This is Awesome!

The reason I haven't posted student work for a few days is because I was busy preparing a pitch to present last night for an AWESOME foundation grant. Three projects were chosen to pitch their ideas last night at the Next Door Cafe in Lincoln Park.

Deborah Davis, Wentworth Elementary Art Teacher, came along with me. She spoke about the students she teaches in the West Englewood neighborhood. My idea was to work with her to create a publication for Wentworth students about the issue of violence in their neighborhood. Students would submit artwork and writing about how violence has impacted their lives and what they can do to help their community.

Even though I'm terrible at speaking publicly, we won the grant! Special thanks to Deborah for her wonderful words, and for the student work she brought me, which I turned into a powerful slideshow (above—I apologize if blurry) to play while she spoke. What you see and read in the slideshow was from one first grade class that she teaches. Their stories and pictures are shocking and sad.

Today, I'm thinking about focusing more on the positive for this book and less on the violence in the students' lives. They need more positive messages and encouragement, so I'm thinking the book might focus more on their hopes, dreams and goals. Deborah and I will be collaborating to get this done by the end of the school year. We're both very excited for the opportunity, thanks to the AWESOME foundation!

Students of Chicago: Natalia R.

STUDENTS OF CHICAGO

I'm into rap and alternative music. I love Kanye's old songs and bands like Panic! At the Disco, My Chemical Romance and Green Day. Their songs have deep meaning and have a catchy tune. They help me calm down and some of their songs are chill and make me focused.

—Natalia R., Blaine Elementary

Students of Chicago

After talking to my mom the other day about how uplifting the web site "Humans of New York" is, I realized it's kind of similar to the submissions I read for StudentsXpress—a little snippet of life in the city, told through one person's eyes. It's really neat to get to know Chicago's youth just a little bit through their writing and drawings. 

So, now, as a spinoff of StudentsXpress, I present....

STUDENTS OF CHICAGO

Right now I'm really into famous people. I'm going to talk about Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan is a basketball player, a baseball player and a basketball coach. I like Michael Jordan because I'm a basketball player myself and I want to be as good as him. And I'm going to work hard so I can be like him.

—Rashauna P., Lawndale

Cardale is into Family

My mom is the best thing in my life. She supports me 100% and I appreciate everything she does for me and my brother. She teaches us right from wrong, how to be kind and respectful to others and to be proud of who we are. My father is also a great man. He teaches us to respect women and to treat them like queens, to hold open doors for them and to always make sure to take out the trash. He says that girls and women should always be clean and the guys take care of the garbage.

My mom always takes care of me when I get sick and I get sick a lot. She comes to my school to check on me, bring my medicine, and to check my blood sugar. I have a nurse at school but my mom still has to know for herself that I am ok. When I grow up I am going to be rich so I can take care of my mom and dad like they take care of me and my brother. I love my parents.

—Cardale R., Jenner Elementary

What Sunshine is Into Now

Right Now, I’m Into The Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games is basically a serious game of last man standing, but instead of getting out, you die. Hunger Games is a trilogy that is really exhilarating. Every move comes on as a surprise. It takes place in a dystopia where most districts are poor. The Capitol is harsh on everyone and the most common consequences are death or a method of receiving a severe scar. But no matter what happens, you can never wait for what comes next. The way the Hunger Games works is each of the 12 districts sends out two 11-18 year old tributes, and they kill each other off until the last child remains. I know that it sounds gross and scary, because that is how I thought of it before I read it. But when I finally got the book, I couldn’t put it back down. Instead of thinking it was gory, I just imagined it as a big football game that takes you emotionally. The death of a loved character is like your team losing. You’re eager for a creative revenge. The books are very intriguing. You always want more to read. Finishing the last book brings joy for knowing all the information but devastation, for there is nothing left to read.

Sunshine S., Alcott

What The Kids Are Into Now

The Spring issue of StudentsXpress is "What I'm Into Now." I've been receiving so many great submissions from the students that there is no way they will all fit into the publication. It's so hard to include some but not others, I've decided to start posting them here....daily. The plan is to post at least one a day, leading up to the publication date in March. Then, I'll continue to post them until I start receiving our Summer submissions.

I'm so happy to have WITS (Working In The Schools) participating this year with StudentsXpress. I'm in the process of inputting their submissions, and I thought I'd start with one I just typed in. It's a great way to kick off "What I'm Into Now." I hope you like it, and I hope you return daily to see what else gets posted. I love reading what these students have to say, and I think you might enjoy it too! 

Jaylan M.

There was a girl named Jayden Elizabeath Olivia Murie. Jayden had recently moved from North Carolina to Chicago because her mother had wanted a better life. Jayden was the 3rd oldest. There were Amelia and Mureil, Jayden and Alieah. Jayden had no friends and often read a book called “Dork Diaries” and watched a show called “A.N.T. Farm." She listened to music by Beyoncé, a successful R&B artist. She liked all of these popular things because she wanted to have a lot in common with the girls at her new school. After all of her effort, the girls still were intimidated by her as she was smart and a very good reader. There was one girl in class, Hellean; Jayden and her had a lot in common. Every day they bonded over their love of Beyoncé, Annie, and Jordans. Jayden was so happy pop culture brought her and Hellean together.