Where we are

The neighborhood that we are working in this summer is the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. It is a neighborhood with many resources and assets, the biggest and most pertinent to the youth being the Gary Comer Youth Center.

My two favorite site visits include visiting the Theaster Gates Home which is located int eh Greater Grand crossing community and which hold a lot of community arts and history. It was very interesting learning about the thing that Theaster Gates is doing in the community and through his homes. (pictures attached)

My second favorite site visit was going to Pilsen, having delicious authentic Mexican food at Nuevo Leon and most importantly having a chance to visit the National Museum of Mexican Art. It was truly a wonderful experience, and it was a great way to learn about Chicago as well as bond with the whole group. I especially liked the paintings in the Museum and the pico de gallo in the restaurant. I even got a chance to snag a skirt at the local thrift store.

I have really liked going to conferences with the our team and watching the students interact with adults and learn about the health care issues affecting Chicago, what people are saying about them and what people are doing to help. I have also liked being able to talk and bond with all the students in the program because they really are an interesting and smart group.

I have learned a lot about program development and the importance of working with community members, and forming alliances with groups that are already known and working the community. I have also learned a lot about working with High School students, and am still learning more on that front. I have learned that while the South Side may have its flaws there are many people who care about it and its residents and are working hard to fix the problems.

Our project will be on increasing awareness about abuse, sexual, physical, and verbal, among youth in the Greater Grand Crossing Community. We will be creating awareness videos, as well as making pamphlets to distribute to community members, doctors, and parents.