Just in Time for Christmas, a New Computer Lab for Waverly School

Chris Thompson, an AmeriCorps*VISTA member placed at Waverly Elementary/Middle School by GHCC, has been working hard this Fall to make sure Waverly Elementary students have access to computers to support their learning.

But Chris won't take all the credit: he made all the connections, got the ball rolling, and provided coordination and support, but it was Waverly's amazing community partners that came through and provided a whole new computer lab for the school.

Here's what Chris had to say about this collaborative effort:

Tell us a little bit about the new computer lab at Waverly. What was there before, and what will this lab allow students to accomplish?

The new Waverly Elementary School computer lab features 25 refurbished computers, a smart board for LCD projection, and a wonderful new mural painted by third grader Kyle Smith. The previous lab only contained a handful of “dinosaur” computers that were so old they were unusable. While these computers aren’t brand new, they are high-quality and only two years old.

The addition of a functioning computer lab will allow students to reinforce math and reading skills through interactive online learning tools, learn computer and technology skills, and have fun while they're at it. Classes that have already utilized the lab have been thrilled, and the teachers are grateful for another fun resource for instructing their students.

Who donated time and resources to make this happen? How did you coordinate efforts between them?

I initially reached out to any organizations doing computer donations to address the need for technology at the school. Bootup Baltimore, a student-run technology assistance organization operated through the Johns Hopkins Center for Social Concern, offered to donate 25 computers and the necessary keyboards, mice, and cables. They acquired the computers through the Johns Hopkins University’s IT Recycling Program.

I worked with Bootup Baltimore until we hit the obstacle of finding funding to buy hard drives. Because Waverly Elementary and the Cathedral of the Incarnation have a strong and long-standing partnership, it was natural for me to reach out to them and ask if they could help. When they said yes, Bootup Baltimore purchased and installed the hard drives, then delivered the machines to the school.

Bootup Baltimore did all the initial computer refurbishment and setup, but the school’s IT specialist took charge of maintenance and support for the computers after they entered the building.

  

A project like this can get complicated—what was the moment that made it all worth it for you?

The unveiling event that Waverly held for the computer lab on Wednesday, December 15 was when I finally felt really excited about the implications of the project for Waverly students. We had a third grade class in there playing math computer games and everyone was able to see computers being used.

We also took the opportunity to thank all our partners individually and recognized the third grade student, Kyle Smith, who did the wonderful mural on the wall to beautify the room. The event was a thrill for everyone and made me grateful for the work they, and I, had done together.

You’re a VISTA—what’s your role at the school and in the community? How did this help you accomplish your VISTA project goals for the year?

My primary role at the school and in the Waverly community is to mobilize resources for the benefit of neighborhood families and students. I also assist with parent engagement initiatives put forth by the school.

This project was a great example of partnerships with community organizations that will provide a resource to fill a long-term need at the school. My role is to inspire people to do work like this and help coordinate their efforts. This project never could have happened without the spark provided by a VISTA, which then transformed into a prolonged process of coordination and support for partnering organizations as they worked to make the lab happen.

My primary goal this year is to form and strengthen partnerships between the Waverly school and the surrounding community, and this project enabled me do both! 

VISTA Spotlight: Andrew Stiller

Know someone interested in making positive changes in the world? GHCC is seeking qualified candidates for our nationally-renowned AmeriCorps*VISTA program.  Sign on for a year of service with us and receive health benefits, a modest living allowance, and an end-of-service education award.  We have 10 positions available to start in August 2010 in the areas of improving public schools, strengthening neighborhoods, and adult literacy.

We'll be featuring several VISTA stories in the coming weeks to raise awareness of national service.

Want to know more? Visit our website!

Submitted by Andrew Stiller

I never thought my time as a VISTA member would land me in front of a room of civil servants while being webcast live across the United States. But then again, I didn’t really know what to expect.

Though my parents tried to instill a sense of civic pride and responsibility in me, it didn’t really stick until I got to college. Community service was part of my middle and high school curriculum, but we never embraced it because it was forced upon us. Teenage angst and rebellion almost required that I scoff at being forced to clean streets.

Luckily, that all changed. As an undergraduate at Dickinson College I joined the event planning organization, a service-oriented club called the Keystones, and a traditional Greek fraternity. Surprisingly, I had a better service experience motivating the Greek men to roll out of their beds for philanthropy on Sunday morning than I did with the Keystones. I realized I could affect more change by motivating and teaching others. This was my philosophy throughout college.

After graduation, I was applying for policy-oriented jobs and anything else I could find. I was really lucky to be turned on to the AmeriCorps* VISTA program, and when a position opened up at GHCC, I jumped at the opportunity. VISTA reflected the ideals and methods I adopted in college.

My role as Community Connections Coordinator at GHCC immersed me in a Baltimore City public school community, working with parents and administrators at the school and a variety of partner institutions in the neighborhood. It became apparent early on that true success would be measured by how much buy-in I could get from the parents and the community. A large part of my responsibility would be motivating parents, churches, businesses, neighborhood institutions, and local colleges and universities to invest in Waverly Elementary/Middle School.

I had an opportunity to articulate my experiences when representatives from the Department of Education and the White House’s Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships came to Waverly to discuss partnership building. I don’t remember saying a lot, but it must have stuck with them. A few months later, I was asked to give a presentation on my role as a VISTA member to the Department of Education in Washington, D.C. A briefing had been scheduled to discuss the possible collaborative efforts between the Department of Education and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). As a VISTA member working primarily with schools, I was located at the epicenter of this relationship.

I felt really honored to present on my VISTA experience. I found that the hardest part was limiting the length of my speech. GHCC’s VISTA members wear many different hats on a daily basis: organizer, capacity builder, mediator, teacher—the list is almost limitless. It was really difficult to put it all these amazing experiences into words. I worked on my speech up until the night before, trying to find the right word to express how it felt to see a parent step up to participate at the school.

When I spoke, though, I was confident. The audience was attentive and after two PowerPoint presentations from officials at CNCS, I think my firsthand experience was a useful counterpoint. I spoke about the day to day things, my major accomplishments, and ways any VISTA member can positively change a school. Regardless of my pre-speech jitters and what I had written down, I found that speaking about my VISTA year was actually quite easy. I think the reason is simple: I became a VISTA to help motivate others, yet it was their efforts in return that motivated me even more. I am now just as invested as anyone else in Waverly Elementary/Middle School and its surrounding community. I hope that means my job has come full circle. 

Waverly Ace Hardware: Your Neighborhood Hardware Store

GHCC was a big supporter of Ace Hardware moving into Waverly, and we're thrilled to see business taking off!  Our Community Economic Development program fosters business district development by connecting local businesses to our network of resources and partnerships.  Greater Homewood neighborhoods like Waverly Village are a perfect place to open a business.  To learn more about our economic development initiatives, visit our website.

Submitted by Rachel Machacek, Ace Hardware Stores

As we’ve opened up hardware stores in DC and Baltimore, we’ve focused on underserved communities that value small local business. After our success with Federal Hill Ace, we started looking in north Baltimore for a new location. We saw a lot of potential for growth and opportunity in Waverly and the community members really made us feel like they would embrace a local business. And they have!

Now that we’ve been open for the better part of a year, we’re becoming a hub for homeowners working on renovations as well as those looking for quick home maintenance items. We’ve also had a wonderful time getting involved with the community – particularly during the Waverly Winter Wonderland for which we took pictures of neighbors with Santa Claus.

The impending Lowe’s down the street is a source of concern for us. Our presence is still growing and we hope that the neighborhood will recognize that we are poised as a locally run business to offer not just jobs, retail, and services but also be a gathering spot for the community. We recently sponsored a pet adoption day and look forward to another in July, and we’re kicking off free bike workshops in April as part of an overall emphasis on providing community services in addition to selling hardware and home-maintenance products.

We've also worked on a strong Internet presence through Facebook, Twitter and a blog to provide up to minute info on sales and essential DIY advice.

Waverly Ace Hardware is located across the street from the Giant grocery store at 601 Homestead Street, Baltimore, and has plenty of free parking.
Store hours:
Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
www.acehardwaredc.com

Join us for Neighborhood Bike Stop Workshop: Changing a flat

Saturday, April 17, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Learn to change an inner tube with the pros @ Light Street Cycles. They'll be on hand at Waverly Ace on April 17 to give some quick and dirty lessons. Changing a flat is really quite easy! The workshop is free and we have bike racks outside the store. No excuses!

RSVP to rachel@acehardwaredc.com

Waverly Wonderland

Come on out to Waverly Main Street and vote on your favorite holiday window display! What a great excuse to get out and do some holiday shopping right in your neighborhood. Download your ballot here and come out to vote on December 12!

Ellerslie Apartments First Annual Outdoor Bazaar

Last Saturday, Senior Corps RSVP at the Ellerslie Apartments held their first annual Outdoor Bazaar. Residents rented tables for $15 to sell new and gently used items at the flea market-style event. Here, GHCC's Senior Resource Coordinator and AmeriCorps*VISTA Delores Somerville reflects on the day's successes:

What a delightful day for a Bazaar! The weather was perfect!

Just being behind the scenes before the bazaar opened was quite an experience. The tables were filled with an array of colors: toys, clothing, games, kitchen equipment, and so much more. I was amazed at the participation of the wheelchair-bound residents -- WOW! They pitched in by carrying supplies on their laps and on the backs of their chairs.

Mr. Samuel, president of the Tenant Council, was busy preparing the burgers and sausage and icing the sodas. He is a recent amputee, but is not letting it get him down. Mr. Samuel kept himself busy working the grills and tables to get ready for the bazaar attendees.



Mrs. Samuel, chairperson of the Senior Corps RSVP for the Ellerslie Apartments,
spent weeks making contacts and meeting with partners. She had a vision for this event as an annual affair on the Ellerslie calendar and worked tirelessly to make it a reality. She has so much energy despite the fact that she is a wheelchair-bound dialysis patient. Mr. Campbell and Ms. Jones from the RSVP office came out on the day of the event as well.



Baltimore City Police Officer Barnett and his partner attended for added security to ensure everything ran smoothly. They mingled with the residents and everyone had a great time.



I rented a table myself and furnished the photographer for the day. Terry does a good job, she kindly provided the photos for this post.

All proceeds from the Bazaar will go towards the purchase of a large screen TV for the Ellerslie Apartments' community room. This event was a joint effort where all groups at the Ellerslie worked together for the benefit of all residents. Many residents and neighborhood families attended the event, mingled with their neighbors, and made it a wonderful day.

Waverly School Parents Get a Space of Their Own

From the Waverly Elementary/Middle School PTO

With the help of our Community Connections VISTA this past January, the Waverly Elementary Middle School PTO received a grant from Lowe’s for $3,600 to make a new parent room. With this money we are creating a special space for parents at the school that will be a lounge, work space, and resource center. The parent room is located in the middle school portable building. So far we have had two "decorate days" where we put together our new furniture, decorated the walls and installed three brand new computers! Soon we will have a resource library complete with materials on parenting, childhood development, how to help children in school, and much more. Soon parents will be able to come to the parent room to hang out, get information about the school, use the internet, use the printer and copy machines, or attend workshops and meetings. We hope the room will be a great resource to Waverly parents!

Spring is the Season!

by Joe Stewart, Better Waverly resident

To me spring says “survival” after way too many long dark days during dead of winter.

Buds promise splashes of color; birds chirp odes of joy and I see myself wading in our rivers and bay. Swimming for me in open water is akin to being born again in passionate pagan ritual and celebration!

Sliding barefoot into the slimy salty ooze of our Patapsco or Chesapeake is an emersion deep in meaning for me. I sense “from where we came millions of years ago”, shivering outside normal bounds of gravity, with wind and waves bouncing me about and the moon pulling me back and forth.

I don’t recommend you try this before knowing how to swim and please stay close to shore until you know you won’t panic or be overpowered by those tides and currents.

You may not even like the water. I am sure it is the solitary quality of my swims making it special to me. So, selfishly, I don’t want everyone in my lane when I am out at sea.

But I am certain many of you have a similar reaction to the arrival of this new season.

Yours may be to garden and plant, to cycle, walk or run or perhaps to sit under a tree reading a book. Maybe you get high thinking about spring cleaning or washing your car.

We may be in a depression. Economically things may even get worse before they are better; but surely some things in life are still free and worth getting out and enjoying.

What does spring signify for you?

What makes it worth waiting through another winter for you to appreciate here?

If you would like to know more about open water swimming, how to contribute to the urban watershed groups I am raising funds for with my May 17th swim or want to read my poem, On Swimming an Estuary, contact me directly: jstewart@dat.state.md.us

Spaghetti Dinner to Help Rebuild the Playground at Stadium Place!

The playground at Stadium Place will be rebuilt May 5-10, but you can help now by attending a spaghetti dinner fundraiser on Friday, March 13!

For just $5 for adults ($3 for children under 12), enjoy a great dinner and entertainment by the Waverly Middle School band and drum line and the Stadium School's Judah Praze dance team.

Join us at 5:30 p.m. at the New Waverly United Methodist Church (644 E. 33rd Street). Click on the poster below for more details.

January 22: Public Meeting about Waverly School

Thursday, January 22

6:30-8:30 p.m.

Waverly Elementary School Cafeteria (3400 Ellerslie)

A public meeting to discuss Waverly's middle school addition and elementary school renovations

The state has approved funding for a middle school wing and elementary school renovations at Waverly Elementary/Middle!

Now's your chance to weigh in on what the new school should look like. Join us to share ideas about the planned addition and renovations with the architects who have been hired to design the building, school system officials, and City Councilmember Mary Pat Clarke. Bring your ideas about what kind of school we want for our community and what principles should guide the design and construction of the building.

Questions? Contact Karen DeCamp at Greater Homewood Community Corporation at (410) 261-3503 or kdecamp@greaterhomewood.org.

MLK Day of Service at Waverly Elementary/Middle

Volunteers at Waverly Elementary/Middle's MLK Day of Service in 2008

Make it a day on, not a day off!

In joint celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and the historic inauguration of our 44th president, Waverly Elementary/Middle School (located at 3400 Ellerslie) will be hosting a day of service and school beautification. Please join us on January 19 from 9 am to 4pm for painting, art, decorating, food and fun. We will paint bathrooms, hallways, a new mural, and decorate Waverly’s new parent room. The work completed by our group of volunteers will make our school a cleaner, brighter, happier, and more welcoming learning environment. The completed parent room will make parents feel more welcome and appreciated while providing them with resources to better the school, their families and communities. Our entire school community will appreciate your help. Free lunch will be provided to all volunteers. All children must be accompanied and supervised by an adult. To volunteer, please contact Rebecca Nagle, Community Connections AmeriCorps VISTA, at 443-224-7367 or rnagle@greaterhomewood.org.

Coming Up: A New Waverly Middle School

By Karen DeCamp, Assistant Director of Public Education, Advocacy, and Outreach, GHCC

Waverly student Zahaire Calloway at a January 2008 school clean-up

Bebe Verdery of the ACLU of Maryland blogged on the Open Society Institute’s Audacious Ideas blog about her dream of rebuilding Baltimore’s aging schools into new green schools, full of natural light to inspire and nurture children. Well – that dream is becoming a reality at Waverly Elementary/Middle School, where architects have been hired to design the new $22 million middle school wing and elementary renovations. State funding for this was won by a persistent, committed group of stakeholders and assisted by GHCC. This new building will replace the woefully inadequate Venable middle school building.

The architects, D.C.-area firm Grimm + Parker, have met with a group from the community and are planning a larger public meeting in January to collect community input. Their plan is to build Waverly’s addition at LEED Silver status, a green building designation that means the design will incorporate environmentally friendly features. Stay tuned to future posts and look for community notices of the January public meeting, so you can be heard on what kind of school Waverly should be.

Regina Boyce: GHCC's Volunteer of the Year

GHCC appreciates all of the nearly 2,000 dedicated volunteers who help us strengthen neighborhoods in north central Baltimore. We recognize one particularly outstanding volunteer every autumn at GHCC’s annual meeting and awards dinner. The GHCC Volunteer of the Year is often an individual whose service has touched multiple programs in the organization, and this year’s winner is no exception.

Regina Boyce was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Rockville, moving to Waverly about four years ago. She became active in her local neighborhood organization, the Waverly Improvement Association, and has served as its vice president for nearly a year. She describes the neighborhood as “very eclectic in style, very eclectic in its people, eclectic all the way around.” A tireless Waverly booster, Boyce has participated in a number of projects that have promoted that sense of place and neighborhood identity, including Real City, Dream City with Art on Purpose and Maps on Purpose. Using art and mapmaking as means of representing Waverly “showed that Waverly is a lot stronger than people looking from the outside might think,” she says.

GHCC has gotten to know Regina Boyce through activities sponsored by its Neighborhood and Economic Development program like clean-ups and the National Night Out Kick-Off Parade on Greenmount Avenue. But the organization’s Public Education staff also worked with her to advocate for funding to expand the building and curriculum at Waverly Middle School. Boyce was part of a coalition of partners, including the Cathedral of the Incarnation, the Franciscan Youth Center, and Better Waverly Community Organization, that successfully campaigned for the school. “We all came together and said, no, this is not adequate enough and we want more for our children,” she recalls. The state approved the funding for the school in May.

Click here to find out how you can join Regina Boyce and hundreds of other volunteers who support GHCC.

Photo by Jaclyn Paul