ESLARP in Action

Outreach Weekend, Opal's House

2009-09-29T10:24:00.004-05:00

We left Champaign early on a chilly, rainy Friday morning and were greeted in East St. Louis by a break in the weather and a sunny afternoon. Arriving at the Mary Browne Center the students met with leaders working with Eagle’s Nest, Fisher Theater, the East St. Louis Parks District, and Opal’s House. Billie Turner provided a tour of East St. Louis and then groups split up to work for the afternoon. My group of students from FAA 291 worked with Essie Calhoun at Opal’s House. Opal’s House is a nonprofit organization that is preparing to open a domestic violence shelter in East St. Louis. The students took a tour of house and talked with Essie. Then we headed outside and worked in the yard to trim hedges, remove weeds from the fence, and landscape around the driveway. The students were able to use power tools and work as a group on the yard work. On Saturday morning half the group returned to Opal’s House to finish up and the other half headed to Virginia Park to lacquer park benches and prepare for lunch. Heavy rains forced us stop early and head back to Champaign.

Bringing visibility through a logo

2009-03-04T11:28:00.000-06:00

The East Side Health District provides preventive health care services to residents of East St. Louis, Stite Township. After Elizabeth shared the core principles of the East Side Health District, we projected the logo onto the blank wall and began tracing it. Throughout the process we consulted with each other about our progress, from asking for feedback on how we painted a letter or figure, to offering suggestions on how to efficiently complete a task. It was an interesting path of collaboration on so many levels. First, we materialized Elizabeth’s vision by partnering with her to create the logo. Secondly, as volunteers, we worked together to complete the project. Through cooperation, focus, and a bit of patience, everyone involved in the ESHD logo project worked together to materialize a vision four-years in the making.

ESLARP students help install smoke detectors

2009-03-03T11:39:00.001-06:00

About 18 University of Illinois students worked with the Lessie Bates Davis House of East St. Louis to install smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and change air filters in over 60 homes at the last Outreach Weekend. The Belleville News Democrat newspaper published an article about Lessie Bates Davis House's efforts.

Entrepreneurship Workshop

2009-02-11T13:57:00.008-06:00

During the weekend, I went to Berkeley. While there, I made an unexpected trip to the People's Park. In 1968, local community residents turned a parking lot into a park and community garden for everyone to enjoy. The park provides a safe place for people who are homeless to fellowship, garden, rest, and receive food and clothing.

Entrepreneurship Workshop

2009-02-10T19:38:00.000-06:00

On January 5, 2009, I accompanied a delegation of 23 students from the University of IL to San Francisco, CA. We were the inaugural group to spend two weeks in Silicon Valley learning about entrepreneurship and start-up companies in Silicon Valley. The students ranged from undergraduate to graduate, the majority engineering students, with a few business students, and me, an architecture student. I went with an open mind, curious about what I might learn, what I might have the opportunity to one day share with others. We spent the first week of the workshop at the Plug and Play Technology Center in San Jose, CA. The Tech Center is the equivalent of a community center for a “technology-minded” neighborhood. Start-up companies and venture capitalists lease office space and network with each other. Representatives from these entities, including lawyers, gave presentations on topics ranging from how to start a company to how to market and sell a product. During week two, we travelled to various start-up companies, small firms and large firms like Google. From the experience, I gained a new set of vocabulary – venture capitalist, angel investors, early adopters, and term sheet to name a few – new insight on entrepreneurship and how it can be applied to social change, and a new sense of connection that engineers, business people, and architects share – we are all designers, we all create, we can all affect change together.

Upon arriving in San Jose, CA, we drove to the Plug and Play Technology Center. This center is an incubator space where start-up companies lease office space while they work on their product and garner funding. Venture capitalists also have office space in the Center, many of them are referred to as “Angel Investors.” Angel investors invest in a start-up at the beginning stages. Doing so requires a high level of faith on the part of the investor for the company has yet to establish a track record of success and overcoming failure. Residents of the Valley value failure, in particular how one overcomes the setbacks is an esteemed asset. The first week of the workshop was held at the Center. Different speakers shared their start-up story, and advice from how to manage the growth of a business to the details of launching a start-up such as obtaining a patent and a lawyer. Also, we learned how to market and sell a product from seasoned professionals, many alumni from the University. Speakers stressed clarity and brevity when delivering the sales pitch. Additionally, entrepreneurs conduct market research and relay this knowledge to investors. The research builds credibility which is the most important aspect of managing a start-up. Investors invest in a team of people, not the idea. To that end, a start-up is not the creation of one person, but the concerted effort of knowledgeable people. A smart founder is one who acknowledges their deficiencies and connects with people who supplant those weak areas. In essence, it is the incubator community which supports the creation of start-ups. People collaborate and share their pitches or ideas inside the space. The practice draws parallels to the architecture studio, both academically and professionally, where designers ask for feedback on their work from colleagues. The creative process is a collective act and an incubator space fosters that process.

The first speaker who introduced the concept of the “network” was the founder of the Plug and Play Technology Center, Saeed Amidi. Mr. Amidi’s networking efforts with venture capitalists, investors who have a vested interest in the start-up companies housed in the Center is one of the reasons for the Plug and Play Technology Center’s success. Most importantly, he views the potential in everyone he meets, envisioning their contribution to the big picture of cultivating start-ups. For example, he liked the personal skills of the barista at his local Starbucks and hired her to become the Business Relationship Manager at the Technology Center. Everyone, from venture capitalists to employees in a start-up engages in a reciprocal relationship – it is win-win for everyone. This symbiosis is reflective of the natural ecosystem. In essence, the Center is a microcosm of the Silicon Valley ecosystem. It is a community center for a technology community.

The entrepreneurial mindset can be incorporated into the strategy of an individual engaged in social action. The key principles are to foster a network of individuals and groups who have a vested interest in the issue pursued and to foster awareness of the oneness people share. For example, an issue such as hunger affects people who are homeless and people without access to healthcare. Thus, the social entrepreneur will craft a “pitch” to garner the support and involvement of agencies that target these particular populations by communicating the common thread that unites them – hunger affects everyone. This method also incorporates taking a risk, a practice inherent to the traditional entrepreneur, for the social entrepreneur, by building relationships with unlikely collaborators, is innovative in their approach to social change.

The most critical thing I learned on the trip was the importance of community in entrepreneurship. Although my exposure to Silicon Valley was short, I observed a correlation between the success of the Valley and relationship building. One of the presenters stated that the "cream of the crop" live and work there, and this is not taken for granted. In fact, the crop is tilled continuously through networking events and in fertile growth environments like technology incubator spaces. In the air is a common unity, centered on materializing ideas, a dedication that can be replicated in many fields, not just technology. Like a natural ecosystem, symbiotic relationships centered on mutual appreciation and exchange, engaging a diverse talent pool, and fortified connections between people and ideas built Silicon Valley – the foundation for any sustainable community.

ESLARP highlighted in Imagining America's fall newsletter

2009-01-07T12:29:00.005-06:00

Our own Abby Harmon (graduate assistant) and Vicki Eddings (staff) were interviewed in Imagining America's fall newsletter. Check out pages 5-6!

Eagle's Nest continues preparations for opening shelter

2009-01-07T12:21:00.003-06:00

Eagle's Nest's, a longtime community partner of ESLARP, has had some set-backs that have delayed the opening of the much needed veteran's shelter, but they have been able to continue moving forward. This article interviews Martha Watts (Eagle's Nest president) and Don Johnson (ESLARP alum).

Im Memory of Wyvetter of Younge

2009-01-05T14:33:00.001-06:00

ESLARP mourns the passing of Illinois State Representative Wyvetter H. Younge on December 26th, 2008. It was her challenge to the University of Illinois to get involved in East St. Louis that prompted the creation of ESLARP, over twenty years ago. Her dedication and passion for the people of East St. Louis will be remembered for years to come.

See the Belleville News Article.

Paul Adams recipient of campus award

2008-11-21T10:24:00.001-06:00

Paul Adams, ESLARP Campus Advisory Committee member, is the recipient of the 2008-9 Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement from the University of Illinois. Congratulations Paul!

FAA 199 students flyer neighborhood businesses for upcoming ceremony

2008-11-19T16:02:00.004-06:00

On Saturday, November 15 eight students from the FAA 199 class worked with Project H.E.A.V.E.N.’S director, Carole Mayhall to raise awareness for an upcoming ceremony. The students distributed flyers to businesses and patrons along State Street in East St. Louis. Students also worked to address invitations for the upcoming ceremony recognizing victims, survivors and their family members

Later in the afternoon the students worked in Project H.E.A.V.E.N.’S office to sort supplies and assemble emergency bags for people in transition. The bags are part of Saint Clair County’s Project Homeless Connect which helps support the needs of homeless individuals and families.

Urban Affairs Association March 4-7, 2009

2008-11-18T13:00:00.006-06:00

Janni Sorensen, Assistant Professor of Geography at UNC Charlotte and former ESLARP Assistant Director, will be presenting on ESLARP at the upcoming Urban Affairs Association's Annual Meeting in Chicago (March 4-7). Her presentation on March 6th is entitled "Neighborhood Planning in a Community-University Partnership" and is part of "Community Institutions: New Roles, New Challenges" session. Registration is open till January 12, 2009.

FAA 199 students preserve, clean-up, and provide support

2008-11-18T12:37:00.001-06:00

This past Outreach Weekend, over twenty FAA 199 worked at several work sites over the weekend. Students worked in the City of Centerville with their city planner to transfer police reports into electronic format. This information will be used by the planner to create GIS maps that will allow the City of Centerville to visually see the locations of crime, and the types of calls their police department receive.

Other students helped Catholic Urban Programs preserve historic gravestones at one of the oldest cemeteries in East St. Louis.

Eight students worked at 41st Street Pullman Porter Park to shovel 20 tons of gravel into a walkway in the park. And a few students helped Christina Fisher, Director of Village Theatre, to organize supply closets in the theatre and their tool shed.

Due to the chilly weather on Saturday, most of the students worked indoors with the Katherine Dunham Museum to catalog their library, decorate the museum for the holidays, and clean and sort historic materials at two of Katherine Dunham's homes.

As usual, all the hard work was capped off by a stop at Pirtle's, for the world's best ice cream, before we headed home

November Outreach Weekend

2008-11-17T12:28:00.000-06:00

Nearly 140 University of Illinois students and faculty participated in our November Outreach Weekend from November 14-15. Thank you to all the classes that participated-FAA 199, FAA 391, LIS 451, UP 474, and all the volunteers!

Project H.E.A.V.E.N.

2008-11-07T11:16:00.009-06:00

ESLARP is partnering with Project H.E.A.V.E.N. (Helping to Empower All Victims Everywhere Now) – to help remember victims and survivors of crime this holiday season.

Crime victims and survivors will be honored with a tree of HOPE in the rotunda of city hall in East St. Louis. During the ceremony, survivors and family members will place an ornament on the tree to remember their loved ones.

ESLARP is helping to publicize the event by flyering local businesses and community centers. Project HEAVEN - Crime Victim Services works to assist victims of crime and collaborate with local service agencies to improve referral and direct services for victims in the greater East St. Louis area.

For more information on Project HEAVEN see: http://projectheaven-cvs.com/

Engaging scholars and practitioners

2008-11-05T14:49:00.010-06:00

Last month, ESLARP had a presence at two conferences: Imagining America and the American Planning Association's 2008 Illinois State Conference.

In early October, Imagining America drew together a group of scholars, activists, community organizers, and all shades in between, to mutually engage one overarching question: what does it mean to do "public" scholarship? Abbilyn Harmon, an ESLARP graduate assistant, had the opportunity to reflect on this question many times over in the panels and activities organized for the conference, and found herself challenged by those from inside and outside the walls of academia.

Abby also had the opportunity to take part in the Publicly Active Graduate Education (PAGE) program, which brought together a group of 20 graduate students to aggressively take on this question as part of a daylong PAGE summit. At this summit, Abby presented her ESLARP-based Participatory Action Research course as a model of engaged critical pedagogy. Laura Lawson, ESLARP director, also presented at the conference about ESLARP's engagement in public scholarship.

The American Planning Association's 2008 Illinois State Conference was held here in Champaign from October 29-31. Planning students and practitioners from all across the state attended workshops and sessions exploring creating greener cities, better transportation, and the changing demographics of cities in Illinois. Sang Lee, an ESLARP visiting lecturer, presented on planning education, community organizing, and East St. Louis. She was part of a session exploring equity planning in practice. Ken Salo, an ESLARP Campus Advisory Committee member, was also part of the session, presenting on his work in north Champaign around environmental justice issues. Earlier in the conference, another ESLARP CAC member, Elizabeth Sweet, presented her work on gender and immigrants in Illinois.

FAA 391 students work with Eagles Nest

2008-10-06T09:22:00.000-05:00

FAA 391 started their outreach weekend with a tour of Eagle’s Nest, a shelter for veterans that is currently in development. While at the site, we met with Martha Watts, the director of the organization, and she filled us in on the troubles they have had with previous contractors that have delayed the project’s completion. On Saturday, we returned to Eagle’s Nest where we met Ms. Suttle, a member of Martha’s board, and discussed potential landscape developments around the site. We then met Lily, the president of Dayton-Wedgewood, and George, another member of Martha’s board, and listened to their diverse concerns about political and economic corruption within the city. Afterwards, Lily provided us with delicious homemade chili and we prepared to pass out informational fliers about Eagle’s Nest around the neighborhood. While walking around, we met many friendly residents who voiced their concerns towards local issues. Lastly, we stopped at Pirtle’s Ice Cream on the way back to campus.

41st Street- Pullman Porter Park

2008-10-01T23:57:00.005-05:00

September 26th and 27th were big days at the 41st Street Pullman Porter Park, as approximately 35 students from the Landscape Architecture department joined forces with community partners to work on maintaining and adding new features in the park.

Friday, community partners excavated a bed for a new walking path, and hauled away excess soil to create a berm to prevent future flooding in the park. Meanwhile, University of Illinois faculty members and community leaders marked out beds and staged mulch and gravel for the following day.

Saturday, students arrived to haul and spread crushed concrete gravel to create over 200 feet of new walking pathway. While some installed the new path, other students were given instruction on how to weed, edge and mulch planting beds. Following their instruction, they were able to put their new skills to the test by enlarging and establishing new planting beds to create space for additional plants in the park. A final group of students was able to clean out a neighbor's overgrown fence and haul the brush away to a central location for future removal.

Freedom by Design Demo and Design

2008-10-01T12:38:00.004-05:00

Freedom by Design (FBD), the community service organization of the American Institute of Architect Students, began the construction phase of a multi-tasked project for Opal’s House. Beginning in the Fall 08 semester, the team of University of IL architecture students, ranging from undergraduate to graduate, will build a wooden ramp and a staircase on the rear exterior of the house. FBD works to enhance the homes of low-income elderly and people with disabilities through quality design.

On Friday, the volunteers stored the lumber for the staircase and ramp at the tool shed located at the Village Theatre. They also moved 50 computer monitors to Eagle’s Nest. The monitors are a donation from the Graduate School of Library and Information Science. Saturday, was demolition day. The two FBD co-chairs and 5 of the team members removed the existing staircase. The team also began installing toilet grab bars in the first floor bathroom. Once the railings are installed, the bathroom will be meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements. In addition to the construction projects, the students completed landscaping around Opal’s House, mowing the lawn and transplanting the petunia bush adored by the home’s namesake.

Before returning to Champaign, the students presented the drawings for the project to George and Essie Calhoun of Opal’s House, and consulted with their construction mentor about the project.

FAA 199 students spruce up the place

2008-10-01T10:57:00.007-05:00

About 20 FAA 199 students volunteered at Opal's House on Friday, September 26. Opal's House is a shelter for survivors of domestic violence, and is gearing up to open its doors. The students helped Essie Calhoun, the director of Opal's House, clean and prepare the upstairs bedrooms for clients. They moved 10 beds from the basement to the second floor, and started assembling the bunkbeds that will be used by women and children.

On Saturday, September 27, the FAA 199 students worked with the City of East St. Louis Mayor's Office and Concerned Citizens of Precinct 12 on a clean-up in Precinct 12. Located in the Lansdowne neighborhood, students and community members cleared an overgrown alley, cleared Waverly Avenue of litter, and cleaned up vacant lots. They also enjoyed a delicious lunch catered by Concerned Citizens of Precinct 12. We capped the day off with a much deserved trip to Pirtle's Ice Cream.

RST 393 in Alta Sita and Precinct 12

2008-10-01T10:00:00.001-05:00

The Recreation Sports Tourism 393 class began their weekend by cutting trees and stacking the brush at Opal's House for Essie. It was a bit more that we had anticipated but we got it done quickly. After that we surveyed and flyered in the Alta Sita neighborhood around Virginia Park where we are working on getting folks in the area to adopt that park. Almost 20 surveys were completed which exceeded our expectations.

Saturday started of with an excellent first meeting of those interested in the Virginia Park project. It wasn't a big meeting but it was attended by some area movers-and-shakers. We decided to have a second meeting 10/18 followed by a cook-out in Virginia Park to get more people involved. Saturday afternoon we went to CCP12 to work on their clean up. More tree cutting and I hope no poison ivy.

September Outreach Weekend

2008-09-30T14:59:00.008-05:00

Over 100 volunteers helped kick off another great school year for ESLARP in East St. Louis. Classes in Library Information Sciences, Recreation Sport and Tourism, Landscape Architecture, and Fine and Applied Arts worked in several different neighborhoods September 26-27. The weather was on our side and helped make sure volunteers completed their goals for the weekend. See the following posts to read more about specific projects worked on by students, faculty, and community members.

Students were welcomed to East St. Louis by some of ESLARP's Community Partners

Christina Fisher of Village Theatre and Community Concepts

Rev. Bradley Watkins of Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House

Martha Watts of Eagle's Nest

Ramping it up

2008-07-30T14:33:00.002-05:00

This weekend, a small group of volunteers constructed a ramp for an ice cream and coffee shop by the Village Theater. This shop will operate as a source of funding for the theater's youth programs. ESLARP was able to obtain donations from three central Illinois Home Depot stores, with the bulk of the donations coming from the Collinsville Home Depot, whose store manager was very excited to be able to contribute to a local project! The weekend ran smoothly despite the 95 degree weather, and we were able to complete the ramp by Sunday afternoon. Thanks to the volunteers who made it happen--Mike Andrejasich, Paul Herring, Noah Lenstra, Andy Harmon and Abby Harmon.

Flat, not boring

2008-07-29T15:03:00.002-05:00

Winnipeg definitely proved to be not boring. Elizabeth Andrejasich, Abby Harmon, and I, along with a fellow UIUC graduate student, Chuck Allen, made the 15 hour drive up north to the midwest of Canada to attend the annual Planners Network Conference July 18-20. We met up with ESLARP community liaison, Billie Turner, and ESLARP community partner, Martha Watts of Eagle's Nest, early Friday morning just in time for walking tours of Winnipeg focused around issues like homelessness, gentrification, arts, and sprawl. It was clear that Winnipegians were not afraid to address these challenging issues in their communities as the tours were led by many local activists organizing around these issues.

The entrance of Art City, a local community art center for kids and adults
that was on both the gentrification and arts tour.

Saturday morning Elizabeth, Abby, Billie, Martha, and I conducted a workshop on the use of storytelling within planning. Billie and Martha shared stories about East St. Louis and Eagle's Nest, and through video-taped interviews we were also able to share stories of other community partners from East St. Louis. See our workshop agenda and resources list here. Attendees shared their own stories and the ways in which some of them have been able to incorporate storytelling into their research or organizations. The conference ended with a big bash at a local community center, with locally produced food (delicious tacos with fresh produce!) and musicians. Although it was an action packed two days, we met some amazing educators, practitioners, and activists trying to address social justice issues in their own communities. Who knows, maybe we'll see a Planners Network Conference in Champaign or East St. Louis in a few years...

The poster for the big bash Saturday night.

Winnipeg, here we come!

2008-06-24T15:16:00.005-05:00

This July, three ESLARP graduate students, one community laison, and one community partner will be attending the Planners Network Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This conference is a gathering of planning practitioners, community organizers, activists, students, and faculty to discuss strategies that address social and enviornmental justice.

The ESLARP students and community members will be conducting a workshop titled:
"Storytelling: Critical Reflection and Creative Performance". We will also be bringing other longtime community partners and their stories with us to Winnipeg via video-taped interviews.