* increase independent and self-initiated learning among students

* increase student motivation and active engagement in learning

* improve teachers' capacity to plan for and meet individual student needs

* improve student learning outcomes

* extend students' learning beyond the classroom

* improve parental engagement in learning and strengthen home-school links. 

On Thursday, June 20th 50 Teach for America staff and teachers were given an in-depth tour of the Humboldt Park community. These teachers will be working in various schools throughout the Greater Humboldt Park area beginning in the fall. The purpose of the day's events was to immerse the teachers in the Humboldt Park community in order for them to better serve the students of this community. 

The day began with a panel discussion with community leaders at Roberto Clemente Community Academy. The community leaders included Marvin Garcia, Marcey Sorensen, Eliud Medina, Bill Gerstein, Jessica Fuentes and Jose E. López. The panelists spoke about the misconceptions of the Humboldt Park community and the efforts taking place to revamp the educational system in Humboldt Park. Following the panel, the TFA teachers and staff were given a tour of Paseo Boricua by Eduardo Arocho. They learned about the history of Puerto Ricans in Chicago and about the community's efforts to fight gentrification in Humboldt Park. 

After having lunch at various restaurants on Paseo Boricua, the group volunteered at different community organizations including the Division Street Business Development Association, Norwegian American Hospital, Vida Sida and the Diabetes Empowerment Center. They ended their day with poet Michael Reyes and a reflection led by Jose E. López, Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, at the Institute of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture.

Beginning July 8th, the Puerto Rican Cultural Center through the After School Matters Program will be hosting a summer theater program for 30 youth. The program will not only teach the youth theater skills but will also be focused around the PRCC's Anti-Underage Drinking Campaign. The Anti-Underage Drinking Campaign is funded through the Partnership for Success Grant through the Illinois Department of Human Services. The 6-week program will conclude with a play created by the youth based on their collective experiences at the Institute of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture on Tuesday, August 13th.  There are a few spots still left in the program. For more information contact Juan "Nito" Morales at nitom@prcc-chgo.org.

This week 25 youth began working at various community gardens in Humboldt Park including at the Institute of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, the Division Street Planters, the garden at the Crucifixion mural, the Coqui Garden, and La Casita De Don Pedro garden. The summer program is part of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center's Urban Agriculture Program funded by the Chicago Community Trust. The summer program is provided by the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative grant and will last 9 weeks. The youth program is part of the overall CO-OP Humboldt Park vision of providing an alternative for the fresh produce desert that exists in Humboldt Park. 

This is the 6th summer that Northern Illinois University associate professor, Dr. Laura Ruth Johnson, is instructing an educational research class for graduate students on Paseo Boricua. The course, which focuses on community-based and participatory research, meets for 6 weeks on Saturdays at the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, and involves students in the life of the community. Students attend community events; participate in discussions with community leaders, activists, and youth; and learn about the work of community organizations. Students will develop proposals for addressing particular community issues, which will be used to develop initiatives and community-university partnerships. Some previous projects that are being continued this year include youth access to and training in instructional technology and urban agriculture and science/engineering initiatives for youth.

A group of Chicago high school dropouts have returned to school to create art in the form of movies.  Their work is now recognized for generating awareness about some of the most pressing social issues. The students have also completed another big accomplishment-graduation.

They are a part of the Alternative Schools Network and became involved in a film project throughout the year.  The short movies tackle everything from youth violence to human trafficking. One of the movies, "What Is Freedom" won the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives National Video Challenge. View the video here.

The Paseo Boricua Farmer's Market will reopen this weekend. Through this initiative the PRCC seeks to provide a place for Humboldt Park community residents to acquire fresh produce. The Famer's Market takes places on Fridays from 2pm-7pm and Saturdays from 10am-3pm at 2628 W. Division St. 

On Sunday, June 16, a powerhouse of elected officials and community leaders including Congressman Luis Gutiérrez, Ald. Danny Solís, Ald. Roberto Maldonado, Rep. Cynthia Soto, Commissioner Jesús Garcia, Dr. José E. López and Emma Lozano, sponsored a "A Father's Day Dinner to benefit Familias Unidas. Over 125 people gathered at Lagunas Club to hear Ald. Solis, José E. López and Rev. Coleman and Emma Lozano speak on different aspects of the struggle ofr immigration reform and honor the struggle of the families who fought to stay together and to raise their children in the face of the broken immigration law. Awards were also presented by U.S. Citizen and "Dreamer" Children to their parents in honor of Father's Day. Proceeds from the dinner benefitted the Children's Campaign for Immigration Reform and the Youth Health Service Corps.

Since 2006, Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López has been prohibited from making any public statements to the press by the federal prison administration where he serving a 70 year sentence. Telenoticias is the only television station that has been granted an exclusive interview with him. Part 1 here.

Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López has spent 32 years in 4 US prisons. Telenoticias is the first TV station to interview him since the prison authorities prohibited him from speaking to the press since 2006.  Part 2 here.

In the last part of the exclusive interview with Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López, he expresses that "if the independence movement does not learn how to add (forces), we are not going to move forward". Part 3 here.  

In a survey that was live for only 24 hours on Telemundo's website, after the first part of the 3 part interview, the question "At 70 years old, after 32 years in prison, do you think Oscar López represents a risk to society?" to which an overwhelming majority of 83% replied NO shows the width and breadth of the success of the campaign.

Claridad (Spanish only):

Oscar López: listo para lo que venga
"Vivo orgulloso de ser puertorriqueño"
 "Well, I wake up at 4am. From 4 to 4:15 I am awake and stretching and conditioning my body to get up."

That is how Puerto Rican Political Prisoner Oscar López Rivera begins his day, in the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, as he told us in this exclusive interview with CLARIDAD.  Read the rest of the interview in Spanish here.

The Municipal legislature of Aibonito unanimously adopted a resolution which "expresses the support of this Municipal Legislature and that of the Hon. William Alicea Pérez, Mayor of Aibonito, to the petition for the unconditional pardon and immediate freedom for Oscar López Rivera".

The resolution was approved on May 28 and the Mayor signed it on May 29, 2013. It was presented by Aibonito residents Attorney Julio E. Torres, P. J. Sánchez Colón and Onelia Pérez, of the Human Rights Committee of Aibonito.

In one of it's , the Resolution states that: "The Puerto Rican Oscar López has been imprisoned for 31 years in ten United States of America, serving a sentence related to the the struggle for the independence of Puerto Rico. Other prisoners who served similar sentences have been freed, first by President Jimmy Carter and in 1999 by President William J. Clinton."

by Ana M. López

The Free Oscar Campaign has gained momentum in Puerto Rico after more that 5 cities went to prison for Oscar under name "32XOscar". We felt the momentum in New York. Thus, the major float in dedication to Oscar was used in the National Puerto Rican parade of June 9, 2013 with over a million of spectators.  Many voices have joined our clamour to Free Oscar.

We want to congratulate all that participated in the parade in particular the contingent to Free Oscar. Some of the Coordinator members did an excellent job at getting petitions signed by the public. We are thankfull to the 1199 Union and UGT (Union) from Puerto Rico for their efforts to promote the Freedom of Oscar Lopez Rivera. The float, sponsored by 1199 Union, was beautiful; the bomba and plena dancers and musicians were also great. It was a nice sunny day that helped in the marching a lot easier. All our efforts cannnot be greater than the 32 years that Oscar has done for us in US prisons.

At the breakfast program of the National parade before the parade, declarations in favor of Oscar Lopez Rivera freedom were made by several elected officials.

  An added feature to this wonderful weekend was the company of our former political prisoners Ricardo Jimenez and Luis Rosa. They were extremely happy to participate since this was their first time in the National Puerto Rican parade in New York. On Saturday, June 8, they participated in the festival at 116 street collecting signature for letters to Obama. We collected hundreds of signatures. They witness the overwhelming support of our people for Oscar. Later on saturday, Ricardo and Luis participated in panels at the Left Forum at Pace University and also were interviewed at a local radio station.

From the parade, many pictures were taken illustrating Ricardo and Luis in the prison cell of the float with Councilwoman Melissa mark Viverito, joined later by Congressman Jose Serrano and Assemblyman Jose Rivera, banners of the NY Coordinator and its members and fans held by member "Libertad para Oscar"and Julio dressed in a orange prison suit with his manshitf cell "Yo soy Oscar" dramatized the prison experience. (You can find all pictures in facebook).

All activities were organized or had the participation of the NY Coordinator to Free Oscar Lopez Rivera. The weekend of events were very successful like the book tour of Oscar "Between Torture and Resistance".

Oscar has giving us the strength to fight for his his freedom. His freedom is our freedom!

Petitioners Highlight Referendum Rejecting

Commonwealth's Current Political Status, Urge Release of Political Prisoners

Meeting to consider the question of Puerto Rico, the Special Committee on Decolonization called again upon the United States today to expedite a process that would allow Puerto Ricans to fully exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence.

Download the presentation to the Committee by Clarisa López, Oscar's daughter, here, and Jan Susler, Attorney for Oscar, on behalf of the National Lawyers Guild, here. You can also download the presentation by Elda Santiago, wife of Norberto Gonzalez Claudio here, and Eduardo Villanueva, co-chair of the Human Rights Committee in Puerto Rico, here.

By a draft resolution approved by consensus, the Special Committee would have the General Assembly urge the United States to complete the return of all occupied land and installations on Vieques Island and in Ceiba to Puerto Ricans, and to release Oscar López Rivera and Norberto Gonzalez Claudio, two political prisoners serving sentences in United States prisons for cases relating to the struggle for Puerto Rican independence.  The text also expressed serious concern about the actions carried out against Puerto Rican independence fighters and encouraged investigation of those actions. Continue.

Eight Puerto Rican residents of the United Kingdom carried out a demonstration yesterday in front of the US Embassy in London in support of freedom for Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera.

"The idea is that more people get inspired to do it in more parts of the world", said the Puerto Rican Doctor Mónica Vega Hernández, of the University of Cambridge. More.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Supporters of Puerto Rican independentist Oscar Lopez Rivera marked the 32nd anniversary of his imprisonment on May 28 with events in Orlando, Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and other places.

They added their voices to the swelling chorus saying ¡Basta ya! (Enough is enough!) and demanding Libertad para Oscar (Freedom for Oscar), through a pardon from President Barack Obama, for Lopez, 70 - the longest-held political prisoner in the history of Puerto Rico. Read the rest of the article here.