| Chicago Freedom School E-News |
Fall
2009
|
|
|
Greetings!
 We at the Chicago Freedom School hope this message finds you well and in great spirits. We had a phenomenal summer here as we hosted the third Freedom Fellowship program for youth activists across Chicago. Read on to meet the 2009 Freedom Fellows and go online to Vocalo.org to follow their progress throughout the year. This fall, CFS will continue to support these youth leaders through monthly trainings and regional action team meetings. In addition to our ongoing direct work with young people, CFS continues to host trainings and public programs for community members and activists. We will host our second 4-day training for youth organizers next month, we provide professional development opportunities for teachers, and currently we are hosting a public film screening series to help inform the health care debate. In June we celebrated our 2nd anniversary and the support for CFS poured in. Thank you for the services you have volunteered, the donations you've sent and the ongoing support you show CFS every day. We hope to see you at our annual fundraiser event on Friday, November 13. More details forthcoming. In peace, solidarity and gratitude,Mia HenryPS - Encourage your friends to join our mailing list HERE!
(Pictured above: Youth alumni from 2007 and 2008 Freedom Fellowship, speaking on a panel for 2009 instructors.)
|
Announcing the 2009 Freedom Fellows!
The 2009 Freedom Fellowship consists of 26 youth ages 14 - 17 who have committed to a full year of creating and implementing action plans that address issues important to them. This past summer, the fellows took courses in leadership development, movement strategy, socio-political consciousness and research and documentation to prepare them for their work. They also attended wellness seminars, the Movement Legacies Book Series public programs and a 4-day retreat. On Friday, August 7, these young activists presented their personal mission statements and everything they had learned thus far to almost 200 family members and supporters. (You can read their mission statements here.) The showcase was a great success and just the beginning of a year dedicated to their growth as activists.  The 2009 Freedom Fellows are:
Gage Acosta
Michelle Anderson
Karla Paola Andrade
Lavontae Brooks
Erick Bustos
Julius Claybron
Tykita Dunning
Dennis F. Cain
Stacey M. Hampton
Mark Anthony Herrera
Jeremy Lynn Kellum
Ashley C. Landa
Asucena Lopez
Peter Manu
Dominique Marshall
Luis Martinez
Tyler Clinetta Mason
Cindy Mendoza
Juan Carlos Rodriguez
Cristina Rojas
Derrick Shenault
Ashley Street
Jasmine Thomas
Evelyn Vargas
Justine Villar
Justin Wilson
Global Fellows from the Kigali Freedom School in Rwanda:
Claudette Niyonshuti
Joselyne Umubyeyi
   
Top Left: Tykita and Jasmine enjoying a moment togetherTop Right: Instructor Miguel Cervantes with Luis in the Social Visualization class
Bottom Left: Ashley S., Asucena, Joselyne, Claudette, Tyler and Stacey outside of CFS
Bottom Right: Michelle reading mission statement at the showcase
|
|
CFS partners with WeActx for first Global Fellows Initiative with Youth from Rwanda
This past summer CFSl formally began a partnership with the Kigali Freedom School in Kigali, Rwanda, and WeACTx (Women's Equity in Access to Care and Treatment). In August of last year, WE-ACTx-sponsored a girls delegation from Rwanda which visited with the 2008 CFS Freedom Fellows. One of the young women, Claudette Niyonshuti, became so inspired by the philosophy and activism of the CFS that when she returned to Kigali she established the Kigali Freedom School in September 2008. She built a website and recruited other youth to become members of the organization. The specific work of the Kigali Freedom School is issue-based and its goals stem from the identity of the founders as young women living with or who have family members living with HIV. They have four goals: 1) To encourage youth to be tested for HIV 2) To teach comprehensive sex education and how to practice safe sex 3) To visit different people living with HIV/ AIDS into hospitals and households in order to bring hope and 4) To challenge the stereotypes of people with HIV.
This past summer, Claudette, along with Joselyne Umubyeyi, another youth leader from the KFS, participated in the CFS Summer Leadership Institute as Freedom Fellows. The Kigali youth learned strategies and techniques to further the goals of their own freedom school. Having a global perspective and learning about the struggles in Rwanda, the 2009 Fellows in Chicago gained a more global perspective about grassroots social change and how this matters especially in areas of conflict. The amazing exchange was covered in Don Terry's column in the Chicago Sun-Times. We continue to stay in touch with the Kigali Freedom School and hope to be able to visit one day.
Pictured Above: Members of the Kigali Freedom School celebrate one year anniversary
|
CFS Offers Training to People Working as Youth Organizers
Midwest Youth Organizer Training
October 27 - 30
CFS has launched a new training program - the Midwest Youth Organizer Training (MYOT). MYOT is the first training offered in the midwest region for professional youth organizers that do community-based youth-led social justice work. The training uniquely combines issues-based organizing, popular education models, movement building, movement history, identity/leadership development, and anti-oppression practices. It features workshops from partner organizations who facilitate individual training sessions based on the uniqueness of their organizing approach or the constituency they work with so trainees can be exposed to a variety of youth organizing models and practices.
The first MYOT week took place April 20 - 23 and served
24 trainees from 17 different organizations in Chicago, New York,
Nashville and Philadelphia. Workshop facilitators included
the Albany Park Neighborhood Council, Women & Girls CAN, Access
Living, the Broadway Youth Center, the Young Women's Empowerment
Project, the Rogers Park Young Women's Action Team, Mikva Challenge and the Community
Media Workshop. Here is what some of the participants had to say:
"CFS restored my confidence and my belief in myself and my capabilities."
"The training was absolutely fierce! I am going to recommend it to everyone in our organization!"
"The entire (CFS) staff was very hospitable and knowlegable."
"The training surpassed my expectations!"
Because of the great feedback and demand, CFS will offer an additional training week this year on October 27 - 30. For the application and flyer, please download here.
CFS sends a big "Thank You!" to all the partner organizations and participants for helping make this training program launch a great success and a positive experience for everyone! For more information about the Midwest Youth Organizer Trainings, contact Alex Poeter at 312.435.1201 or alexpoeter@gmail.com.
|
|
CFS Examines the Impact of Inequality on Health and Well-Being
"Unnatural Causes"
Tuesdays, September 22, 29, October 6 and 13
6 - 8 pm
Is inequality making us sick? Join CFS for a series of public screenings and discussions featuring the film "Unnatural Causes." The discussions will be followed by an intergenerational discussion facilitated by leaders in the field of health care. Groups of 10 or more are asked to RSVP. Call 312.435.1201 or email rsvp@chicagofreedomschool.org. |
Volunteers ROCK!
Hannah Jacoby, Special Projects Coordinator and now new staff member!
This past summer Hannah Jacoby volunteered more than 200 hours to work as a youth coordinator for the 2009 Freedom Fellowship. She came every day to document the program, nuture our partnership with Vocalo.org, and provide support to both youth and staff. Hannah just received a B.S. degree from University of Chicago in May. While in school, she organized with the Southside Solidarity Network addressing issues of low-income housing and gentrification. She was also the Social Justice Coordinator at the University Community Service Center for two years. We are happy to have Hannah work with us as a Special Projects coordinator for the next 10 months as a part of Public Allies. We cannot thank Hannah enough for her countless contributions to CFS and we look forward to doing even more new and exciting initiatives with her on staff for the next year.
|
Professional Development
for Teachers
CFS offers trainings for teachers and school staffs
CFS currently offers workshops and trainings for teachers in traditional classrooms that include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
1- Reflective Practice: How can teachers design classrooms that require students to be reflective about their own lives and the decisions they make?
2 - Negotiating Identities and Nurturing Positive School Culture: How do we negotiate the multiple identities of teachers/staff and young people? How does our ethnicity, age, race, ability gender, and other forms of identity impact teaching and learning? How do we educate using an anti-oppressive lens? How can teachers be allies to young people who face discrimination?
3 - Adultism: How do we address adultist practices in traditional school structures and create spaces where students are trusted and respected?
4 - Popular Education: How do we connect coursework to student's daily lives? How do we create curricula with student experience at the core? How do we create classrooms where students emerge as lifelong learners?
For more information, please contact Mia at 312.435.1201.
|
|
CAAWS Publishes Statement to Inform Public Debate on Racial Profiling
In response to the media's framing of Professor Henry Louis Gates' arrest and the incident in Philadelphia where a group of African American youth were excluded from a swimming pool based on an argument that they would "change the complexion" of the pool, the Chicago Alliance Against White Supremacy (CAAWS) produced letter under the heading "Is Racial Profiling Racist?" The letter, which also calls on white people to engage in the process of learning about the concepts of white privilege and white supremacy and becoming more actively engaged in helping to dismantle systemic white supremacy, can be downloaded here.
CAAWS, a
collaboration between CFS and Women & Girls CAN, is a multiracial
and intergenerational coalition, which provides workshops through which
white allies learn about the concepts of white privilege and white
supremacy, obtain skills that help them interrupt racism and white
supremacy within their own organizations and communities, and
collectively work with people of color through intergenerational space
to dismantle systemic racism and white supremacy. For more information, please contact Alex Poeter at (312) 435-1201.
|
Support the Chicago Freedom School
Please consider the Chicago Freedom School as one of your priorities for charitable giving.
You may donate online or mail in your contribution with the form on our website.
Your contributions are fully tax deductible under the
Internal Revenue Service 501(c)(3) code.
Thank you for your support!
|
SAVE THE DATE!
Chicago Freedom School Fundraiser
Friday, November 13
Join us for our annual fundraiser on Friday, November 13, 2009
at Catalyst Ranch, 656 W Randolph St #3W.
As always, there will be food, fun and good people.
|
Be a part of movement-building.
Donate Now!
|
|
|
Our Mission
The Chicago Freedom School provides a space where young people and
adult allies can study the work of past movements, deepen their
understanding of current social problems, build new coalitions and
develop strategies for change. We support new generations of critical
and independent thinking young people who use their unique experiences
and power to create a just world.
La Escuela de Liberacion de Chicago prove un espacio donde gente
joven y adultos aliados puedan estudiar el trabajo de movimientos
sociales pasados, profundizar su entendimiento de problemas sociales
presentes, y puedan crear nuevas coaliciones y construir estrategias
nuevas por el cambio. Nosotros apollamos a generaciones nuevas de
personas que piensan de manera critica e independiente, y quienes usan
sus experiencias y poder unico para crear un mundo justo.
|
CHICAGO FREEDOM SCHOOL
CENTER FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
719 S. State St
Suite 3N
Chicago, IL 60605
phone: 312.435.1201
fax: 312.435.1203
info@chicagofreedomschool.org
www.chicagofreedomschool.org
|
|
