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 Sustaining International Sisters Share “What They Know” After spending time in breakout rooms naming the different women in their lives who were mentors to them, international sisters told a story about one of their mentors. Then we spent time writing in the chat box what we know about being strong women. We are changing the way people perceive the strength of women one assertion at a time! Happy International Women’s Day! This what we know…   I know that   I know that kindness and generosity can change the world. I know that this time together is important. I know that spending time together makes a difference. I know that being strong makes a difference. I know that making new friends makes a difference. I know that listening to our bodies - goes a long, long way.... I know that every bad thing in your life looks a bit better after you've shared it with someone. I know that patience is important. I know that laughing together makes a difference. I know that nature has ...
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Teaching Online: A Rollercoaster Ride to a New Normal

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Wait! What? Why am I teaching English language communication online? And, really, is it becoming the new normal? Yes! After teaching almost 200 hours online (150 academic & 50 InterPlay), I can proclaim a resounding Yessssssssssssssss.... It’s the 2020 Pandemic. I’m an educator. I teach international students advanced oral English communications at the Georgia Tech Language Institute (GTLI). Hop on the rollercoaster! Suddenly in the spring, I went from teaching students face-to-face sharing a physical classroom space together to conducting classes with them from my laptop, the etherspace whooshing around us. The New Normal. Seeing students in square tiles across my computer screen. I was teaching Advanced Academic Speaking to undergraduates at the GTLI. The students came from Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Yemen, and the Congo. That etherspace managed through Bluejeans (Georgia Tech’s online platform for classes) sometimes connected us beautifully. Other times, students...
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SISTERS ON FIRE: IGNITING CREATIVITY THROUGH INTERPLAY

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You are enough. What you create is enough. I have a mantra: “Not good. Not bad. Just is (Thank you Natalie Goldberg,  Writing Down the Bones ).” To the extent that you want to “play” we will be fanning the ember of your creativity in our time together today releasing all judgment of outcomes. –Ruth Schowalter, July 18 th , 2020   Women from around the world who attend our monthly Global SIS: InterPlay were offered this invitation to ignite their creative spark in a recent playshop. Each July, my collaborator and SIS co-founder, Canan Arikan and I have chosen to highlight CREATIVITY. Fanning the flames of our creative souls seemed even more important this July while all of us are managing our lives in the midst of a global pandemic.   Connecting with SISters from Around the World.   We were on "creative fire" in July! Women from China, Brazil, India, Turkey, Argentina, Philippines, Iran, Israel, and the United States. Making marks and doing that without fear is one o...
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Honoring Ramadan at the Hidden Monastery Dance Chapel with Canan Arikan

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-I feel love and peace in mind. I feel like I am standing in front of God and dancing happily… -I felt light and warm with gratitude.    I felt grace... On May 20 th , 2020, a few days before Ramadan concluded for 2020, the Zoom chat box was filled with comments from 7 women from Turkey, 2 from Iran, 1 from India, several Americans and others – most of us currently living in the United States.  It was at this moment that I had two InterPlay worlds – Dance Chapel and Sustaining International Sisters(SIS) – collide to honor Ramadan, a deeply religious time period for Muslims, the religion of my Turkish and Iranian friends.  I began leading the Wednesday night  Dance Chapel in Cynthia Winton-Henry’s Hidden Monastery at the beginning of April because of the Covid-19 Pandemic. There were so many of us sheltering at home, that Cynthia expanded these interfaith dance chapels from only Monday and Thursday to every day of the week. Our Dance Chapels us...
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