Cyic Classroom Action Guide

Chicago Youth Initiating Change  Social Justice Classroom Action Guide  1st Ed., 2008 ©

CYIC members - 2008

Welcome to the 3rd Annual Social Justice Student Expo! In the fall of 2007 over 40 Chicago high school students, teachers, and community members came together to launch the Social Justice Student Expo and the Annual Cycle of Learning & Action. Since then, we’ve built real collaborations with more than 15 public, alternative, charter and private schools, and after-school programs across Chicago in order to advance truly authentic, student-centered, project-based, and social justice learning and action in our schools. The students decided to call our group Chicago Youth Initiating Change, or CYIC for short, to highlight the work, ideas, projects, & struggles of young people. This continuing work follows an annual cycle. A critical aspect is building student-to-student connections across school and neighborhood boundaries. Strengthening these connections is a key part of the work throughout the yearly cycle. Building student unity in action includes working together throughout the year through the steering committee, direct school-to-school and classroom-to-classroom exchanges and support, and participating together in broader community struggles. The phases of the cycle compliment and reinforce each other. During it all, teachers receive support to develop authentic social justice projects so students can initiate their own action solutions to problems they face in real life. This, we believe, is education for liberation! That is what CYIC is all about.

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Chicago Youth Initiating Change  Social Justice Classroom Action Guide  1st Ed., 2008 ©

We begin with the premise that students, teachers, parents, and the larger community must be involved in the curriculum, instruction, and assessment processes. Teachers are at the heart of this process. We are entrusted with the mighty task of following the state learning goals and involving the voices of students and the community. Yet, we’re too often pulled into black holes of social ills, standardized tests, mainstream textbooks, and administrative realities. CYIC seeks to help fill this void with a student-centered, interdisciplinary, project / skills-based approach called the cycle of learning and action, occurring in three phases throughout the year. Mutual support and collaboration among teachers, students, and community groups is key!

# 1: Summer Debrief the May Expo; hold student / teacher cultural gathering; start group planning of ’08-09 curriculum projects, units, etc.

# 2: Semester One

# 3: Semester Two

Getting to Work! Plan and initiate actions; Plan student projects, mutual support and school-to-school activities

Continue 1st semester work; Host school-toschool activities; plan May Day action; plan and execute 2009 Social Justice Student Expo

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Chicago Youth Initiating Change  Social Justice Classroom Action Guide  1st Ed., 2008 ©

 Cycle Phase 1:

Summer Group Planning & Fun!!  Debrief from 2007-2008:  Students, teachers, and community members from participating and Lozano students make their plans for their Expo project new schools enjoy a special day of sharing, planning and fun!  Curriculum and lesson plan development – teachers, students and community members join in summer-long small group work, planning, and sharing for the 2008 –2009 school year.  Special focus to identify and begin working with student activists/presenters to develop and polish their presentations and take them on the road to other schools beginning in the fall.

# 1: Summer Debrief the May Expo; hold student / teacher cultural gathering; start group planning of ’08-09 curriculum projects, units, etc.

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Chicago Youth Initiating Change  Social Justice Classroom Action Guide  1st Ed., 2008 ©

 Cycle Phase 2:

First Semester  Get school year off to a good start!  Begin regular meetings (at least monthly) of students, teachers and community members from participating schools. At mtgs: Students from Kelly, Julian, & Little Village / North Lawndale SOJO in New Orleans

 We report on student action projects, get feedback, and organize mutual support  We continue student presentation polishing and begin and expand school-to-school interaction  We get prepared to participate in each others’ struggles and those in the wider community  We plan and initiate special trainings and projects to be decided by the group (e.g., video skills, etc.).

 Plan and initiate social justice newsletter and web postings.  Teachers integrate social justice curriculum and lessons developed over the summer into classroom and after school programs.  November – participate in Teachers for Social Justice Curriculum Fair. 4

# 2: Semester One Getting to Work! Plan and initiate actions; Plan student projects, mutual support and school-to-school activities

Chicago Youth Initiating Change  Social Justice Classroom Action Guide  1st Ed., 2008 ©

 Cycle Phase 3:

Second Semester  Continue to develop all activities from the 1st semester.  Emphasize school-to-school and classroom-toclassroom exchanges and mutual support.  Plan May Day participation – In 2006, students from across Chicago helped revive the May Day marches. includes education, participation in city-wide planning, and organizing for strong youth involvement.  Focus and plan for late May 2009 Social Justice Student Expo – includes content, logistics, workshop planning, and talent show.  Begin thinking and planning for the coming year-long cycle of learning and action. # 3: Semester Two Continue 1st semester work; Host school-toschool activities; plan May Day action; plan and execute 2009 Social Justice Student Expo

Lozano student

Uplift student

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Chicago Youth Initiating Change  Social Justice Classroom Action Guide  1st Ed., 2008 ©

‘07 Expo

May, 2009 … 3rd Annual! The common motivational and unifying factor in the cycle is the Social Justice Student Expo in late May. At this student-centered, day-long event, hundreds of students from across the city participate in various capacities. Although most of them may not know one another, on that day they will touch each other with their ideas, presentations, talents, workshop discussions, and action plans – all focused on social justice, equality, humanity, and dignity! Here is a quick closer look at the Expo.

 Expo Mission: Student Voices & Action Take Center Stage!  Students, teachers, and community members from across Chicago work side-by-side to create an annual educational forum for students in grades 3 – 12 from different schools, to engage in social justice learning, presenting, talent, sharing, and actionplanning  Students build academic achievement, a culture of mutual support, and meaningful collaborations among schools  Students’ worldview and understandings of issues, actions, and building unity grow  Students take leadership in content, presentations, and planning for future study, action, and organizing.  Students, functioning as the young adults they are, create, experience and share a day in a university setting where they shine, collaborate, and work together across many of the usual boundaries  A day of unity, inspiration from each others’ work, and growth  A day for deepening commitments to social justice learning and action  A day to learn about useful resources in the broader community  A day of recognition and respect from peers, teachers, and the broader community

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Chicago Youth Initiating Change  Social Justice Classroom Action Guide  1st Ed., 2008 ©

Present! Interact! Take Action! Get Inspired for Your Next Big Project! ’07 Expo – winning project

What takes place at the

Social Justice Student Expo? Student Exhibitions Student MCs, Poetry Interaction Stations

Music, Video, Art Action Workshops Gifts, Awards, & More

 Morning: Exhibition of Student Projects In the Main Hall students, teachers, community members, and guests circulate to view student work, talk with presenters, and do fun activities.

Formats include:     

three-section boards models photo galleries videos power point slide shows

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written reports and materials painted canvasses interactive activities dramatic skits experiments

Peer-selected awards are presented to outstanding participants in the afternoon.

 Morning: On the Spot Interactive Stations (New 2008! )

Spread through the hall are exciting social justice stations of learning, action, and creativity. These interactive stations, complete with supplies, are scattered around the main exhibit hall inviting students to engage in spontaneous, collaborative, and relationship-building activities including:     

Unity Mural T-shirt Making Poster Making Video Tips & Documentation Critical Chemistry

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The Social Justice Soapbox (poetry, rap, speaking) Dialog ’n Debate Legal Rights and Advice

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Know Your Social Justice Game Show Journalism: Interviewing & Documentation

Chicago Youth Initiating Change  Social Justice Classroom Action Guide  1st Ed., 2008 ©

 Before and After Lunch: Action Workshops! CYIC students, teachers and invited community presenters host 18 social justice interactive workshops, most student-led. Each student will participate in 2 workshops they select ahead of time. Workshop topics from ‘07 & ‘08 Workshops included: gentrification police brutality immigration rights school closing Iraq War recruiting

pollution sexism poverty violence college prep

over-testing institutional racism Darfur genocide New Orleans Black / Latino unity

 Lunch at Agape House: (picture left) On campus students, teachers, community members and guests chow down and socialize

 Afternoon: Performing Arts Celebration, Gifts, and Awards Presentation  Student poetry, music, etc. presentations to whole group  Presentation of awards and gifts to students

 Back at School Follow Up: Teachers commit to follow-up back at school  

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Students and teachers debrief and reflect on this year’s Expo and year-long activities After discussion, teachers commit to integrate relevant student suggestions into next year’s classes and follow up with similar student-centered discussions in the next cycle (see next pg) Students commit to work hard, assist in the learning process, & take a lead

The process, and event itself, is an incubator for students to take leadership on real-life problems while engaging in higherorder academic skills. They teach and learn from each other, build relations and unity to organize for social change.

The cycle continues in 2008-09! 8