Photovoice: Social Justice Photography with Artists in Residence

Chute Middle School

Sherri Kushner

This grant enabled all 8th grade students at Chute Middle School to participate in a photo experience rooted in social justice with Artists in Residence, Ann Covode and Yancey Hughes. For three weeks, students explored photography, culminating in an issue-based social justice photo and artist statement which is displayed along with the class for parents and community members at the Evanston Public Library.

"One of the things I noticed when interviewing students as we studied issue-based photography is that students felt they did not have agency or a voice in the community.  Students felt that they had important ideas to share about ways we can act and participate now to shape our future, but that they did not have a venue to share these experiences with the community… In this climate of isolation, sickness, and political strife, students have brought many of their concerns and feelings to this project and have used it as a vehicle to express their emotions, connect with others, and advocate for ideas they value. “

Small Group Literacy Development for Lincolnwood Teachers

Lincolnwood Elementary School

Max Weinberg and Deborah Osher

This grant supported first- and second-year teachers that are new to the profession in deepening responsive, compassionate, and anti-racist literacy practices, especially in the remote setting. Participants gained tangible strategies to maximize small group instruction that is aligned to a Balanced Literacy Framework, designed by Dr. Clare Donovan Scane, Literacy Consultant. These sessions focused on culturally responsive materials and approaches to support students during small group instructional time and include suggestions for assessment, checking for understanding, and monitoring student progress. 

"Guided reading structures are challenging to replicate in a remote or hybrid learning environment. [This is] a comprehensive training model for teachers to grow their skills in leading scaffolded instruction, targeting instruction to meet children at their readiness levels and support students through successful engagement with more challenging and rigorous work.... 

This extended professional learning opportunity will allow teachers to gain new knowledge and creative ways to work through challenges and provide meaningful feedback based on targeted literacy skills.”

3rd Grade Social Justice Research Clubs

Lincolnwood Elementary School

Adrienne Logan, Stephanie Guest, Mindy Schomberg, Dan Schwartzman

This grant supported the final literacy unit of the year, students will be working in research clubs. In years past, the last unit was reading and writing about animal research. From their learning in literacy and social studies students have become passionate about being change agents for the problems they see in their world. Students expressed the desire to keep moving forward with their passion projects and opinion writing pieces from the previous unit. The 3rd grade team adapted the curriculum to respond to students needs and learning and chose to research movements in history that yielded change.

"Foundation 65 immediately supported our push for Social Change. Had we tried a more traditional route, we might not have seen the changes we are seeing for 3-4 years. Students want to act now, as they see history unfold.”

All 7th and 8th Grade Read: This Book is Anti-Racist

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Literary and Fine Arts School 

Kelly Rooney, Nancy Lutton, Sara Ravitch, Emily McCaffrey, Fiona Egan, Daven Taba, Megan Fritz, Whitney Jones, Kim Barbaro, Liz Berland

This grant supported the purchase of books for a whole-grade read of This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell. Students used the book, while developing Personal Mission Statements, to increase their skills in recognizing and taking action against systemic racism. 

“A whole 7th and 8th grade read will create community and bring students together around the ideas of taking action and responding to racism. This program will get a book in the hands of students that has various playbooks on analyzing and addressing the inequities that existed before COVID-19 and have been exacerbated by the virus and continue to unfold in our society. While we might be isolated from each other, this program would allow for students to connect and organize action together while remote.”

The book offers non-fiction, historically-rich stories and has activities that ask students to write poems, personal histories, interview family members, and create artwork to express themselves. As a culminating activity, Ms. Jewell will spoke to students and have the chance for students to share their visions for justice.

Manipulatives and Resources for In-Home Learning

Park School

Jill Anderson and Allison Straussman

The grant supported the purchase of a dedicated set of adapted learning materials for individual Park students to be used at home during remote learning and as personal devices during return to school. 

“All Park students, by the nature of their disabilities and reliance on support from an in-person learning partner (often their parents) has created an educational inequity that is difficult to address when D65 is in remote learning. We know that providing the tools for students to engage more independently will better support their learning.”

Park students need adaptive materials in order to access the curriculum. When materials are in students’ homes, they can then safely engage in the curriculum on a daily basis and won’t have to share in ways that might endanger their safety when we return to school. Our low income students with disabilities are least likely to have these adaptive materials. This grant creates vital access to students who would be left behind without it.

Speech and Language Kits for In-Home Learning

JEH Early Childhood Center

Liza Falconer and Tara Punwani

The grant supported the creation of speech and language therapy tool kits for in-home instruction including communication boards, visual schedules, adapted books, and manipulatives (like playdoh, bubbles and stickers) for children to utilize during live and asynchronous sessions. 

“ [In an e-learning environment, particularly for kidswith special education learning needs,] we needed to design a plan that was hands-on, play-based, engaging, developmentally appropriate, aligned with the early childhood curriculum, and differentiated for our wide range of learners…[These kits are created] with these goals in mind.”

For September, District 65 educators created these kits using personal funds. Going forward the Foundation 65 critical response grant will cover the cost to continue to provide a new kit to families each month to align with learning goals.