Friday, October 5, 2007: ICBIE Day at AOSR! Although, thanks to the Bridge to Bahia project, there have been numerous AOSR events where the ICBIE has been present, never before was a whole school day enlivened by the presence of real Bahians, together with ICBIE president Pietro Gallina. And the real stars were our delightful street artists Julio and Bigode, who spent most of the school day decorating the wall of the gymnasium that faces onto the quad at the entrance to the High School, where all the students, big and small, have to pass by, whether on their way to gym classes or to go to the cafeteria. And Joyce Dunn’s high school art classes were assigned to work as their assistants, so many kids got a chance to make their own contributions to the mural.
The first direct contact between ICBIE students and AOSR students couldn’t have gone better, and the laughter and smiles brought everyone together instantly, despite the enormous difference in origins, schooling and, especially, affluence. From the start, the Bridge to Bahia project has aimed for exactly this, a fostering of bonds of friendship and community between these very different communities.
