Reflections on the Neighborhood Institute

Submitted by Karen DeCamp, Director of Neighborhood Programs

GHCC's third annual Neighborhood Institute January 23 was an inspiring event. Kicking off the opening panel discussion about different aspects of great urban living, Karenthia Barber -- president of the Ednor Gardens-Lakeside Civic Association -- went through all the intentional ways her neighborhood show they care about their community.  Ednor Gardens-Lakeside is one of the most well-organized communities in north Baltimore, from their efforts to welcome new neighbors to the very well-organized committees and initiatives like their incredible Citizens on Patrol group. Moderator Dana Moore, Councilman Bill Henry, Live Baltimore's Anna Custer, City Schools' Michael Sarbanes, and developer Donald Manekin all enlivened the conversation as well.

For me, the meat of the day was in the workshops: 16 different workshops held in 4 sesssions allowed neighborhood residents to choose from a wide menu of options.  This year, we intentionally minimized the number of "agency wonks" presenting workshops in favor of neighborhood residents presenting what they are doing in neighborhoods -- best practices to inspire others.  It seems like that strategy really paid off, as many participants gave us great feedback about the quality of the workshops. 

Workshop highlights included:

• Remington's Chris Merriam and Roland Park's Doug Munro showing how they use technology to make their neighborhood associations more effective.
• Miriam Avins and Pat Shaw of Better Waverly presenting their community art and greening work.
• Chris Ryon of Ednor Gardens and Joe Stewart of Better Waverly (along with our favorite police officers Jon Walter and Doug Gibson) exploring different models of Citizens on Patrol. 
• Neighborhood leaders talked about what they are proud of and what most challenges them.  They asked for support from GHCC in communicating with other neighborhoods.  GHCC has launched a Yahoo! Groups listserv to facilitate that and agreed to help organize quarterly "meet and greets" so that community leaders can get together and share what's working and what's not.  Joe Stewart suggested doing this at a local restaurant so we can patronize those positive businesses.

It's hard to pick my favorite part of the day, but I absolutely loved being able to give awards to wonderful communiyt volunteers: Emerging Leaders awards went to Rose Harris Jones, a quietly persistant advocate for parents and children at Waverly School, and to Rodney Burris, whose infectious enthusiasm has galvanized neighbors around recycling and public safety. 

Other awardees included Jim Fabian as Volunteer of the Year and Tom Gamper, recipient of the Community Economic Development program's Landmark Award.

Of course, I'm already thinking about all the ways we can follow up on the conversations we had at this event and make next year's event an even bigger success!

VISTA Spotlight: Tara McKenzie

Meet Tara McKenzie.  Tara is an AmeriCorps*VISTA member completing a year of service at Success Academy, an middle/high school for Baltimore City students on long-term suspension or expulsion.  After completing her undergraduate degree in at Pikeville College in Pikeville, Kentucky, Tara completed graduate studies at University of Bristol in England and University of Sydney in Australia.  Following her return from Australia, she decided to come to Baltimore and serve with GHCC!  Greater Homewood Voices caught up with her recently to ask her about her experience.

1. Where do you come from?  (educational background, home state/town, etc.)

I grew up in Webbville, Kentucky -- a very small, very poor rural farming community in the mountains of northeastern Kentucky.  Following my graduation from high school, I attended Pikeville College.  I started out as an English major with a minor in Anthropology.  Initially, my goal was to become an archaeologist or paleoanthropologist.  At the end of my sophomore year I received a scholarship to attend the Arizona State University/University of the Witwatersrand Paleoanthropology Field School in the Makapansgat Valley of South Africa. During our trip from our bushveldt field camp back to the city of Johannesburg, we passed sprawling shanty towns.  I was astounded!  We certainly know poverty in Eastern Kentucky, but this was different.  That was a turning point in my life.  I couldn't imagine being so disconnected from the social troubles of the world in my excavation unit.  I wanted to be on the ground doing something!  I returned the following semester to Pikeville College and changed my major to Sociology. 

I was awarded a Berger Scholarship for a place in the London Semester Program facilitated through the Imperial College of London my senior year of college.  I spent my last semester as an undergraduate studying courses on British life and culture, living in the Royal Borough of Kensington.  I hadn't had enough of London my the end of my semester abroad, so I applied to graduate school there before returning home.  I was ultimately accepted into the Master of Science program in Social & Cultural Theory at the University of Bristol, England.

While I was finishing my Master's thesis in Bristol, I was asked to serve as the sponsored applicant for the Kentucky Rotary District 6740 Ambassadorial Scholarship. I was granted admission to my first choice of foreign institution: The University of Sydney, Australia, where I was a Master of Arts candidate in Social Policy (with emphasis on education policy).  I was active in Rotary community service projects, and I worked in collaboration with my best Aussie "mate" to design our own arts-based program for inner city youth. 

2.  What made you decide to be a VISTA?

My family was, in many ways, a very typical blue-collar Appalachian family.  While we were family of limited means, the generosity my mom and stepfather demonstrated to others was always a shining example of doing "the right thing."  My mother was a construction laborer and union member.  She used to always tell my sister and me that "you do what you have to do" and that "any job worth doing is worth doing well."  I merged these mottoes in the development of my own personal philosophy: "If you have the means, and you see the need, do it!  Do whatever needs to be done."  While I may not have the ability to bring about change through financial contributions, I do have my education and I have the desire to make a difference.  Those are the means I use in fulfilling my VISTA position.

3. Why did you choose Baltimore/GHCC?

I have always loved the idea of leaving behind the familiar, pushing my comfort zone, and developing a new social network in an otherwise "foreign" place.  That is what drove me to look outside of the tri-state Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia area. While searching through the position descriptions, I hit upon my current position.  I was ecstatic!  It was exactly what I wanted to do with my life! 

4.  What do you generally do every day?

I am a School-Community Partnership Coordinator, so I do a lot of emailing and meeting with companies/associations/agencies to pitch the idea of engaging in a partnership with the Success Academy.  When I'm not meeting with potential partners, I am generally researching resources available within the neighborhoods our students come from.  I maintain a newly developed "resource center" and lead student workshops on career development.  My day can vary from focusing upon one particular project, to being a day of meetings, to being very student interaction focused.  I love that variety, and I am so appreciative of the flexibility and ability to be creative in my approach to the workday and the workload.

5.  How did it feel to actually get here and start working at the beginning of your service year?

I will admit that I did have a number of preconceptions prior to arriving in Baltimore and to my placement site.  A lot of it dealt with the behaviors I thought I would be confronted with at the school where I work.  It was nothing like that!  The kids were, and continue to be, very respectful, keen to learn, and excited to explore the work and study opportunities that lie before them.  When working with the Success Academy students, I think back to my own experience as  high school student.  I was from the poor, country elementary school, and many of my high school teachers allowed that stigma to affect our interactions.  In a lot of ways, I wasn't expected to succeed, and I certainly wasn't  expected to go on to college!  It took the encouragement of three particular teachers for me to realize that I did, in fact, have the potential to succeed.  I encourage the students of the Success Academy.  Each of those students have such potential, and I wouldn't be able to face each day knowing I had not attempted in some way to empower or encourage them in their aspirations. 

6.  What is your favorite thing about your VISTA work?

My favorite thing about my VISTA work is definitely feeling like I have a positive impact on the lives of our students.

7.  What is your least favorite?

My least favorite thing about my VISTA work is that it will only last a year, and I won't be able to ultimately see any potential impacts my work has had.

8. What's one thing you really hope to accomplish before the year is over?

Ideally, I would love to see all of our students participating in an internship or mentorship program.  As cliche as it sounds, I would be happy just knowing that one student benefited from one of the internships/mentorships or resources I provided access to.

9.  Anything else?

It really has been wonderful working with such a dynamic association of caring, enthusiastic community developers/organizers/visionaries!  While I appreciate the work that all of GHCC's branches contribute to the organization's overall function, I am biased toward the Neighborhood Programs branch.  I am honored to work with such a dynamic group of people!

The Harlem Children's Zone: Can it happen in Baltimore?

On January 21, at 6:30 p.m., the Greater Homewood Interfaith Alliance (GHIA) will host a truly dynamic event, featuring New York Times Magazine Editor-in-Chief Paul Tough. Tough, who authored the book "Whatever it Takes: Geoffrey Canada's Quest to Change Harlem and America", will speak about the evolution of the Harlem Children's Zone, which now serves as the foundation for the Obama Administration's Promise Neighborhoods program.

Tomorrow's meeting will be about assessing the potential of a similar initiative here in Baltimore. The reason Canada's approach was so successful is because he incorporated the real needs of the community through grassroots efforts. With this in mind, the Interfaith Alliance, thanks largely in part to the support of community members Claudia Diamond from the Bolton Street Synagogue and Amy Meyers from the Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation, will spotlight the fantastic work currently being done in the city around youth development and education reform.

There is a lot of excitement surrounding tomorrow evening and we encourage you to take part in what's sure to be a fabulous and dynamic discussion with your friends, neighbors, the community-at-large. The event is free and open to the public at the Bolton Sreet Synagogue at 212 Cold Spring Lane. Visit GHCC's Facebook Event Page to RSVP or, for more information, contact Ari Witkin at 410-261-3516 or awitkin@greaterhomewood.org.

Experience Corps to Host Community Conversation on MLK Day

On January 18, offices and schools close their doors to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Yet in the spirit of Dr. King, Experience Corps is making it a day on, not a day off.

At 10:00 a.m., Experience Corps members will gather to share their experiences before and during the civil rights movement with students and members of the community.  City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will appear as a special guest at the event, followed by a short video and roundtable discussions.  The event on MLK Day will jump start dialogue between Experience Corps members and students, continuing through one-on-one interviews at the 20 Experience Corps schools.  

This intergenerational MLK Day event is being billed as a conversation with members about their experiences with the civil rights movement, with a goal of beginning dialogue about experiences before the Civil Rights Act as well as how life has changed since.  

Wide Angle Youth Media students are capturing the event on film and will capture select close-ups of the student interviews. 

The event and larger service project are focused on connecting generations and spotlighting the living history around us.  The project brings awareness to the younger generation through the student interviews while also making this historical and influential movement more approachable for students.  Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. affected Baltimore City residents.  Join your neighbors and friends for a morning of conversation and reflection.  Bring the entire family!

For more information on this event, click here to visit GHCC's website.

Come to the Neighborhood Institute On January 23!

Strengthen your neighborhood and your local public schools at our third annual Neighborhood Institute!

January 23

10:00-4:30 (registration begins at 9:30)

Barclay Elementary/Middle School, 2900 Barclay Street

Hear leaders from neighborhoods and public schools all around North Baltimore talk about how they have successfully made their communities greener, safer, and better connected, and their schools stronger and more vibrant!

The day will begin with a panel session on Elements of Great Urban Living:  Strong Neighborhood Organizations, Great Schools, Sustainable Communities and Responsive Government featuring:

Donald Manekin, Seawall Development

Anna Custer, Live Baltimore

Bill Henry, 14^th District City Council

Karenthia Barber, Ednor-Gardens Lakeside Association

Michael Sarbanes, City Schools (invited)

There will be a light lunch, followed by an afternoon of workshops:

Workshop titles include:

• Creating Family Friendly Neighborhoods
• Using Technology in Community Associations
• Working With Volunteers to Accomplish Goals
• Organizing to Advocate for Public Schools
• Community Greening and Art
• Block Captain Mini-training
• Partnering with Police: Models of Citizens on Patrol
• Dealing with Problem Liquor Establishments
• How to Market Your Neighborhood
• Housing Code Enforcement
• Greater Homewood Community Leaders Forum
• Greater Homewood School Parent Leaders Forum

Workshop time will be set aside to kick off new forums for community leaders and school parent leaders.  These new forums will provide new online and face-to-face opportunities for neighborhood and parent leaders to share best practices and solutions to common problems.

The day will close with a networking session for community members to meet and greet one another, share ideas, and make connections and partnerships to help strengthen and develop their communities and schools!

 No registration required, but you can RSVP or get more information by contacting John Bernet atjbernet@greaterhomewood.org or 410-261-3516, or by visitng our event page on Facebook.

Volunteering With GHCC's Adult Literacy & ESOL Program

Submitted by Mary Kay Shock

I became involved with the Greater Homewood Literacy program 10 years ago when I retired. Greater Homewood Community Corporation seemed like a good local place to volunteer. Since I have a degree in literature, tutoring adults is a great fit for my skill-set. The regularly scheduled sessions give structure and a sense of purpose to my daily life after my retirement. The staff of the literacy program partnered me with learners whose schedules matched mine. The program also provided training, teaching materials, consultation and support from Greater Homewood Community Corporation’s friendly, expert staff.

The students I have worked with, since I began volunteering with Greater Homewood Community Corporation ten years ago, have become my friends. Every learner I have worked with is different and unique. One of my students could neither read nor write. We worked together for five years and by the end of our partnership he had become an American citizen with a full time job. The Greater Homewood Community Corporation Literacy program taught him how to read, write, and use a computer. These tools helped make him a successful American citizen.

A female student I worked with improved both her reading and writing skills. She even wrote two books of poems with her newly acquired knowledge! The man I am currently working with has improved in reading, spelling and math. He has achieved his goal of learning cursive writing.
Greater Homewood is a safe, convenient neighborhood with easy access to public transportation, stores, churches, libraries, cultural events, and volunteer opportunities. It truly is a great place to live.

GHCC's Adult Literacy & ESOL Program is seeking volunteers!  If you would like to tutor an adult basic education or ESOL learner, contact Jannette Seman at 410-261-0023.

The Harlem Children’s Zone — Can it Happen in Baltimore?

Join the Greater Homewood Interfaith Alliance on January 21 at Bolton Street Synangogue for an evening of sprited discussion about the most comprehensive and revolutionary effort to end childhood poverty.

The discussion will be led by New York Times Magazine Editor and Author of Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America.

Whatever it Takes tells the true story of Geoffrey Canada, the creator of the Harlem Children’s Zone, an audacious attempt to increase opportunities for poor children by changing everything in their lives — their schools, their neighborhoods, and even the child-rearing practices of their parents.

Recently featured on CBS’ 60 Minutes and in Urbanite Magazine, Geoffrey Canada’s approach to fighting inner-city poverty has attracted attention and praise from policymakers and educators across the political spectrum—including President Obama, who has pledged federal funding to support the replication of Canada’s ideas through the creation of Promise Neighborhoods throughout the nation.

THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Doors open at 6:30 with opportunities to talk with representatives from Baltimore-area organizations working on poverty and education reform.

Please visit our website or Facebook event for more details.