Border Encounter: Ghost Ranch to El Paso with Joanne Lefrak – G25110302
Your trip begins at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico for 1 night, then onto El Paso, Texas for 3 nights to the Abara Retreat Center. Here you will experience the “Border Encounter” (a.k.a. “listening trip”). This educational immersion experience takes place in El Paso, TX, on the US-Mexico border and is designed for anyone interested in broadening perspectives and fostering meaningful connections in a way that re-humanizes people by experiences across divides.
This is not border tourism, but is an opportunity to listen, learn, and reflect on the profound lessons the border can teach us about our identities and our roles in our communities. The goal is to sit with our neighbors, unite in one voice, and walk alongside those who journey long distances in search of refuge, safety, and wholeness.
Join us in this transformative experience to better understand and support those at the border. At the end of the 3 days in El Paso, you will return to Ghost Ranch for one night and leave the following morning. All accommodations, travel and food are included in the price of the excursion. Ghost Ranch provides transportation from Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, NM.
Instructor
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Joanne LefrakJoanne Lefrak is currently the Director of Experience and Social Impact at Ghost Ranch where she oversees Programs, Museums, Outdoor Adventures, and Tours. She is an educator, visual artist, and curator based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She spent 19 years working at SITE Santa Fe, 12 of those as the Ring Director of Education and Curator of Public Practice focusing on public programming, curating artists to co-create projects within the community, and expanding education throughout New Mexico. After that she worked on creating an education plan for the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts in Santa Fe, NM. She is a founder and leadership team member of the Santa Fe Community Educators Network which is committed to the power of collaboration and collective impact to successfully address community needs by creating and sharing resources across the non-profit sector. From 2011-2020, Lefrak volunteered as the Chair for the City of Santa Fe Children and Youth Commission to improve the lives of children by supporting local nonprofit and school programs that work for youth. As a passionate advocate for the arts and education, she has a strong track record in long term authentic community engagement, partnerships and collaborations.