Today we did our direct service in Yenel’s Alma Mater, Noble Street Prep College. At first we talked with the Superintendent, Michael Milky, and then Principle, Mr. Olsen. They discussed their mission and answered any and all of our questions. What stuck out most to me, and many in my group, was how humanizing and accessible they made issues like gang culture and racial prejudices. I greatly appreciated when the principal shared his views on his students; saying that whenever he hears a potential teacher or otherwise refer to his students as “these kids,” red flag are raised. It really challenged how I thought of oppressive language. Whether it be a racial slur, “politically incorrect terminology,” or “These kids” and “those people, they all label and categorize a group of people based on unfair and arbitrary reasoning.
The second half of the day we split up. Most of us experienced the classroom environment and helped specific teachers. I, however, had the opportunity to help a group of teachers, all from the Junior class, who were working on a new leg of their curriculum. Observing from the charter school teachers’ point of view, I was blown away by the immense devotion that the teachers had for their students. That day they had received a report of a large increase in their students’ practice ACT scores; and the the teachers were basically as exuberant as the students. I was also touched by how cognizant they are of every aspect of their facility in order to create the most conducive learning environment. While discussing a potential assignment, these two teachers were very careful that the wording of the quiz did not come across as violent. it was obvious that the teachers did everything they could to make their students feel safe and secure, and I was so moved by their dedication to their students’ success. One last thing about the learning environment, every time a student got the right answer, participated, and even when I was introduced to the class, there was a chorus of snaps in welcome and congratulations. The mentality of the class was all about being the best you could be.
Tennessee Trip Update
The Tennessee team is doing great! I heard from them this morning; they were on their way to go hiking when they had a spot of cell service. It’s cold, but they’re doing well and enjoying their time with Arleen and Ed. I will post more updates as they are available.
Daily Updates and some Musings
Team Chicago started off the day with an awesome exercise with Adventure Stage Chicago. Adventure Stage Chicago is an organization that runs theater workshops for local schools. They also work with pre-teens from the city to discuss their life stories through the arts. A professional playwright uses their stories as an inspiration for a full production that is put on for the entire community. Representatives from Adventure Stage Chicago ran a theater workshop for us that focused on thinking creatively and bringing stories to life. We became closer as a team and agreed that these types of activities are especially important for inner-city middle-school students because they face a lot of peer pressure at that age and are still trying to define themselves. It’s important for them to have the chance to develop themselves and express their stories through art.
In the afternoon, we visited Rowe Elementary School, a relatively young charter school for kindergarten through sixth graders. Their three core values are pride, success, and honor. We were impressed by the strictness and academic rigor of the school. The school emphasizes college graduation from a young age. Each classroom is named after a university and each class is referred to by their future college graduation year (ex. Class of 2030). The students took us on a tour of the school and we were allowed to observe classes. Many of the students have ambitious goals, such as going to Harvard and then studying law. Later, we discussed the pros and cons of exposing very young children to college. Some of us thought that it was important to talk about college at a young age for these children because most of them will be the first in their families to attend college, and they will not be able to rely on their parents to guide them through the process. They might also face more difficult challenges in the future, such as pressure to join a gang, and it could be important to have them develop goals at a young age so that they aren’t deterred by negative influences. However, many of us also thought the school was over-exposing the students to college, and that starting at such a young age could put too much pressure on them.
Our last activity was going back to Northwestern Settlement and speaking with the director of group services there, Mr. Alatorre. He gave us an overview of the settlement house’s history. The settlement house has a history of serving immigrants. Initially, it served mostly eastern European immigrants. Over time, the area has become predominantly Hispanic, and Mr. Alatorre told us that currently there are many immigrants from Ecuador. We were all impressed by the dedication of the staff to the house and by the wide range of programs offered to neighbors of the community. After touring the house, we went to an Indian restaurant and had an awesome reflection while waiting for our food.
Today was very important for me. I’m beginning to appreciate more fully the value of education in service. Two years ago, I think I would have been frustrated that we weren’t doing more hands-on service, but now, I find myself really loving days like today. Because of the presentations we saw today and the discussions we’ve had with our team leader, I feel so much more prepared for our direct service tomorrow. I understand it’s important to talk to the younger kids about our college experiences, because most of them won’t have family members who went to college. I also understand that some of the high school students we’ll be working with might not welcome us warmly. While I hope that this won’t be too much of a problem, I’m beginning to understand why it might. Our group talked a lot about how it might feel to have volunteers come into your school and try to help you and why we might meet some resistance. Before today, I wouldn’t have even thought this would be a problem. It’s clear that the past two days of education will have important effects on our next days of service, but I think it will have even more important effects on us after this trip has ended.
The past year, I have thought a lot about how much of an impact ASB trips have on the communities we serve and on the students who participate. The most common criticism of programs like ASB is that they are only a week long, and that’s not enough time to have any major, lasting impact. In a way, this is true. While I hope that our interactions with the students this week will inspire them to pursue higher education and to set their goals high, and while I believe the smallest of actions can have consequences beyond our knowledge or even imagination, we are not going to solve any social injustice in a week. It takes lots of time and commitment to an organization to impact it in a major way, as we heard from the people at the settlement house. Because of this, some people might question whether our time and financial resources would be better spent on long-term projects, or if we should just donate the money we spend on trips instead. As president of ASB, I probably shouldn’t be admitting this, but I have had my doubts. However, I have spent a lot of time thinking and reflecting the past few months, and the past few days in particular, and here is what I have to say:
Our mission as an organization is not to change the world in a week. Our mission is to create positive change and foster passion for civic engagement among Lafayette’s student body. To use Landis terminology, we want to move students along the active citizenship continuum, so that one day we may all be active citizens. Being an active citizen isn’t just about doing hands-on service on a regular basis – it’s about taking what you’ve learned and applying it to your daily life. It’s about questioning why our service is necessary, what the root causes of social issues are, and how we can best address those causes. It’s also about trying to find answers to those questions through critical thinking. We’re not going to solve the problems that ail Chicago’s education system this week. But when I start to have thoughts like this, I like to remind myself of the poem “The Long View” by Oscar Romero. My favorite lines are as follows:
“We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.”
This perfectly sums up what we are doing this week. Some people in our group have studied education before and want to become teachers. Others did not know what a charter school was before we discussed it during pre-trip meetings. No matter what our background is, though, we are all being challenged by our experiences this week. I see it in the questions the team asks during activities, in our amazing and insightful two-hour reflections, and in the discussions people strike up when we’re on the train or sitting in our hostel room. Seeds are being planted in us, just as we hope to plant seeds in the students we’ll work with this week. And when we return to campus, we will work to water those seeds within us and to plant seeds in our peers. It could be something as simple as reading an article about Easton’s school budgets in the newspaper each week, or researching a candidate’s views on education before voting. It could be speaking up when we hear others talking about why the arts aren’t important in our schools, or volunteering to tutor at the local Boys and Girls Club. It’s these small changes to our daily life styles that can cause lasting change. Not everyone on our team is going to study or pursue a career in education, but that does not mean we cannot contribute to education reform. Another thing that I absolutely love about ASB is that you can take the skills you learn here and apply them to any other area of your life. For example, some people on our team want to go into medicine. Hopefully, if they do, they will think about the communities they’ll work in, about how income inequality and poor education can contribute to health. This can better inform them as to how to work with patients to improve health. The kind of critical thinking skills and social awareness we develop on these trips can help us to become active citizens in other fields. This is why I am so passionate about ASB and our social change models and why I believe that experiences like this are so important.
MLKJ Day: A Day “ON”
This morning we finally set out for our first day of direct service, working with Northwestern University Settlement House (NUSH). I could describe how we initially got on the blue line going in the wrong direction due to poor train labeling, but that’s not important.
We started with a brief tour of the NU settlement house, which, we were informed, is the oldest consistently operating settlement house in Chicago (since 1891). We saw their conference room, which used to be a pantry, a bingo room, and a coffee house all in one. We were also shown the newly renovated pre-K room, which was a good way to see how the large amounts of funding -both public spending and private donations- for the settlement house have been used to improve the facilities. We also saw part of the Noble Street Charter School, which adjoins the house, including its very nice theater and its cafeteria.
We then spent the next hour or two helping set up for the day’s event: a Day of Literacy in honor of Martin Luther King Jr (remembering the holiday today). I helped set up a reading room geared towards younger kids in the basement. We rocked it, I have to say -the Americorps people said so, at least. People also helped set up decorations and a “railroad” tracks around the event area to lead to certain spots in a family-friendly way.
Then brown bag lunches in a conference room with a glass tabletop. Nice.
But the highlight of the day was working with other volunteers to provide activities related to reading for children. The idea was to give them access to reading materials, as well as other forms of expression that inspire them to read and enjoy reading. I helped some kids design colorful “bookmark buddies” that they can use as place-holders and companions when reading. These activities were particularly enriching for us because it gave us the opportunity to interact with our target population at last.
After the event and dinner we sat down with a handful of volunteers from Americorps to hear about their experiences in high school, with the organization, and when working in charter schools. They were all extremely friendly and open about their personal stories. Our conversation with them was very eye-opening and provided a unique insight into the experiences of those who have made long-term commitments to combating this issue.
In the evening we held a reflection session to discuss the day and all of our experiences. We especially focused on the question: Charter schools are known for instituting strict systems of deadlines and discipline that show signs of helping kids get accepted into college, but is this the key to success, or is it “hand-holding” that does not help the kids by teaching them self-discipline and autonomy?
Also a shout-out for Yanel for making a sandwich for me for lunch tomorrow while I use my time to write this blog post instead.
Team Tennessee Update
Our community partner at Once Upon a Time in Appalachia has confirmed our team’s safe arrival on Saturday evening. Since they’re off the grid, I’ll post any additional updates I receive.
Understanding Chicago
Because we are doing work in schools, we haven’t starting any direct service yet. We have been focusing on the culture of the city and the background of the Chicago school system (and others). Today, we watched a video that showed the problems that the American education system as a whole is facing. With such a demand for a good education, the competition to get into the few schools that can almost guarentee success can make or break a student’s dream to graduate and go to college. Tomorrow, we are heading to the. Northwestern University Settlement House to begin our direct service with students in the Chicago Public School system.
The Return to the Windy City
I was so excited when I found out that I was going on the ASB Chicago trip. As a Chicago native, the problems with poverty and the educational system really hit home. Coming into this week, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. It’s going to be really great getting to see different parts of the Chicago educational system and how they work. I came from a large high school right outside of Chicago and it will be really interesting to compare the different types of schools and the pros and cons associated with them.
The Adventure Begins!
Team Chicago is waiting to take off! I’m very excited to work with Northwestern Settlement, but also a little nervous. I think it will be enriching to see how education systems in different areas function differently, but also face similar challengers. My ASB trip last year focused on education in Newark, and my MOSAIC team last year also focused on education in Easton, so I’m excited to continue delving deeper into education reform. I hope I can hear from Chicago teachers about their experiences in the school system there and talk about the pros and cons of charter schools. Here’s hoping to a great week!
Textbook to Reality
It is one thing to read on a subject, but it is an entirely different matter when you get to experience it. This is a simplified version of how I feel tonight. I’m ecstatic, because I feel as if I’m going to learn not only about myself, but about my country, different people and their ways of life, and that is a wondrous opportunity. At the same time, I want to check my privilege.
I think many people meet others who are not like themselves and tend to question and pry as if the other person they have met are a test subject rather than a human being. I have been guilty of it myself – so lost in the excitement of learning and trying to relate my culture to someone else’s, I have forgotten to pause and see my counterpart for who they are. Yes, culture makes up a lot of a person, but every one is a collection of their experiences, not just their ethnicity. So, although I am excited, curious, and a bit impatient, as well as nervous, I want to caution myself to always see whoever I meet for who they are, and not ‘what’ they are.
Trading in College Hill for Smoky Mountains
Only a good night’s sleep is left until Team Roots kicks off our ASB trip. I am so excited to start this adventure with everyone! After getting to know them a bit in the fall, I can tell it’s going to be a fun and great group! Our itinerary looks fantastic; each activity looks as interesting as the next. It’s hard to decide which I am most excited for! It will all be really new experiences because I’ve never done ASB before, never been down South nor have I interacted with Native American culture. But I’m ready for it! I’m ready to trade in a College Hill for some Smoky Mountains. T-minus 7 hours…