Elev8 Chicago Youth Speak Out
On March 16th Elev8 Chicago celebrated its 2nd annual advocacy day at the state capitol in Springfield, IL. 60 Elev8 Chicago students joined forces with 150 other students hailing from Community Schools throughout Illinois to petition lawmakers for an additional 5 million dollars in education funding.
Outside the capitol building, two students from Perspectives-Calumet Middle School spoke to a charged crowd about how Elev8 has affected their lives. After the rally the poised and articulate students had an opportunity to speak to the legislators about pressing issues in their Chicago neighborhoods.
“Going to Springfield reminded me of how special our school is. Most schools do not have a health center or programs to help parents,” said Tierra Anderson, a 7th grader at Perspectives-Calumet. Ramon Gardenhire, the Elev8 program manager at the Federation for Community Schools, who has been working to build political capacity with Elev8 youth along with the non-profit Mikva challenge this year, was very impressed with the students. “It was great to see the kids put the skills they learned in practice, and so impressive to see them holding their own in front of elected officials,” Gardenhire said.
The students had a tour of the building where laws are made, and were recognized from the floor by State Representative Will Burns, State Senator Jacqueline Collins, and State Representative Mary Flowers. “I think the youth are really starting to understand how elected officials make an impact on their lives,” said Tenisha Jones, the Elev8 Project Director at Perspectives-Calumet.
Aja Wright, an 8th grade middle school student, said she valued the opportunity to meet lawmakers. “Going to our state capitol helped me understand how bills are passed into law and how this affects my access to health and education,” Wright said. See more pictures of the event here.
It was an exhilarating and affirming trip for the students. But shortly after arriving back in Chicago, they got a sobering reminder of their neighborhood's daunting challenges. After dropping off a few parents at Marquette Middle School, as the yellow school bus made a left onto 63rd and Richmond, gunshots rang out, and the youth found themselves in the middle of crossfire. Thankfully, no one was injured, and the bus continued to Perspectives-Calumet. Back at the school, Tenisha Jones and the other adults immediately opened up a dialogue with the students about safety in their community. Many of the youth voiced concerns about living in a neighborhood with high rates of violence, but also said that the Elev8 program has made them feel safer. As the students debriefed, they decided this frightening experience, and the reality of living in such close proximity to violence, was something they needed to share with the same elected officials they had met earlier.
So on April 12th, 10 students from Perspectives-Calumet Middle School walked to State Senator Jacqueline Collin’s office—only two blocks away—to talk about safety and violence prevention. They told her about the shooting, and other experiences they’ve had growing up in an under-resourced neighborhood in Chicago. A number of the students were concerned about how easy it is for young people to obtain guns, and urged the Senator to rectify loopholes in the gun control system. See more photos of the meeting here. The students also talked about how the extended day program makes them feel safer. They said that not having anything to do is what leads to violence for many young people in their community—that's why programs like Elev8 are so important for them. Gardenhire was thrilled to hear the students advocating for themselves. “They asked Senator Collins to support youth programs and summer programs as an anti-violence initiative,” he said. “They weren’t afraid to forcefully address what they wanted. It was amazing.”
The Senator said she would continue to engage in a dialogue with the students about bringing change and addressing problems in their community. She also spoke to the students about the deficit in public education funding. In response, some of the students brought up Elev8 (which is foundation and grant funded) and voiced the opinion that it should be expanded to more schools. They told Senator Collins they wanted their friends attending other schools to have the same opportunities they've had this year. “The students are beginning to understand budgets and the uniqueness of the Elev8 grant,” said Jones.
Indeed, the young people spoke extensively about how Elev8 has not only made them feel safer, it’s improved their lives all around. 7th grader Tierra Anderson said that the extended-day program at Perspectives has meant “a 180” for her academic performance. And 8th grader Terranisha Douglass told the Senator about getting fillings from a Dental Van sponsored by the Elev8 health program. “Elev8 has been a wonderful experience, they helped my mother with her taxes, and they helped me with a tooth ache and filled my cavities. When I had the stomach flu I went to the health center and the nurse gave me medicine to make me fill better. I did not have to miss school. Elev8 is not just any funding program it is a blessing for me, my family, my school and most important the community. That is what Elev8 means to me,” Douglass said.
Yet another student talked about how the Center for Working Families, (partnered with Perspectives-Calumet via Elev8) has helped her grandparents, who she lives with. Gardenhire said he could see that the students were empowered after they met with the Senator. “They recognized they are catalysts of change within their community." |
Access to health care at school significantly increases the likelihood that children in poor communities will have medical and dental checkups during the school year and significantly decreases emergency department use by their families. Learn More
