May 21, 2012

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Drake Students to Hold 1st Annual Nutrition Fair

April 29, 2012 By

The OAV group at Drake Elementary School in Chicago will hold their first annual Nutrition Fair on June 1st at noon.

After participating in the OAV Summit on May 4, the 7th grade students at Drake will host a nutrition fair to help promote healthy living in the hopes of helping individuals live healthier longer lives so they can impact the community. The theme of the nutrition fair is “Get your health intact and make an impact.”

Drake students have worked throughout the program on the issue of nutrition and its role in the Bronzeville neighborhood in which they live. Known as a “food desert”, there is a shortage of available fresh foods throughout Bronzeville, and the negative impact of poor nutrition is felt throughout the community.
The First Annual Nutrition Fair will  be held at Drake Elementary School, 2722 S. King Drive, Chicago IL 60616.

Filed Under: News

OAV Receives McCormick Grant

December 12, 2011 By

CHICAGO, DEC 2, 2011: The Barat Education Foundation is pleased to announce that its application for grant support from the Robert R. McCormick Foundation has been approved.

 

The McCormick Foundation and BEF will be able to provide support for the Our American Voice program in several Chicago Public Schools for the 2011-12 school year. Together with Centers for New Horizons and LULAC (the League of United Latin American Citizens), Our American Voice will be offered at traditionally underserved schools in the Chicago Public Schools, with concentrations on African-American and Latin American students.

 

“We’re thrilled that the McCormick Foundation has selected us to help students in challenged neighborhoods and communities learn and experience firsthand that they indeed have the power to create positive change,” said BEF CEO/Chair Sheila A. Smith. “Past experience has shown us how much middle schoolers benefit from the experiential learning, and we have a real opportunity to show these participants what democracy really means in their everyday lives, in a way they would likely otherwise never experience.”

Our American Voice connects middle-school students to the democratic process through active community problem solving in an after-school program that is engaging, interactive and grounded in real life.

The program emphasizes critical thinking skills as students learn the fundamentals of American democracy and work to create positive change in their communities. Via the four Core Principles, students engage in team activities, discussions and research, and partner with community agencies and elected officials to find solutions to issues in their own backyards. More information is available at ouramericanvoice.org.

Filed Under: News

CNH, BEF partner again on OAV

November 22, 2011 By

Our American Voice is pleased to again be partnering with Centers for New Horizons to bring Our American Voice back to Bronzeville. Centers’ staff will facilitate OAV groups at Drake Elementary and Wells Preparatory Elementary Schools in Chicago.

Drake and Wells also participated in OAV during the 2009-2010 cycle, also under the auspices of Centers for New Horizons. We are grateful for this renewed partnership and we look forward to successful and fulfilling work with our Drake and Wells facilitators and participants.

Filed Under: News

OAV gets a new online look

August 15, 2011 By

The OAV website has taken on a new appearance to reflect new and enhanced online resources and capacity. In addition to the new logo and look, the facilities available to participants and facilitators have enhanced collaboration and networking capabilities, giving Our American Voice its own social media platform and online knowledge base that participants can build and update themselves.

Check back for an online tour of our new enhancements!

Filed Under: News

Team Day 2011

March 11, 2011 By

Team Day at Melzer

Team Day was held at Melzer Elementary on February 11th.  OAV participants had an opportunity to work together with participants from other OAV sites as they worked on problem solving and communication skills.  Check out the highlights of the day.

 

Filed Under: News