Cookies, Quotes and Conversations!

Well, the election has come and gone, and though I perhaps shouldn't reveal who I supported for President on this blog, as a resident of Barack Obama's neighborhood I think you can probably guess for yourself. :P

Now that a member of our community is the President-elect of the United States, the youth of our program can reflect on their role in the election. Last week we decorated cookies and brought them to a local nursing home. The kids really enjoyed their time visiting with residents, sharing the cookies they made, and discussing the upcoming election. We've got pictures from the cookie decorating, and I'll post them as soon as I am able.

This week we continued in the spirit of cookies and conversations by having an event at Meadville Lombard Theological school. Members of the University of Chicago and Meadville Lombard communities came to hear what the kids had to say about the election and to share in making (and eating) cookies. We all began to hand out cookies and quotes on the sidewalk outside the school with the kids encouraging people to vote with creative rhymes and sayings, and we soon learned that CSPAN was just down the street. We were invited to come on their bus, where the kids got to learn about the election and sing the song they had come up with for the CSPAN cameras. If we find footage of this I will post it here.

Meadville Lombard did a really great story on the event, with some excellent photos and quotes from people involved. You can find it here.

All in all we had a really great time! We'll have some reflections from the youth next week.

Until then,
Chris

Election Event: Monday, November 3rd!

Pumpkin Carving!

Last week we carved pumpkins at Christ Way M.B. Church. We had 30 pumpkins donated by Hyde Park Produce that we carved just in time for the Halloween season! Though things got a bit messy, we learned a lot about food waste and food preparation (and carved some pretty cool jack-o-lanterns, too!). It was a process with several steps...





We pulled out the insides of the pumpkins...













...and separated the insides that we will use to make soup next month...













...from the seeds that we roasted the next day!













The roasted seeds were a big hit all around, and we managed to make enough to share with everyone in the church that afternoon.

We learned about ways to use the WHOLE pumpkin instead of throwing the rest away after we've had fun carving them. Below is a pretty easy recipe we used for roasting the seeds that worked well for us, courtesy of allrecipes.com:

1. Rinse pumpkin seeds under cold water and pick out the pulp and strings. (This is easiest just after you've removed the seeds from the pumpkin, before the pulp has dried.)

2. Place the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet, stirring to coat. If you prefer, omit the oil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.

3. Sprinkle with salt and bake at 325 degrees F until toasted, about 25 minutes, checking and stirring after 10 minutes.



We hope you try it for yourself! We had a lot of fun learning how to use the whole pumpkin and enjoyed eating the seeds. Just make sure you use your kitchen safety skills (like washing your hands and using protective devices when removing hot items from the oven) and always ask an adult for help if you need it!

The whole pumpkin-carving crew:













Some kids from the program wanted to share their experiences:





We was cutting pumpkins so that we made pumpkins and was making pumpkin seeds. I really like helping out with Chris because it feels like home.
Theresa Speights, age 8 (left)

I learned to cut pumpkins and my favorite part was that I learned good.
Hajai Speights, age 6 (right)








I really liked helping Chris bake pumpkin seeds. First I washed my hands, then I helped clean the orange insides out of the seeds. Then I helped put them on a separate plate. Next I helped prepare the soup for us to eat. Finally, we ate pumpkin seeds. I really really like when Chris helps the kids do different activities.
Shania Price, age 9 (left)





I really really like doing it too!

Until next time,
Chris

The Second Coming of Woodlawn Youth Solutions

Hello all! My name is Chris, and I am interning with Woodlawn Youth Solutions this year. It's nice to meet you!

Woodlawn Youth Solutions is back with a new program for the Fall! Through a joint collaboration of Christ Way M.B. Church, The University of Chicago's Civic Knowledge Project, Brickyard Community Garden, and Meadville Lombard Theological School's Community Partnership Program, WYS is developing a nutrition-based program. Here's a taste of what's coming up:

Monday, October 20th
Pumpkin Carving at Christ Way Church from 4-5:30 PM!

Tuesday, October 21st
Interactive Food Waste Activity at Christ Way Church from 4-5:30 PM! We will be roasting the pumpkin seeds from the previous day's carving activities and saving the leftover pumpkin pieces to make soup at a later date. In conjunction we'll talk about different ways to avoid food waste. We will also make a thank you poster for Hyde Park Produce for donating the pumpkins.

Monday, October 27th
Cookie Decorating at Christ Way Church from 4-5:30 PM! We will be decorating cookies to distribute for the election, as well as compiling a list of ways that youth under 18 can get involved in the election.

Tuesday, October 28th
Visit to the Kenwood Healthcare Center in Woodlawn at 4 PM! We will distribute cookies, visit with residents, and talk about how people of all ages can get involved in the election.

Monday, November 3rd
Election Event at Meadville Lombard from 4:30-5:30 PM! The aim of this event, like the visit to the Kenwood Healthcare Center, is to create a space for young people to feel as if they have a voice in the election and allow for them to engage with people of voting age (as well as share their cookies!).

Stay tuned for more information and changes to the blog, and please contact us at woodlawnyouthsolutions@gmail.com if you'd like to get involved!

Read All About It!

Woodlawn Youth Solutions was recently the subject of two published news pieces. These can be viewed here and here!

We did it!

Looks like we successfully completed our mission, despite obstacles and challenges at every turn....



PLEASE JOIN US to celebrate the exciting and triumphant completion of our summer project!

Friday, August 8th
Noon-2pm
@ 62nd & Kimbark
(the playground across from Christ Way Church)



Thanks again to all our sponsors, supporters, and everyone who encouraged us along the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Only One Week Left!?!?!?

With a week remaining, we are moving along, but we still have much to do before we can take a deep breath and celebrate.
***We URGENTLY need a SIGN PAINTER or MURAL ARTIST who can help us by doing some well-designed LetterinG on our planters.
***We are about 80% done with the rest of the PAINTING....
***...but we still have to do some planting!!!!!!!

PLEASE leave a comment below if you are/know a painter , as described above, who can help us complete this wonderful community project (compensation available), or email Renee at : reneeuna@gmail.com

So we got the planters moved yesterday, and we had a blast filling them with soil today - in their new locations!

Thanks to ALL who came out to volunteer for today's Workday - we couldn't have done it without you (no, really!)!!!
Special thanks to the Harold Washington College Horticulture Club, who have been helping us coordinate the landscaping aspects of our project - they also put us in touch with Larry Asimov Landscaping, who donated some much-needed soil to our project!

A note from Cushman & Wakefield:
"Cushman & Wakefield appreciates the opportunity to give back to the community and would like to commend the work of Woodlawn Youth Solutions' team, for being able to organize and motivate so many people. We are grateful to participate in this enrichening experience and to be able to contribute to this great community project!."

Finally, - WE RAN OUT OF SAUSAGE PIZZA!!!!!!!!!

End of Week Four

Today we began practicing with our logo stencil by painting large panels in teams, which is how we intend to paint the planters.
The Alderman's office has come through, and the planters are being sandblasted as this is published; on Monday, July 26th, the planters will be painted green, our chosen background color. The plan is to begin relocating them to their new(adopted) locations on Tuesday, and then we could begin painting by mid-week, next week.

Also, PLEASE NOTE:
WYS Workday w/ Cushman & Wakefield
Wednesday July 30th...
(leave a comment below for more info...)

We spoke with the Alderman's office and it appears we may be able to begin moving the planters this week!

Last week architreasures hosted their Jewels in July event. We attended; here are Kishon's thoughts about the event:

"...architreasures' Jewels in July was a great experience for me. I met some great people. Since I'm pursuing a career as an architect, it was good for me to talk to other famous architects. All in all it was a wonderful event!"

Next Wednesday, July 30th, will be a work-day in collaboration with one of Supporters, Cushman & Wakefield (see link in the sidebar); we invite any and all volunteers and interested parties: more information forthcoming!

Week Three

As we approach the midpoint of our summer adventure, we still have some obstacles to overcome. But we have made progress:

-We have six (6) commitments to adopt our beloved planters.

-We have developed a couple of design templates which we are pleased with.

-Before our Advisory Committe meeting earlier this week, we splashed right into painting one of the planters! Check it out!

Progress!

Yesterday's outreach was quite successful: three different groups have already started applications for our planters. Outreach continues today.

Early in the morning, Arthur L. Jackson, the pastor of Holy Trinity Church, came and spoke to the group about the role of community leadership and character development.

We have made critical aesthetic decisions regarding the planter design.
We are getting much closer to having finished models of the future designs.

Check out our Woodlawn logo!

Also, please note:
Advisory Meeting
Tuesday, July 15th, 2008 10:30am
Christ Way M.B. Church

Community Meeting
Christ Way M.B. Church
62nd & Woodlawn
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 6pm

Mid-Week Two

Yesterday we went to the Field Museum. We talked about New Zealand's culture.
We also spoke about natural disasters. Demetria never knew how a tornado was formed. We took a lot of pictures of the Sears tower and the CNA building.
Today the teens split up into two groups. One team went into the neighborhood asking people to adopt the planters, while the other group made stencils for the mini planters.

Sketching Designs

Things are moving fast, and we are starting to create some graphics for our project.

Monday, Week 2: We designed a Woodlawn logo which we expect to use in our project.

Today we took some photos around the community (especially the beach!), sketched some ideas

and began to create maquettes (miniature models of the planters we are seeking to beautify!!!!!!!).

A group of representatives went to the Alderman's office to clarify our plans and secure assistance as promised.

Also, please note:
Advisory Meeting
Tuesday, July 15th, 2008 10:30am
Christ Way M.B. Church

Community Meeting
Christ Way M.B. Church
62nd & Woodlawn
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 6pm

Week One Finished

Our first week had many highlights, including:

A group trip to the Smart Museum.


Group and individual blog creation...

The group watched presentation from a banking representative to help educate the group about money management.

An English Professor from Kennedy-King College came and we did an interactivity:

We outlined "The Perfect Community"

DAY Two

Our participants continued to explore the history of the Woodlawn Community and its relevance to them... They also created their own personal blogs, which they will be updating regularly. Click a name below to go visit one of their blogs...:

Kishon Beard
Desmond Bell
Demetria Bonner
Darien Boyd
Toveyah Brazelton
Tiffany Dukes
Stephanie Pearson
Dalisa Sims
Attavia Streeter
Angel White
rodney's...

Day One

We decided that the planters at 62nd and Ingleside:

-should be moved
-should be planted nicely
-should be painted/designed/colorful/site-specific
-need to be taken care of
-should have a purpose/meaning

El problemo....

Teen participants will use the mediums and principles of art, design, horticulture and landscaping to transform large concrete plant containers that have been neglected for years into living pieces of artwork radiating with vibrant colors, scents, textures, sounds and living organisms. By the end of the summer these concrete containers will be completely transformed and will become a new, beautiful and visible community asset. The opportunity to participate in this unique project will help these young adults make and implement planning decisions about their community as well as to see a purpose in education and consider new career options in the future. There will be a heavy focus on using state of the art technology.

template editing by Rodney Lee Jones Jr.