2012 College Conference Tour: UCLA

24 youth and staff members braved the roads of Los Angeles for the third installment of the College Conference Tour for the American Indian Student Association 13th Annual Youth Conference at UCLA.  Pics from the weekend can be seen in our Photobucket album here.

The trip started with a mostly traffic-free drive to Koreatown, where we stopped for lunch at Sanya, a Korean BBQ joint.  With bellies full, attendees drove to West Los Angeles for a tour and exploration of the Museum of Tolerance.  First, we explored the museum's exhibits on the history of (in)tolerance in the United States, the power of media, the pervasiveness of stereotype, and widespread child labor in the world.  Next, we were taken on a historical journey detailing the origins, atrocities and legacies of the Holocaust.  Each attendee was given a card to follow the journey of a Jewish child through the Holocaust.  One of the children on these cards, Devorah Kirszenbaum (known today as Dorothy Greenstein), survived the Nazis' crimes and shared her experiences of living in the Warsaw Ghetto and working as a mother's helper in Polish households during World War II.  After her stories and encouragement to the audience to "not hold grudges" and "study, study, study," youth members and staff got to speak one-on-one with Ms. Greenstein, which was arguably the highlight of our Museum of Tolerance visit.  We ended day 1 with a trip to Griffith Observatory, where we attended the last showing of "Centered in the Universe," a presentation in the planetarium dome of the Observatory.  After the 30-minute show, youth members explored the interactive exhibits of the observatory and ran around the declines and grassy spaces of the park. 

Day 2 was for the conference at UCLA.  Youth members went on tours of the UCLA campus, participated in workshops on Native art, culture, and college admissions, and met other Native youth from around California.  The keynote speaker for the event was Robert Johnston from the Native Wellness Institute.  Mr. Johnston encouraged attendees to stick with their motivations and believe in themselves, inviting students onstage with him to introduce themselves and their goals in front of the audience.  After the conference, we headed to Hollywood Boulevard for one last stroll (and dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings) before driving back to San Diego.