“Walking in My Shoes”: A student perspective on Logan Square

High school students from Kelvyn Park helped their teachers learn about their neighborhood April 2, in the first community tour for KPHS staff.   Some 25 teachers, staff and school administrators participated in the community tour designed and led by students from LSNA’s VOYCE project (Voices of Youth in Chicago Education.).  Teachers learned about the community from the students’ perspective.
    “When we spoke at professional development day we found that teachers mostly had a negative view of our community, so we decided to create a community tour to change their minds,” said Brian Perea, a KPHS student and LSNA leader.  “We wanted teachers to leave with a balanced view of the community – to recognize that although challenges exist, there are also strong community leaders and organizations working to improve the neighborhood.”
    “We hope this experience will help teachers make curriculum more relevant to students’ lives,” added Yesendy Castañeda, also a KPHS student and LSNA leader.
    The tour showed the teachers various aspects of Logan Square, from the new Zapata sites for affordable housing to condos emptied by foreclosures.  At Ames Middle and Funston Elementary schools, parent leaders spoke about their work to improve the schools.  Other speakers included “Ceasefire” workers from ALSO, who intervene with gangs to keep the peace, and Nancy Aardema, Executive Director of LSNA.
    The KPHS assistant principals who went on “Walking in My Shoes” were so impressed that they invited the VOYCE students to conduct a second tour at the beginning of the 2009/10 school year.

Tour participants gather around Juliet Maldonado, a parent leader from Ames Middle School to learn about programs and initiatives for middle school students – where 80% of the students continue on to KPHS.

Participantes del paseo escuchan a Juliet Maldonado, una líder y madre de la Escuela Intermedia Ames para aprender acerca de programas e iniciativas para los estudiantes de escuela intermedia—donde 80% de los estudiantes continúan a KPHS.