Hello, I just want to share that I too concur that not having public
transportation hurts those who are least equipped to speak out. A couple of voices we won't be hearing from in main media outlets are our teenagers. I work for Volunteers of America Senior Services and we do programming with a few MPS schools through the "Elders and Youth in Education", program which is funded by United Way. One of the schools that I am working with, VOA Alternative Middle School, South Minneapolis, can not afford after school bussing. Students taking any after school programming are given bus tokens. VOA Middle School is 98% students of color and are from families of low = income. Through a grant with the Wells Fargo Community we have been able to offer a really cool after school opportunity for kids to learn quilting. We have been able to secure Mrs.Wilma Gary, an African American quilt and textile artist, to work with our kids. Mrs. Gary has been teaching the kids how to quilt and helping them create an original "nine patch" quilt. The theme of this project is the Underground Railroad and how Quilt Codes were used by slaves to escape to freedom. Mrs. Gary has been researching this subject for over 30 years and comes from a long line of quilters. Her great Uncle was a slave and she used to quilt with him when she was a child. She shares her many stories and wisdom with the teenagers. Mrs. Gary has also brought two other older women with her to quilt with the kids. One, Mrs. Bertha Carrington, also quilts with Sabanthi Elders Quilting group quilting. I love watching the generations working together! The learning doesn't stop there... Mrs. Gary has also brought in a man who grew-up in West Africa with the student information about African culture, African textile, and of all things, ties in self-esteem, and it works. He has his PhD and teaches at the University of Minnesota. The kids are really being exposed to a some wonderful learning opportunities and great relationship building between the generations. Our group has really been great, well-behaved and half of our kids are = teenage boys! All kids of color. Each child has chosen a Quilt Code, made a poster that explains their code, and will share what they've learned with their family and school in a celebration scheduled in April. The project has been very informative, fun and rewarding on many levels for all of us. We've learned a lot. Tomorrow, Tuesday, was suppose to be our wrap up day, do a group reflection, take some more pictures, last chance to meet as a complete group, have pizza together. And it is not going to happen. The kids in this after school program use mass transit for their rides home. Oh, I can probably catch them during their 1/2 lunch hour and we'll wrap things up, but the momentum has definitely come to a screeching halt. Here's the kicker, one of the sweetest boys attending our after school program, very shy, will no longer be attending this MPS alternative school. You see, he lives in Eden Prairie and takes THREE BUSSES each day to come to school. He's back at school in Eden Prairie. A couple of week's ago, one of the students came up to me and told me that the only reason she came to school today was because of the quilt project. Let's not forget who all gets hurt in the process. Robin Halloum Hiawatha Neighborhood REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
