

Some of my favorite aspects of my time at Wexler Gallery were getting to know my supervisor and the other gallery staff. They really made me feel like a member of the team and provided me with a much richer understanding of galleries’ roles in the art world than I had previously. I now understand how artist relationships are fostered, how much a gallery can do to advocate for the artist when museums and private collectors inquire, and how everchanging the art landscape really is. I recognize the importance of exposure to currently-working contemporary artists, and the role of the gallery in increasing their recognition by private sales and museum acquisition.

Olivia Crolle (BMC ’27), Eden Raich (BMC ’27), Shalom Lencha (BMC ’27)

Praxis Course: Data in Action

Semester: Spring 2026

Faculty Advisor/Professor: Jennifer Sporer, Liv Raddatz

Community Partner: The Discovery Center

Praxis Site Supervisor: Bria Wimberly

Praxis Poster:

DSCI 310 Olivia_Crolle_Data in Action PRAXIS

Further Context:

The Discovery Center is part of the National Audubon Society through Audubon Mid-Atlantic, a non-profit dedicated to preserving and protecting birds across Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia through habitat maintenance. The Discovery Center is a space for visitors to engage with nature in a productive, educational way. It is all centered around the abandoned drinking water reservoir in the East Park. The East Park Reservoir is a shallow, closed-system body of water. Only 6-8 feet in depth, it is especially vulnerable and unable to cope with toxic algal blooms, which occur more frequently throughout the fall and summer months. These blooms can decrease the level of oxygen in the water and block out the sun, harming the over seven species of fish that reside in the reservoir. This has further harmful effects as birds that consume fish or even just have prolonged exposure to the blooms can be impacted by them. We were put in touch with Bria Wimberly to complete the coding on a water sensor that would monitor the conditions of the reservoir to predict and eventually prevent algal blooms in order to protect the park and the birds that the center is dedicated to.

Olivia’s work on this project involved keeping in communication with our contact at the Discovery Center: writing update emails, scheduling Zoom meetings, and delegating tasks. She acted as the go between for project progress, and ensured that the group met the proper deadlines. She was also in charge of part of the final deliverable: the infographic. She ensured that the product closely resembled the Discovery Center website, in order to maintain aesthetic consistency. She kept in mind what she learned in class about data visualization and presentation. The infographic will be displayed for the sake of visitors to the Discovery Center, who likely have very little or no exposure to the information. So, it had to be clear and informative in
general terms that could be easily understood. It also had to be visually engaging, which she achieved using the already contrasting colors of the Audubon Society website. She is happy with the clean, professional look that she achieved on Canva, and hopes that the infographic will be useful to the Discovery Center and its visitors. She learned a lot during this project, especially regarding the importance of frequent, transparent communication. Olivia enjoyed creating an infographic that was both informative and in line with the Discovery Center’s current graphic
design. She knows that she has come away with a lot of new and strengthened skills that will be valuable elsewhere, such as project management, graphic design, and communication.

For this project Eden was in charge of setting up the sensor coding, calibration and wiring. She worked on code provided from a previous intern, and made sure it successfully set up the sensors. The code was composed of four sections. The basic set up for the mayfly sensor and connection to Monitor my Watershed, and the set up for each of the three sensors. She had to rewrite most of the code, as there were some wiring issues which involved rebuilding the mayfly and changing the modes of connection. The coding involved using outlines provided by each of the sensor’s companies, and changing the variables to the actual sensor set up. She then had to write code to calibrate the PH and DO sensors and perform the calibration. She then compared the calibrated values to BMC Geology equipment to ensure they were providing accurate information. She also had to write a custom class for the DO sensor. There is no library provided by Mayfly to send this type of DO sensor data to Monitor my Watershed, so she had to make a
class which allowed it to do so.

Shalom focused on making the data from the Discovery Center’s sensors easier to access and use. Instead of relying on manually downloading files from Monitor My Watershed, she figured out how the platform retrieves its data behind the scenes and built a script that automatically pulls this information and converts it into a CSV file. This creates a foundation for
a live-updating dataset that can later be used for graphs, analysis, or integration into the website. One of the more interesting challenges was that the data wasn’t directly available through a simple link. Shalom explored the site’s network activity to understand how the data was being
requested and then replicate that process in Python. Since there wasn’t much real sensor data available at first, she tested the approach using sample datasets to make sure everything worked. Shalom also explored ways to display the data on the Discovery Center website. While
embedding graphs directly into Squarespace wasn’t possible, she found a workaround by linking to the live graphs hosted on Monitor My Watershed. This still allows visitors to view up-to-date information in a simple and accessible way. Working with her team also showed she the value of
collaboration and communication

Quin Gerber, BMC ’27

Praxis Course: Praxis Independant Study

Semester: Spring 2026

Faculty Advisor/Professor: Kalala Ngalamulume

Community Partner: The College of Physicians of Philadelphia

Praxis Site Supervisor: Rene Najera

Praxis Poster:

PIS Quin_Gerber_Praxis Poster (2)

Further Context:

The opportunity to intern with The College of Physicians of Philadelphia was incredible for me as a History and Public Health double major. Throughout the semester, I worked on helping to update the History of Vaccines project. Before this semester, the project was solely managed by my supervisor, Dr. Najera, who also manages several other projects at the College, so many pages had not received attention for several years. I went
through the website and created a priority list for which pages had the most pressing issues. These issues ranged from dead links to outdated statistics to a few complete overhauls, in the case of Ebola and Malaria, for which vaccines have been approved in the last couple of years. From there, I conducted research to make any necessary updates. The updates I have noted will be rolled out beginning this summer.

I was able to learn a lot from this experience. I have never worked for a nonprofit organization before, so it was valuable for me to learn how to balance maintaining nonprofit status with the highly contentious issue of vaccination. I also learned how to critically read and interpret a wide variety of sources, and to consider the agenda any source may have. Finally, I developed informed hope for the future of public health. Countless breakthroughs have been made since these pages were last updated only a few years ago, and the future of vaccine advancement is bright. I am so grateful to the Praxis program, The College of Physicians, and my advisor, Kalala Ngalamulume, for this opportunity.

Julia Azulay (HC ’27), Patience Bivins (BMC ’27), and Julia Jung (HC ’27)

Praxis Course: PSYCB215: Thorne School Practicum: Bridging Theory and Practice

Semester: Spring 2026  

Faculty Advisor/Professor: Jodie Baird   

Community Partner: Phebe Anna Thorne School: Kindergarten

Praxis Site Supervisor: Rachel Stern

Praxis Poster:  

PSYCH 215 Julia_Azulay_Thorne Praxis Poster (1)

Further Context:

This semester, we had the opportunity to work at the Phebe Anna Thorne School Kindergarten as part of our “Thorne School Practicum: Bridging Research and Practice” seminar class. The Thorne School Kindergarten serves families from the broader Main Line and is housed near the center of Haverford College campus. The kindergarten offers a full-day program (~8:45 AM-2:30 PM). The classes are capped at 16 children and staffed at a high teacher-to-student ratio, allowing more closeness and teacher-child relationship-building. The small class is led by a lead teacher, assistant teacher, and learning specialist, who works together as a team to coordinate learning plans and daily classroom activities. The Thorne kindergarten’s mission is to provide play-based, developmentally appropriate, and child-centered learning experiences with a specific focus on social-emotional development, play, and academic preparation for first grade. 

As part of our praxis course, we worked at the kindergarten as classroom aides for 3 hours a week, providing support to teachers and engaging with the children during routine academic blocks and recess. In our seminar class, we learned about various topics in developmental psychology and early childhood education. For our poster, we decided to focus on social-emotional learning (SEL) and executive functioning (EF)/self-regulation. We found that these topics were vital at the kindergarten level because they prepare children to effectively manage emotions and impulses, resolve conflicts, build positive relationships, and form the foundations for academic success and mental health. In class, we were able to directly apply the literature we read to our observations, which explored the benefits of incorporating SEL and self-regulation strategies in early childhood education settings. Our experiences at Thorne provided real-time examples of socially and emotionally based curricula and structured support of self-regulation skills. More broadly, working at the kindergarten gave us hands-on learning moments and avenues for personal reflection as individuals seeking child-centered careers in social work/child clinical psychology/education.

Julia Azulay:

Working in and contributing to this warm, nurturing educational setting that emphasizes social-emotional and personal growth has been meaningful for me, especially because I’ve never worked in a classroom like this before. I came into the kindergarten classroom worrying that I would not exactly “fit” into the role of a teacher and wouldn’t integrate well into the already-established community. However, as the weeks passed and as I got feedback from the teachers, I realized I have an instinct for working with children and that my presence was known and cherished by the teachers and the kids, even if I only saw them once a week. Seeing how effective coping and emotion regulation strategies are so central to the kindergarten’s pedagogy, I now recognize that therapeutic approaches can be readily integrated into classrooms (psychoeducation) to equip children with social-emotional tools. In my future as a licensed child psychologist, I want to bring the SEL curriculum and psychoeducational consulting to K-5 classrooms in schools serving low-income communities of color, due to systemic challenges producing a “care gap” and inequitable access to psychological resources for children at under-resourced schools. It has truly been a pleasure to work closely with the kindergarten, and I hope to continue supporting their mission soon!

Julia Jung:

Aside from babysitting, all of my experiences working with young children were in the context of after-school tutoring and homework help programs for predominantly low-income students of color attending public schools. My praxis at the Thorne kindergarten was my first time working within a predominantly White and affluent classroom at a private school. It was an amazing experience observing the classroom and getting to know the students. The Thorne classroom was peaceful, supported, and structured in contrast to the chaotic classrooms I had grown up in. This realization forced me to struggle with the reality of this large gap in academic opportunity, but it also inspired me to bring this type of education to my community at home.

Patience Bivins:

Working at Thorne has given me the chance to understand how imaginative and cooperative play influences EF and SEL. I am deeply inspired by the daily dedication of the teachers and students at Thorne. As I look toward my future career as a school social worker, this experience has taught me that the curriculum must be built on child development. I am committed to helping students develop the necessary tools for self-regulation and healthy relationship-building. Being able to apply what I have learned from Thorne and my seminar to work beyond the classroom as an educator has been exceptionally fulfilling!

Kripa Khatiwada, HC ’26 & Joao Hasse, HC ’28

Praxis Course: DSCI310: Data In Action

Semester: Spring 2026

Faculty Advisor/Professor: Jennifer Spohrer

Community Partner: Bryn Mawr Center for Career and Civic Engagement Center

Praxis Site Supervisor: Ellie Esmond

Praxis Poster:

DSCI310 Poster_Voter engagement

Further Context:

Since 2016, Bryn Mawr College has voluntarily shared its deidentified enrollment data with NSLVE (National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement), which matches it against publicly available voter files to understand voting patterns on college campuses. Our project, completed
in partnership with Bryn Mawr’s Career and Civic Engagement Center, set out to replicate this report, creating a locally hosted version that doesn’t depend on national funding or outside organizations. The demand for an independently run study grew from the recent scrutiny NSLVE and its parent organization, Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Life, has faced under the current federal administration over data privacy concerns. Our study responded by replicating the methods while addressing those concerns directly: conducting the study in-house rather than through an outside organization, communications and data shared solely among the team, and a public report to be generated later using fully anonymized data.

The idea was to use college-level demographic data and match it with publicly available data from Montgomery County across multiple election cycles. Soon after starting, we realized we couldn’t fully replicate the NSLVE methodology given our constraints. While NSLVE uses demographic and voting data submitted directly by colleges, we had access only to Montgomery County voter registration data and had to filter for registrants with Bryn Mawr campus box addresses to identify likely student voters. The enrollment records needed for a full replication were not available to us. Another limitation that NSLVE also acknowledges is that many students do a mail-in ballot in their home county when they are enrolled in Bryn Mawr, which leads to an undercount of engaged students. An additional constraint was that publicly available datasets pre-2026 were not clean enough to analyze—missing column headers, floating numbers, and inconsistent formatting meant we ultimately worked with the 2026 Montgomery
County data.

Our 2026 data came with significant limitations. Unlike the NSLVE, which includes variables like race, ethnicity, and education level, our Montgomery County dataset had none of those demographic breakdowns, leaving us with age and party registration as our primary analytical variables. Earlier datasets were also too inconsistent to use (missing column headers, floating numbers, and unclear formatting) and we had no way to match voter records directly to enrollment data. Critically, our dataset included only a single DateLastVoted field rather than separate columns for each election cycle, meaning we could not isolate who voted in which specific election. A student who voted in 2020 but not since would show 2020 as their last vote, while a student who voted in both 2020 and 2024 would show only 2024, making it impossible to cleanly attribute participation to any one cycle. Given this constraint, we used all available data to answer a broader question: had each student voted in at least one election since 2020? Working within those constraints, we calculated age as of Election Day from date of birth, binned students into age groups matching NSLVE’s categories, and built pivot tables tracking 2024 presidential and 2025 municipal election participation as best we could from the available data.

Of the 1,438 total Montgomery County registrants in the 19010 zip code, 1,206 (about 83.8%) had campus box addresses, suggesting they are likely students. Combining the 2024 and 2025 cycles, we identified 551 civically engaged students (45.7% of locally registered BMC students) who voted in at least one of those two elections. The 22-24 age group showed the highest 2024 presidential turnout at 25.9%, while the 2025 municipal election saw 37.3% participation overall. We found that 1,110 of 1,206 registered students (92%) had voted in at least one election cycle since 2020, though this figure should be interpreted cautiously, as it relies on a single DateLastVoted field rather than full voting history, meaning students who voted in 2020 or 2022 but not since would not appear in our count, and the figure may be somewhat inflated for recent cycles. All of these figures are known undercounts (students registered at out-of-county home addresses cannot be tracked) but the data demonstrates that students who do register locally are meaningfully and consistently engaged in democracy.

We documented every methodological decision and limitation so that the next team to take on this project will not face the same obstacles from scratch. The most important thing we learned is that missing and unclear data is not a dead end, it can be used to infer information and tell its own story about where gaps in civic infrastructure or data collection exist.

To complement the data analysis, we designed a survey on Qualtrics to understand voting behavior and preferences among Bryn Mawr students, with the goal of identifying areas where the Voting Education and Support office can better serve students and make the case for a polling station on campus. We used branching logic to tailor the survey experience to each student’s voting eligibility, status, and experience, and included international students to inform them about civic engagement beyond simply casting a ballot. Throughout the design process, we applied Data Action principles from class i.e. purpose, policy, biases, ground-truthing, and participatory ethics to ensure the survey was relevant to the entire Bryn Mawr population. The survey is set to be deployed on April 30, 2026 at the Montgomery County Voter Drive at Bryn Mawr College.

This project demonstrated that a locally produced voter engagement report is feasible, even with imperfect data. The biggest lesson we learned was that finding creative ways to work with the data you have, rather than waiting for ideal conditions, is itself a data science skill. Next steps in this project include using survey results to refine the Civic Engagement Center’s
outreach strategies and publishing a public-facing report in accordance with data privacy guidelines. We hope this locally produced mini-report serves as a foundation for Bryn Mawr to continue tracking student voter engagement independently, regardless of what happens to national data infrastructure, and that the groundwork we laid makes the next iteration of this project faster, cleaner, and more complete.

Macey Ellis, BMC ’26

Praxis Course: Praxis Independant Study

Semester: Spring 2026  

Faculty Advisor/Professor: Rocco Palermo   

Community Partner: Colonial Pennsylvania Farmstead   

Praxis Site Supervisor: Sarah Lerch

Praxis Poster:

PIS Macey _Ellis_Praxis Poster 2026- Macey Ellis_compressed

Further Context:

My praxis this semester was at Colonial Pennsylvania Farmstead, a Revolutionary era living history site in Ridely Creek State Park. I stumbled upon this site last fall when I was visiting a bunch of historic sites in the state for fun. I attended their Harvest Home event which had many different interpretive activities, my favorites being textile dyeing and cider making. I love living history and historical interpretation and reached out to the director to see if there were any openings which I how I became their intern! The site was actively lived in from 1690s until the late 1950s or 60s when it then became a historic site. What is unique about the site, is in the 1970s a series of archeological excavations were undertaken around the house and the farm. The site was rebuilt using colonial techniques and with the architecture being based on the arkeological evidence found during excavations.

The materials that were excavated in the 1970s were numerous and has never been formally studied or organized and digitized. My goal for this internship was threefold:

1. Assessing the expanse collection to aid in acquiring funding and creating a basic catalog. 
2. Organizing the artifacts based on material, photographing the artifacts, and creating a database.
3. Help to create summer archeology programming for children, using the archeological material found at the site in addition to supplemental materials suitable for kids.

All goals were accomplished in one way or another. It has been estimated by me and others that the collection could contain upwards of 10,000 artifacts, which is not including all the archival written materials and maps from the excavations. One of my goals was to help the site by examining and cataloguing what is in the collection and I very quickly realized that my expectations of finishing everything in one semester was not possible.

What I was able to accomplish was to begin digitizing archival materials like excavation diaries and inventory logs from the first trench CPA. I was also able to create a collections database for the archeological materials that were excavated using FileMakerPro, however, I was only able to get through the buttons, of which there are 523 entered into the database currently. While working my way through CPA, I noticed that a good chunk of the collection was missing from our storage. So, a new goal of my internship was to reach out to other institutions around the greater Philadelphia area to see if they had parts of our collection (they did not, but they did supply helpful next steps).

Another facet of my internship was to help add archeology to education program which I was able to see in action at the site’s Easter event where I ran a table with teaching materials I created and a hands-on activity for the kids.

Overall, I have learned so much from this internship! I was the expert coming in, and helping create a database which not only allowed me to advance my data entry skills but also allowed me to lead in a professional setting. I also chose to do this internship for selfish reasons as I absolutely LOVE living history sites and working with the wonderful staff and working on site with guests has solidified my love and filled my cup! I also learned that plans change and goals can change with them, at the end of the day a database filled with 523 buttons is a lot and a good foundation for future projects. (PS. Go visit a historic site!)

Diana Escobar, BMC ’27

Praxis Course: Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar

Semester: Spring 2026

Faculty Advisor/Professor: Professor Monique Scott

Community Partner: Public Trust

Praxis Site Supervisor: Aaron Levy

Praxis Poster:

HART_DianaEscobar

Further Context:

Having grown up in Philadelphia, a city considered the birthplace of American museums, the role museums play in communities and how they interact with the public has always been part of my interests. Being interested in the field, I sought out experiences to understand how larger institutions work. After in a various number of museums in the city, I had not experienced what it was like to be in a smaller, more intimate cultural nonprofit until my praxis this Spring with Public Trust. Located between the University of Pennsylvania and West Philadelphia on 40th Street and Walnut, Public Trust offers free programs on health, education, and ecology. It collaborates with artists, thinkers, and community members through public conversations and film screenings to foster dialogue around everyday issues. Taking a W.E.B. Du Bois approach of finding hope in times of hopelessness, its mission is to restore trust in collectivity and the
common good. Through this experience, I saw both the daily operations behind the organization and how care and reciprocity shape its community building.

During my time at Public Trust, I worked on a range of projects under Executive and Artistic Director Aaron Levy and Executive Assistant Jabriya Calabrese. One major project was the planning of a multi part installation by artist Daniel Faust, Presidents, featuring photographs of wax figurines of American presidents from museums in the United States and Europe. The exhibition will take up four walls in the front gallery. My role included measuring the gallery walls and sharing dimensions with the artist to ensure the prints fit, along with contributing to conversations about layout and adjustments. As plans developed, we had to balance the artist’s vision with practical concerns like accessibility. For installation, we explored alternatives to drilling into masonry walls, including using magnets. We also connected with installers who had worked with the Institute of Contemporary Art. Although the installation is still upcoming, the process required ongoing coordination and patience to prepare for a smooth install.

Another project I worked on was the book Curating Engagement, based on a 2025 retreat about engagement in cultural institutions. I helped finalize the manuscript for publication by reviewing the full text and editing for grammar, clarity, and formatting. Working closely with Aaron Levy and Jabriya Calabrese, we completed revisions under a tight deadline and sent the book to print. The release included an opening reception in Chicago, along with an excerpt published on Hyperallergic for outreach.

Alongside these larger projects, I supported day to day operations. This included drafting language for grant proposals such as those for the Warhol Foundation, helping build a bookshop section for the website, preparing technology and setup for public programs, and packaging and shipping books. These tasks showed me how essential this work is to keeping the continuation of Public Trust’s core and reach. They form the backbone of the organization, and through them I saw how much care and coordination goes into sustaining Public Trust’s mission.

Carrie Tananbaum, BMC ’27

Praxis Course: Museum Studies Praxis Seminar

Semester: Spring 2026

Faculty Advisor/Professor: Monique Scott

Community Partner: Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

Praxis Site Supervisor: Claire Pingel

Praxis Poster:

HART_CarrieTananbaum

Further Context:

This semester I worked at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in their curatorial and collections departments. I got the opportunity to work closely on their exhibition for the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, The First Salute: An Untold Story of the American Revolution. My main job was to complete condition reports for incoming loans for the exhibition. Condition reports are written records of the physical state of an artifact at a given time. These reports are extremely comprehensive and note every little detail about the object. They are written to hold the museum accountable so that the object does not get damaged
while on loan. I was lucky enough to handle many artifacts, from a copy of The Declaration of Independence to a 18th century Hanukkah lamp. It was super interesting to get to work with these artifacts as they truly brought history alive.

My time at the museum this past semester has been really fulfilling. I learned a lot about what it actually takes to have a career in the museum field. It was super interesting to see how collaborative it is to create and install a major exhibition. There were teams from all over the world working together on this one project. People had even been working on this exhibition for over a year. I was very fortunate to see all the hard work of so many people come to fruition. This experience was one that will last me a lifetime.

Isabella Cabrices, Katya Gannushkin, & Clara Udelson

Praxis Course: Thorne Practicum   

Semester: Spring ‘26  

Faculty Advisor/Professor: Jodie Baird

Community Partner: Phebe Anna Thorne School   

Praxis Site Supervisor: Jodie Baird

Praxis Poster:

Psyc215_EarlyIntervention Clara_Udelson

Further Context:

In the Thorne Practicum course, we were placed within various classes at the Phebe Anna Thorne Preschool while, simultaneously, researching early childhood educational practices. Katya and Isabella worked in the Language Enrichment Preschool Program (LEPP) which provides early speech interventions for children ages 3-5. Clara worked in the younger classroom where several students receive individualized early intervention supports. These experiences inspired us to reflect on the common theme of early intervention. The creation of this poster prompted us to further research the topic of early intervention and synthesize the underlying developmental concepts with our personal experiences. Through the process, we gained a deeper understanding of the importance of early intervention and the many forms it can take. In the poster, we outlined the importance of early intervention as well as the ways it appears within our praxis site.

Clara: I worked in the younger classroom at the Thorne school where I witnessed several county provided services. In the poster, I described the Pennsylvania Early Intervention Program to highlight how these services are accessible across the state of Pennsylvania. The Thorne school specifically uses services provided by the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit. It is amazing to me how many different types of services that children can receive at no cost from the state. I have personally witnessed one-on-one aides, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and hearing specialists in just one classroom at Thorne. It can feel a bit hectic with so many adults moving in and out of the room, but the impact these services have is incredible. I have seen the development of children’s social and communication skills which allows them to fully connect with their peers and blossom in the school environment. I’m grateful to have been able to study and witness early intervention services.

Isabella: I worked in the LEPP classroom where I got to see targeted language interventions happening throughout the day in a really intentional way. On the poster, I focused more broadly on the importance of early intervention and how access to support at a young age can shape later development. Being in LEPP made that idea feel much more real, because I could actually see how those supports were helping the kids grow over time. I watched their confidence build as they became more comfortable using language, and it was especially meaningful to see how that translated into their play with peers. As their language developed, their play became more interactive and collaborative, and I really enjoyed being able to join in and watch those moments unfold. I also saw how being in a smaller, specifically targeted classroom setting gave them the support they needed to learn and practice these skills in a manageable environment. It made it clear to me that this kind of early intervention is helping prepare them to enter kindergarten more ready to participate, communicate, and handle the expectations of a larger and more complex school setting.

Katya: I also worked in the LEPP classroom, where I had the chance to observe play-based speech, language, and social interventions in a group of 3-5 year old students. Working on the LEPP specific section of the poster, I synthesized some of the most impactful aspects of early intervention I experience daily in my placement. The structured nature of class time, with play stations targeted towards specific language, procedural, social, creative, or motor skills, and similar targeted group activities, helped streamline transitions and create a predictable environment that promoted focus, skill development, and self-regulation. I saw newer students build up their confidence and understanding of classroom routines, taking proactive steps to follow routines and help others do the same. Simultaneously, the very small classroom, teacher to student ratio, usually 1:2 on my placement day, and individual speech-language pathologist sessions, allowed for consistent individualized support with targeted learning relating to play, social communication, and language production. In just one semester, I saw not only growing vocabulary, grammatical awareness, and pronunciation skills, but also development in how they were put into practice, through collaborative social and play skills. A testament to the importance of early intervention, it was valuable to witness many of these moments of growth, and I am so glad I got to be involved in their learning.

Laurel Gabbard, BMC ’26

Praxis Course: HART B420 Museum Studies Fieldwork

Semester: Spring 2026

Faculty Advisor/Professor: Monique Scott   

Community Partner: The Fabric Workshop and Museum

Praxis Site Supervisor: Justin Hall

Praxis Poster:

HART_LaurelGabbard

Further Context:

This semester, I have been interning as an Archives and Collections Intern at the Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia. FWM is a small contemporary art museum, founded in 1977, originally operating as a print workshop for artists. It officially became a museum in 1996. The museum has incredible rotating art exhibitions, while also priding themself on their artist-in-residence program and their extensive community programming.

In my time there, I have been working primarily in the archives on a couple different projects. We began the semester working on photography of banners held in FWM collections, primarily from artist residencies. I then worked to upload items to the CollectionSpace database, and finally, these images were uploaded to the FWM website so the public can better access what is held in these collections. I have also been photographing and recording items held in Artist Boxes, which are filled with items from these artist residencies, in order to catalogue what is held in the museum. In these past few weeks, I have also been assisting in exhibition installation and de-installation. I helped de-install a Moki Cherry exhibit and have since helped with condition reports and installation for other upcoming shows.

I have gotten a lot of great experience in hands-on archival work, and I have loved getting to see so many different aspects of museum work, from digital media and photography to archival organization, to data entry, to exhibit installation and de-installation! I have formed great connections with professionals at FWM and feel very lucky to have had this experience with such a great supervisor! It has been incredibly engaging, and I loved my time here!