Week One: A new project begins!

My purpose the first time meeting with my team at Bancroft was getting to know them and a little why they wanted to be a part of the "No Drugs" group. We could talk about what they hoped we might do or achieve, as a positive end goal. Also, I wanted to initiate a discussion about our group expectations.  I also wanted to get a good feel for this group and what their personalities were like.

We had maybe 40 minutes to meet. Two students arrived pretty late to our group because they were mistakenly put on more than one team or weren't there to vote.

Some things I was surprised about was that these 5th graders watched some awfully violent television. Who let's their kids watch "The Walking Dead?" I certainly wouldn't, because I can barely watch it. Some team members are extremely busy with after-school activities, while others have a great deal of free time.

We discussed the issues of drugs, with two main perspective:  one of selling them and one of using them. Interestingly, they were split by gender. The boys wanted to end the selling of drugs wanted to discuss police actions and CCTV cameras. The girls were interested in tackling the usage of drugs, and wanted to inform others of how unhealthy they were. This will have to be something we discuss more in depth and reconcile, because there are many different ways of looking at the issue of drug use and abuse in our society.

We spent a bit of time creating frozen statues of things in which students should not be doing in group time. They really didn't get too far out of the box, becoming those fighting, standing on their chairs, sleeping, or yelling at each other. However, it began a conversation about our group norms or expectations when working. We decided being active/awake was important, along with working together well (on our intended goal of tackling this issue), and being respectful.

I also stressed how important it was to be thinking about this project outside of our Wednesday meeting time. The students were surprised that we would be meeting every week for eleven more weeks. They don't seem to see it the big picture quite yet, that we have time to create something big and doable. I will continue to stress the urgency.

Next week, I want to continue our group getting to know each other. I want to circle back to group expectations and add onto what we have with greater discussion. Having each member take a  cooperative learning role would add more organization and get them more engaged in the process. I also want to briefly ask their thoughts on the group project, but not spend a great deal of time. I want to stress the amount of time we have yet, but that we need to be thinking about ideas and keeping our eyes open to news relevant to this topic.

I'm still not sure exactly what I will do, but am looking at the Public Achievement site for some. I do think Tay using the life map lesson would be effective.

Bancroft Neighborhood

Bancroft Elementary is located in the Bancroft Neighborhood in southern Minneapolis. It has an official neighborhood association of the same name. The neighborhood has a fifteen member community council that meets regularly to discuss local issues. The neighborhood was actually named for the elementary school. Bancroft is located at the corner of 38th Street and 13th Avenue, and is marked by a green house with a flag on it. The other location at 4137 Bloomington Avenue with the same symbol is El Colegio, a Spanish charter high school.

Elected Officials

Their elected officials are all members of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party. Their city council member is Elizabeth Glidden. The area's House of representatives is Jean Wagenius and in the MN Senate Patricia Torres Ray.  Nationally, this community is represented by Keith Ellison in the U.S. House as all of Minneapolis is. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Senator Al Franken have a great deal of support here while they represent the state of Minnesota in Washington D.C.

School

The school itself, is within Zone 2D of Minneapolis Public Schools. Students attend Bancroft from the neighborhoods of Powderhorn and Nokomis which can further be broken down into the smaller neighborhoods. These specifically are Bancroft, the southern half of Powderhorn Park, Standish, Northrup, and Ericsson.

Grocers

The closest grocery store with produce is Cup Foods located on Bloomington and 38th street. The cashier at Mercadito mi Ayochiapan on 38th and Bloomington, which is slightly closer to the school, said that there are fresh vegetables often available during the summer time, but not winters.

Cleaning Services

The closest laundromat is Ultra Wash Coin in the middle of a strip mall at 4036 Bloomington.

I asked those who lived in this neighborhood where the closest dry cleaner was. Many either did not know where one was or knew of one a couple miles or more from the neighborhood. When I lived in East Phillips, I used to go to Nokomis Cleaners on 38th and Bloomington. I found a notice that they had recently closed.



Fitness and Indoor Recreation

The closest location for indoor activities is Phelps Park located on 39th Street between Chicago and Park Avenues. It is formerly run by the Boys and Girls Club of the Twin Cities.  It is open 2PM until 6:30 for those 6-12 years and 9PM for teens. The organization focuses on providing after-school activities for youth and intends to be a positive force in the communities they serve. Youth must become a member of the organization, but membership dues are pretty low at $5 a year. This location is open more often during the summer: 11am until 7PM.

Five Elements Martial Arts

One thing I did not expect to find was so many yoga and martial arts centers nearby. Svasti Yoga is located at 3751 Bloomington. Five Element Martial Arts & Healing Center shares space with the Feminist Eclectic Five Element Martial Arts School at 3743 Cedar. Aikido Yoshokai of Minnesota is just down the street at 540 East 36th Street. Hiawatha Yoga is at 2223 E. 35th Street.

Financial 

There is no need for an Occupy protest against big banks here. There are none within a mile of the neighborhood. The closest bank is US Bank at Elliott and Chicago just over a mile from the school. There is one ATM in the neighborhood at 35th and Cedar. If I were a credit union, I might consider this location.

Crime

 

Those I met did not speak much about the high crime in this community. Most crime seemed to happen north of the school boundaries in northern Powderhorn closer to Lake Street. I checked out the Minneapolis Police Department site to find out more detailed information. It seems that what most thought was pretty accurate, crime is pretty low here.

One resident I spoke to said that the biggest issue that neighbors were talking about was noise pollution. Last year the MSP airport decided to re-route many flights. This has added to the noise level in this neighborhood enough to anger residents.

I am looking at Winter data,  when things are pretty mild. Students at Bancroft are concerned about gangs and illegal drugs usage in the community. The issues may not be on the spread sheets, but they exist nonetheless.

Housing

A majority of the homes were built before 1940. The neighborhood was built between the streetcar lines on Bloomington and Cedar Avenues. The census data from ten years ago shows that the majority of those living in this community are home-owners. I did not see a great deal of newer condominium developments or apartments at all, so I suspect that rental rate is still fairly low at about 20%.

I did find one newer apartment building at 38th and 23rd Avenue. It is primarily marketed towards senior living, showing another demographic transition in this community as people live longer. Other residents tell me that most of the new apartments and condos tend to be built closer to the light-rail station further down 38th street.

Demographics

The population of this community has remained pretty stable since the 1980s (parts of the neighborhood were given to the adjacent Powderhorn Park neighborhood, causing the population to drop in 1990 significantly), although there has been a consistent negative growth in the single digits. The population has been primarily white but is shifting toward a greater number of African American, Asian, and Hispanics. Essentially the area is become more diverse, which has accelerated since the 1990s. One need only walk the neighborhood to see the businesses are catering to these communities.

The obvious signs of diversity are the store fronts. La Loma Tamales restaurant is located across the street from a former southeast Asian food store (which still make food for other locations). Most corner stores offer products and services in Spanish.

Medical

The closest hospitals are Abbott-Northwestern and the Children's Hospital. These are both major regional hospitals located just north of Lake Street on Chicago Avenue. They are both just over a mile from the school.

Near the laundromat within the strip mall on 40th and Bloomington is Hope Health Care and Adult Day Center. They offer services to elderly adults in the community when families are unable to. These services include transportation, making meals, and providing social activities. Not only do they provide PCA services, but they also have English classes. Their services include six languages such as Somali, Swahili, Arabic, Aramic, Oromo, Ethiopian, and Creole.

News

The Southside Pride newpaper has served a large swathe of south Minneapolis for the past 22 years. You can find this newspaper at countless corner stores and coffee shops throughout this and other communities. The paper's publisher, Ed Felein, is a long-time resident of the city and an activist/journalist.

Since many more people get their news online, the Southside Pride has joined up with TC Daily Planet. You can find a majority of their articles on that site in addition to other community news.

The latest news pertinent to the community is that Folwell, a school closed in 2010, will re-open as the new home of Ramsey Fine Arts Magnet school. The district shuttered many schools the last few years due to falling enrollment. With census data showing a growing number of children entering and to enter the district shortly, there is now a shortage of school space with buildings being re-opened to accommodate this change.

The online forum e-democracy is also available to resident to discuss local issues. Since Bancroft is a part of the larger Powderhorn neighborhood, residents participate on that site. Residents throughout Minneapolis can discuss city-wide issues on the city forum. These sites have active moderators and dislike any discussion of state-wide or national issues unless they specifically pertain to their communities.

Events

For the last 37 years, every first Sunday in May, the In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater hosts the May Day Festival and parade in south Minneapolis. It is the largest May Day celebration in the United States and is easily one of the most popular festivals in the city. The parade begins at 25th and Bloomington and proceeds to Powderhorn Park where the annual Tree of Life ceremony is performed.

The parade contains a host of giant puppets that tells a story, typically the story is a critique of our society from an alternative perspective. The parade and ceremony can be seen as a reflection of what ways in which our society can be more sustainable in various ways. This is especially accentuated in that no motorized vehicles are allowed in the parade, and is entirely people or pedal powered. At the tail end of the parade is the "free speech" portion, where any local organization can march in to spread their message. Politicians as well as local organizations participate in the parade. The May Day parade and festival is attended by about 50,000 people.

Hangout Places

What is Monster Den?

I was pretty curious about this building. At first glance, I thought it was an auto body repair shop. However, I saw the hours and decided it must be something sinister. I was more right than I had ever imagined. It is a hangout place for Magic the Gathering and other card gamers. Yes, they have tournaments. Probably some D&D and Renaissance Fair gatherings. A site for the lovers of LAN parties and WOW. Need I say more?

The Bar Scene

The closest bar to Bancroft is the Cedar Inn at 42nd and Cedar. I have never gone there, nor do I visit bars very often. However, for those who aren't into magic games, this is probably your place. There really aren't a lot of options for bar goers, as you'd have to venture further north on Cedar to fin another bar. 

The Caffeinated Scene

I'm not a huge drinker, although I do like Summit occasionally. I'm also not a hard core gamer, although I love playing board games like Catan. I'm more likely to be found in a coffee shop, either to meet up with friends, do homework, or checking out the latest news and twitter feeds. Of course, this all goes hand in hand with awesome coffee! I have to say, the Blue Ox coffee shop is a very clean and spiffy place at 38th and Chicago. It's not as grungy/hippy as the lovely Cafetto's, but they still have nice coffee. 

A few Organizations

The Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center is located at 38th and Chicago. It is a volunteer-run organization committed to educating others about creating works of art. They wish to create a positive environment for current and future artists. They also want to be a positive force in the community. The center started a year ago in addition to two other art studios across the street.

The Aliveness Project is headquartered at 38th and Chicago also, and serves the HIV/AIDS community with programs and services.


Youth Farm Market Project  has a plot on 37th and Chicago Avenue. Youth Farm is an organization that seeks to teach and mentor youth through growing, preparing, and selling food. It would not surprise me if many of the students at Bancroft have or will participate in this or a similar community project.


Full Cycle is located at 35th and Chicago Avenue. They provide homeless youth with the opportunity to learn to repair bikes.

Transportation Alternatives

When I spoke with people here, many said they loved the transit here. Perhaps those I spoke with were biased, because they were waiting for the bus. However, there are many bus lines that pass through the neighborhood to include the 5, 14, 23, 46, 111, and133. It is also very near the light-rail station that will gain more value as it becomes a part of a larger system in the years to come.

However, my critique of the neighborhood is that it is not very walkable. According to WalkScore, it has a rating of 57 and is the 63rd most walkable neighborhood in the city. Minneapolis has an average score of 69, and is the 9th most walkable city in the United States.

Since I moved to Minneapolis in 2002, I have lived in highly walkable areas since I live car free. Bancroft would not rank high on my list, as I would have to walk a mile or more to do errands. Adjacent neighborhoods have better ratings, making this neighborhood a walking "dead zone" by comparison.

 
I discovered that 40th Street is a bicycle corridor, with wider lanes and markings designed to be more bike friendly. I live on Bryant Avenue, which is another bike corridor. I prefer to stay on these streets than try riding on street like Lyndale, which are a death trap. I don't consider 38th street to be as bad or as busy.


Murals

There are a lot of murals in this and the adjacent neighborhoods. Perhaps there are more murals in Bancroft per square mile than anywhere in the United States! Even car repair shops have murals or some artwork on their building. Everything seems meant to have an artistic feel to it. Not only do they improve the visuals of the community, they also reflect their values, beliefs, feelings, and passions.

I asked some residents what they thought about the connection between this art form and the many artists who call this neighborhood home. Many thought it was great and maybe did inspire some to move there. Others thought it might be the cheaper rents and affordable homes.

Behind El Colegio

Behind El Colegio

Bancroft Introductions

So, this was my first week at Bancroft Elementary in Minneapolis. I will be working with 5th graders on their very own Public Achievement project! I have no idea what this project will be, but am excited nonetheless. Our first day consisted primarily of meeting with students to brainstorm issues that they can take on in their community and/or school.

As I reported in class, the group I worked with was rather serious. They didn't even want to START with introductions but wanted to delve right into talking about issues. (My introduction activity was talking about favorite and least favorite foods.) In fact, this activity did not influence the issues they thought were most important.

They wanted to talk about bullying, drug use, gangs, name calling, racism, and child abuse. These are some pretty intense issues. Some of them are ones I do not want to be the coach in charge of pursuing a solution (not that none of them are worthy, but I really don't want to lead a group on child abuse).

I even tried to lighten the mood of my serious group by asking about what positive things they would like to see. What things they dreamed, hoped for, and wanted to see exist. They again wanted to see negative things disappear, instead.

Every member of my group was able to speak. However, this was easy because I only had three students. Still, the boys tended to be louder in voicing their perspective. I had to stop them to allow or ask questions of their female classmate what she thought.

When the class came together, our group also reached consensus on what we thought were the most important issues. In fact, the issues they wanted to keep weren't considered the biggest issues from our group. For our classroom overall, it was a very easy process to pick their top 8 issues. I can't imagine it is always as simple.

Since I do not have a group yet, I am curious about what dynamics it will have. I want next week to be primarily about getting to know each other and how we would like to operate as a group. I will bring my own questions and suggestions, especially if conversation isn't going anywhere. I also need to check out the Public Achievement site to get some more ideas.

One thing I have been concerned about is what activities might keep them less bored. I understand switching gears helps, from talking about something to writing or drawing. I am not exactly sure how we will do this each week.

For this next week, I had thought about asking them to show me how NOT to act in our group - but this might actually cause more problems than prevent them. Perhaps a drawing about why they chose this group would be something we could do in addition to a conversation about this.