Deepika Kannan ('26), an Urban Studies and Computer Science double major, was an intern at the One Art Community Center. The mission of One Art is to cultivate a space that encourages holistic healing in Philadelphia through art, education, cultural, and community engagement. This internship was supported by the Summer Humanities Internship Program.
One Art provides community space for West Philadelphia, from safe spaces to conduct cultural events such as Eid celebrations, yoga classes, and film courses for high school students. I was drawn to One Art because of the SHIP reflection I’d seen published on the CURF website from a student who had previously interned with One Art, and how they had designed a wall of stained glass for their community center. I connected with the organization's mission to provide creativity, comfort, and community.
The first time I came to the center, I appreciated that it was almost hidden from an outsider’s view, which is what made it feel like an oasis. I soon learned the importance of creating “third spaces” in communities. One Art is essentially a third space for people in West Philly: a place outside of home, school, or work for people to gather and foster community. As an Urban Studies and Computer Science student, I think a lot about how cities are designed, and how the built environment impacts people’s wellbeing. Spaces like One Art are critical to build community.
I primarily worked on developing an app that would serve as a membership. To identify what should be included, I worked with organization members of all ages and translated their ideas into technical concepts that I could implement in the app. Learning how to translate ideas into actions was a very important skill as someone who wants to pursue a career using technology for social good.
I really enjoyed that One Art was very open-ended, and gave me the chance to work on my own personal project within the organization. I appreciated that I was given a lot of creative freedom in terms of what I could contribute to the organization. Being able to advocate for my personal ideas, combine them with others' ideas, and turn them into a creative product is a significant takeaway from this experience that will stick with me throughout my future endeavors.
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