Philadelphia is often defined by cold statistics rather than the vibrant and joyous nature of its people. While having and investigating data is essential for understanding our gun violence crisis, this lacks the “soul” required for true and change making advocacy. The CornerStone is a collaborative zine designed to bridge that gap, shifting the narrative from utter devastation, to youth driven agency and resistance. This ten month process involved extensive outreach to our communities, editorial strategy and intense formatting. Despite challenges in submission rates, persistence and grit resulted in a high quality, creative, impactful, and aesthetic end product. The final 34 page product is a meticulously curated collection of art of all mediums, journalism, and personal narratives. The CornerStone matters because we are more than the numbers on a headline. We are the story - and we are the solution.

Below is my Annotated Bibliography:

For my capstone project I wanted to make something for the school that would last a long period of time after I left. I felt like I should make something others can use that will also brighten the aesthetic of the school. I decided I would make a bench with planters on the side so I could add some greenery to the roof and make it a better working environment. After doing some research and collaborating with my mentor I settled on a plan and started creating a blueprint of what I would build using a video on youtube as the guide. I was able to use the carpentry skills I had learned in my pre-apprenticeship program last summer to create a final product that I was proud of. We also researched what plant would be the best for longevity with minimal maintenance to put in the box on the roof and we decided to plant ferns. To make the bench I was able to practice my skills with a table saw, chop saw, precinct drill bit, screwdriver and tape measure. Seeing through the process felt good going from blueprint to bench took a lot of work but was very rewarding.

For my capstone project, I made a website to raise awareness about fast fashion and its harmful effects on our environment and society. I wanted to show that people can make an impactful change in their habits by choosing to repurpose old items rather than just throw them away. For this project I reused old clothing and fabric from my family that was just going to get thrown away and end up in a landfill. I documented the process for each item on my website and I hope the tutorials can encourage other people to start sewing. My website hopefully will encourage some people to stop contributing to fast fashion companies and to value the items they have now more. With this capstone I learned that there is a person behind every clothing item. Everything is handmade by someone, and it takes a lot of commitment and time to make clothing. I gained a greater appreciation for the people being exploited by the fast fashion industry. I also learned a lot about the terrible impacts the clothing industry has on our planet. This capstone taught me that there is power in repurposing things that are old and giving them a new life, and I hope that other people can learn more about what they can do better to help the fast fashion epidemic from my project.

Kaitlyn’s Kloset Website