Slightly melodic chime of the alarm clock. Sun peeking in. Whine and rattle of our schizophrenic shower. From scalding hot to Antarctic in a split second; then back again. Odd fluorescent lighting in the apartment building makes it feel like a prison, vaguely. (Eco-friendliness has never been compared to incarceration?) Another whine and rattle, this time of the 4 Uptown. Quick peer around the subway car, shades and hues tell the tale - a majority become a minority.
More later, obviously, but it seems well evident that living in a city is an overwhelmingly sensory experience. Sights. Sounds. And other sensations. They're always there hanging on the background. One of the interesting side elements of city - City? - life.
PP55 fellows share their experience working in the public interest and being a part of the Princeton AlumniCorps community.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
On the life of a professional gay
Greetings from the fabulous, unpretentious, and (very, very) affordable city of Chicago. I am halfway through my thirteenth week as the Director of Community Relations & Outreach at the Center on Halsted, the largest center for the LGBTQA community in the Midwest. The work has been surprisingly challenging. The staff is amazing, thoughtful, and intentional. The experience has been a real education. Let me share three important lessons I have had to learn.
1. Community organizing is hard. I remember being very pretentious about how I was going to be a community organizer in Chicago during my last two months at Princeton. One of the founding tenets of community organizing is that people have solutions to their problems. Community organizers serve as catalysts who create solutions-driven synergies between different stakeholders. Well, guess what? People have different, and at times divergent, agendas, biases, and fears. In response to high-profile violent incidents and the resulting, and at times divisive, community dialogue, the Center decided to form a task force to think strategically about how to make our neighborhood, Lakeview, safer and more inclusive for all.
That was the first major project I was to spearhead. 30 + 1:1 meetings and three confidential strategy sessions later, we launched the Lakeview Safety & Inclusion Coalition (LSIC). LSIC is a neighborhood-based coalition of residents, business owners, elected officials, clergy, vulnerable young adults, and social service providers. Forming it was surprisingly challenging. Maintaining its relevance and expanding its potential is even more daunting. But every challenge around LSIC has been a learning opportunity. Now that the summer months are over, LSIC is working quietly on strategic initiatives to make Lakeview better prepared for next summer.
2. Living fully takes deliberate practice. I certainly miss the convenience and proximity to opportunities that my beloved Princeton gave me. But I have to say that I adore the life I am leading - or more accurately, I love the challenges that my current life is throwing my way. Yes, I still have to deal with some anxieties. But my anxieties are not based on letter grades, papers, or problem sets. I find myself anxious about how to know that I am making a meaningful impact, how to be creative without overstepping the boundaries of my job, how to give voice to the visions that inspired me to come to Chicago -- really cool questions, don't you think?
Don't get me wrong, though. I work very hard in order to excel at what I do. Yes, I have had a lot of 60-hour weeks. But the cool thing is that when I leave this Center that I love so much, I can leave it behind. In fact, I choose to leave my work behind. Not only because I can but also because I must in order to take care of myself. That's often hard, especially for those of us who belong to the passionate kind. But boundaries are necessary. After work, I will usually go to the gym (2 blocks away) -- huh huh, professional gay = gym bunny; it's inevitable. And when it comes to food, ouuuh HONEY. The Center is attached to a Whole Foods. Trader Joe's is not far, and my neighborhood, Rogers Park, has phenomenal fresh markets. And when I get home, I know that some great, fresh food and some smooth vino is always on hand. Living fully, taking our time to enjoy whatever we are doing and/ or whoever we are with takes practice, deliberate practice. But trust me, it's totally worth it.
3. Chicago is just fabulous. Don't even get me started. Yes, it is an egregiously segregated city. And no one in AlumniCorps is immune to the ramifications of that segregation on their work and daily lives. But I am SO grateful that all the fellows are aware, and experience some discomfort with the depth of segregation in the city. Discomfort is important. It keeps us grateful for our privilege.
But Chicago... this city has SO much to offer. We just love to get it in and have a good time here. I love Lake Michigan so much. I don't know how many times I have biked along it, or just sat by it on many evenings this past summer. The food is just fabulous. Take my upcoming birthday for instance. Once I leave the Center after work, I'll be going to Happy Hour with the Ivy League and Sister Schools LGBT Alumni Association. Then, I'm going to a dinner party thrown by the Regional Coordinator for AlumniCorps in a fab space that overlooks the Lake and the Chicago River. And this weekend is going to be full of brunch, jazz, food, workouts, and the good life. Living the life of a professional gay in Chicago. Oooouuuhhh.
How is P55? Awesome.
What do I like most about it? The challenge it is giving me to do what I love and live fully.
Do I recommend it? Yes. Yes. And YES.
Go P55.
1. Community organizing is hard. I remember being very pretentious about how I was going to be a community organizer in Chicago during my last two months at Princeton. One of the founding tenets of community organizing is that people have solutions to their problems. Community organizers serve as catalysts who create solutions-driven synergies between different stakeholders. Well, guess what? People have different, and at times divergent, agendas, biases, and fears. In response to high-profile violent incidents and the resulting, and at times divisive, community dialogue, the Center decided to form a task force to think strategically about how to make our neighborhood, Lakeview, safer and more inclusive for all.
That was the first major project I was to spearhead. 30 + 1:1 meetings and three confidential strategy sessions later, we launched the Lakeview Safety & Inclusion Coalition (LSIC). LSIC is a neighborhood-based coalition of residents, business owners, elected officials, clergy, vulnerable young adults, and social service providers. Forming it was surprisingly challenging. Maintaining its relevance and expanding its potential is even more daunting. But every challenge around LSIC has been a learning opportunity. Now that the summer months are over, LSIC is working quietly on strategic initiatives to make Lakeview better prepared for next summer.
2. Living fully takes deliberate practice. I certainly miss the convenience and proximity to opportunities that my beloved Princeton gave me. But I have to say that I adore the life I am leading - or more accurately, I love the challenges that my current life is throwing my way. Yes, I still have to deal with some anxieties. But my anxieties are not based on letter grades, papers, or problem sets. I find myself anxious about how to know that I am making a meaningful impact, how to be creative without overstepping the boundaries of my job, how to give voice to the visions that inspired me to come to Chicago -- really cool questions, don't you think?
Don't get me wrong, though. I work very hard in order to excel at what I do. Yes, I have had a lot of 60-hour weeks. But the cool thing is that when I leave this Center that I love so much, I can leave it behind. In fact, I choose to leave my work behind. Not only because I can but also because I must in order to take care of myself. That's often hard, especially for those of us who belong to the passionate kind. But boundaries are necessary. After work, I will usually go to the gym (2 blocks away) -- huh huh, professional gay = gym bunny; it's inevitable. And when it comes to food, ouuuh HONEY. The Center is attached to a Whole Foods. Trader Joe's is not far, and my neighborhood, Rogers Park, has phenomenal fresh markets. And when I get home, I know that some great, fresh food and some smooth vino is always on hand. Living fully, taking our time to enjoy whatever we are doing and/ or whoever we are with takes practice, deliberate practice. But trust me, it's totally worth it.
3. Chicago is just fabulous. Don't even get me started. Yes, it is an egregiously segregated city. And no one in AlumniCorps is immune to the ramifications of that segregation on their work and daily lives. But I am SO grateful that all the fellows are aware, and experience some discomfort with the depth of segregation in the city. Discomfort is important. It keeps us grateful for our privilege.
But Chicago... this city has SO much to offer. We just love to get it in and have a good time here. I love Lake Michigan so much. I don't know how many times I have biked along it, or just sat by it on many evenings this past summer. The food is just fabulous. Take my upcoming birthday for instance. Once I leave the Center after work, I'll be going to Happy Hour with the Ivy League and Sister Schools LGBT Alumni Association. Then, I'm going to a dinner party thrown by the Regional Coordinator for AlumniCorps in a fab space that overlooks the Lake and the Chicago River. And this weekend is going to be full of brunch, jazz, food, workouts, and the good life. Living the life of a professional gay in Chicago. Oooouuuhhh.
How is P55? Awesome.
What do I like most about it? The challenge it is giving me to do what I love and live fully.
Do I recommend it? Yes. Yes. And YES.
Go P55.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
"Welcome to Philadelphia" AlumniCorps Dinner
Last night all the Philadelphia fellows got together for a dinner graciously organized and hosted by our Philadelphia area committee coordinator, Carol Rosenfeld '05. Following a delicious meal, we all watched the movie Waiting for Superman. The movie provided some thoughtful after dinner conversation on the state of America's schools. It was great to hear all the different perspectives from the other fellows on what can be done to reform our broken educational system. I am looking forward to many more exciting conversations and seminars throughout the fellowship year on this topic.
Gearing up for the Forum
September has been an interesting month at CEP. With less than a month to go before the National Forum on Character Education, everyone has abandoned their official job descriptions and has become support for Becky, who is in charge of coordinating the Forum. No more grants, no more research--it's all Forum, all the time! For me, this means that my job has gone from being a writing-intensive position to a very call-heavy position. Initially, this was a little difficult for me. I've never loved the phone, and making dozens and dozens of cold calls to organizations and schools in attempts to get them to come to the Forum was not something that made me particularly happy. However, I am now INFINITELY more confident with my phone skills than I was before, and it's very satisfying to find contract on my desk from an organization that I recruited to exhibit at the Forum. So, September has been an interesting month, and a month of growth for me as well.
In other news, the president of AlumniCorps, Dr. Leahy, and his wife Mrs. Leahy hosted a wonderful dinner last night for the fellows and our mentors. I was so impressed by their hospitality (they have hosted this event for seven years!!!), and it was really nice to be in a real house for the first time in over two months! Members of the DC Area Project 55 Committee gave us a little preview of the seminars that we'll get to go to over the next couple of months, and they seem like they'll be exactly what I need, as someone who is getting a clearer idea of what career I'd like to pursue but is still keeping an open mind. September will certainly not be the last interesting month here in DC!
In other news, the president of AlumniCorps, Dr. Leahy, and his wife Mrs. Leahy hosted a wonderful dinner last night for the fellows and our mentors. I was so impressed by their hospitality (they have hosted this event for seven years!!!), and it was really nice to be in a real house for the first time in over two months! Members of the DC Area Project 55 Committee gave us a little preview of the seminars that we'll get to go to over the next couple of months, and they seem like they'll be exactly what I need, as someone who is getting a clearer idea of what career I'd like to pursue but is still keeping an open mind. September will certainly not be the last interesting month here in DC!
First Month of Teaching
I am coming up on the end of my first month at the Community Day Charter Public School in Lawrence, MA and it has been amazing. I am a generalist teacher in the lower school, which basically means I teach across grade levels and subjects where most needed. Basically, reinforcements called in to help the kids that are struggling the most, so that I can do a lot of one-on-one and small group work. My job description changed a lot right off the bat, though, because the new fourth-grade math teacher quit on our second day of orientation. There are two teachers per classroom, one who specializes in English and the other in math. So, I ended up taking up a lot more responsibility in the classroom that was missing a math teacher, at least until a new teacher could be found. It took a while to hire someone after the start of the school year, but last week a new guy was found, so I will now return to being a generalist once he gets settled in.
The opportunity to work solely in one classroom was actually a great way to begin the year, because I was able to get to know the 24 students in room 4B very well. I will now have to learn many many more names of students, but I have learned a lot about teaching already from my first month, and I think I will be better equipped to handle my responsibilities. Once the hectic start of the year dies down I will start working on a nutrition project to prevent childhood obesity, and it has been very helpful to first get to know kids and the challenges facing their health. Many of the kids do not get fed well at home, their parents can't afford healthy food, and many are not even allowed outside when they get home because it is too dangerous. There will be a lot to work around to encourage healthy lifestyles, especially if parents aren't on board, and I think it is important to continue to learn as much as possible before claiming to have answers.
The school is simply incredible. It is in the lowest-income school district in Massachusetts and a huge percentage of students are designated "English Language Learners," which means they struggle with English yet are still expected to learn in an English-speaking classroom. Despite the obstacles, last years' MCAS standardized testing results just came back and the results are extraordinary. 4th grade English was 59 out of 944 schools in the state. Even more impressive, 5th grade math was 3rd in the state and 6th grade math was 1st. Pretty amazing place.
I am loving teaching. I came in 3rd place in 4B's rocks paper scissors tournament last week, hoping to get a championship under my belt in the coming weeks. Also started coaching flag football at the upper school, which is great. I have a lot to say about it but get the feeling this blog is rambling, so more next time.
The opportunity to work solely in one classroom was actually a great way to begin the year, because I was able to get to know the 24 students in room 4B very well. I will now have to learn many many more names of students, but I have learned a lot about teaching already from my first month, and I think I will be better equipped to handle my responsibilities. Once the hectic start of the year dies down I will start working on a nutrition project to prevent childhood obesity, and it has been very helpful to first get to know kids and the challenges facing their health. Many of the kids do not get fed well at home, their parents can't afford healthy food, and many are not even allowed outside when they get home because it is too dangerous. There will be a lot to work around to encourage healthy lifestyles, especially if parents aren't on board, and I think it is important to continue to learn as much as possible before claiming to have answers.
The school is simply incredible. It is in the lowest-income school district in Massachusetts and a huge percentage of students are designated "English Language Learners," which means they struggle with English yet are still expected to learn in an English-speaking classroom. Despite the obstacles, last years' MCAS standardized testing results just came back and the results are extraordinary. 4th grade English was 59 out of 944 schools in the state. Even more impressive, 5th grade math was 3rd in the state and 6th grade math was 1st. Pretty amazing place.
I am loving teaching. I came in 3rd place in 4B's rocks paper scissors tournament last week, hoping to get a championship under my belt in the coming weeks. Also started coaching flag football at the upper school, which is great. I have a lot to say about it but get the feeling this blog is rambling, so more next time.
How do you spell "adorable"?
While there are seven AppleTree Early Learning Public Charter Schools around Washington, DC, AppleTree's central offices are not actually located at any of the schools. Rather, our offices are in northeast DC next to Catholic University, so (unfortunately) I see priests more often than our adorable preschoolers. Thus, I was thrilled last week to be able to join a tour of three of the school campuses. We started at our Columbia Heights campus, which has been open for several years, and then took a bus to brand new sites in southeast and northeast DC that opened in the middle of August.
The classrooms were so beautifully decorated, and it was evident that the students were excited to be there (as were the teachers). At first glance, it might seem like separate "learn" and "play" times were distinct aspects of the day. In reality, the students are both constantly learning and having fun. In one classroom, a teacher was guiding students through a picture book about adding vegetables to soup; students took turns raising their hands to enthusiastically say that they were adding carrots or potatoes (or as one student broadly labeled it, "food!") to the bowl. In another classroom, students were prompted to draw healthy foods and were eager to share with us and each other their crayon portraits. The clarity of their language when talking to us was amazing; it was easy to forget that the girl talking about her three dogs or the boy who insisted on drawing a picture of me was only 3 or 4 years old. It made me wish learning and having fun were more closely intertwined even after pre-k and kindergarten (and apparently, the MIT Media Lab believes they can be).
The best part of the day, though, occurred when a 3-year-old girl, whom I had yet to visit at her table, walked up to me and gave me a big hug around my knees. My heart melted right there. All in all, it was an inspiring day that I hope to repeat soon!
The classrooms were so beautifully decorated, and it was evident that the students were excited to be there (as were the teachers). At first glance, it might seem like separate "learn" and "play" times were distinct aspects of the day. In reality, the students are both constantly learning and having fun. In one classroom, a teacher was guiding students through a picture book about adding vegetables to soup; students took turns raising their hands to enthusiastically say that they were adding carrots or potatoes (or as one student broadly labeled it, "food!") to the bowl. In another classroom, students were prompted to draw healthy foods and were eager to share with us and each other their crayon portraits. The clarity of their language when talking to us was amazing; it was easy to forget that the girl talking about her three dogs or the boy who insisted on drawing a picture of me was only 3 or 4 years old. It made me wish learning and having fun were more closely intertwined even after pre-k and kindergarten (and apparently, the MIT Media Lab believes they can be).
The best part of the day, though, occurred when a 3-year-old girl, whom I had yet to visit at her table, walked up to me and gave me a big hug around my knees. My heart melted right there. All in all, it was an inspiring day that I hope to repeat soon!
What Do You Wear to Work?
Hey Fellow Fellows,
I'm very curious to find out what all of your dress codes are like at work. Here at Achievement Prep it's "business casual" which means shirt and tie for guys, slacks / skirt / khakis and a top for ladies, or a super casual dress with a cardigan is apparently acceptable. I've also seen several returning staff members wearing sneakers. Casual, indeed.
So comment on this post and let the world know what you wear to work.
I'm very curious to find out what all of your dress codes are like at work. Here at Achievement Prep it's "business casual" which means shirt and tie for guys, slacks / skirt / khakis and a top for ladies, or a super casual dress with a cardigan is apparently acceptable. I've also seen several returning staff members wearing sneakers. Casual, indeed.
So comment on this post and let the world know what you wear to work.
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