Service Learning, Leadership and Technology - A Way Kids Can Lead

On my http://tutormentor.blogspot.com blog I've inserted graphics to illustrate ideas, the way an editorial cartoon artist does this in traditional media. I'm not an artist, but I think the graphics illustrate my ideas.

The graphic on this page illustrates an idea that I think would be a powerful learning tool that teachers could integrate into school all over the country. In this graphic I've mapped stories that appeared in the Chicago SunTimes on Friday, June 29 and Monday, July 2. If you'd like to view this graphic on the original concept map, click here.

All of these stories are related, but you don't find any strategy in the editorial or commentary sections of the paper attempting to draw this relationship. Let me provide some examples.

On page 22 and 23 two full pages are devoted to showing the deplorable living conditions in some mixed income rental units near the Cabrini-Green neighborhood of Chicago. This is where millions of dollars are being invested in building mixed income buildings to take place of traditional public housing. On page 21 and page 7 there are two stories about 13 year old and 17 year old kids being shot and killed. One gunman is described as "a nice kid" who got forced into gang life when he moved into the city. However, one of the kids that was killed lived in Evanston, just North of Chicago, so this is not just a city problem.

Another article talked about the Supreme Court decision to ban race based policies for segregating schools and providing equal learning opportunities for minority kids.

Each of these points out that Chicago has some sever race and poverty problems that need to be fixed.

There were three other articles in the June 29th paper. One talked about how Senators Obama and Clinton are courting the Black vote as the run for election. Another talked about how Wal Mart is building new stores in the city. Another told how Leonardo DiCaprio and friends are organizing concerts to draw attention to environmental issues of inner city neighborhoods. I wonder if he's pointing his frends to the article on page 22 and 23 of the June, 29th SunTimes. Living in poverty and living in buildings where "we can't let little kids in the hallways unattended because we don't know what they'll run into" seems like an environmental hazard to me.

What if teams of students in inner city and affluent neighborhoods had created this map instead of me. What if they were reading these articles and discussing how life is different for affluent students and students living in inner city poverty. What if they connected to story about Wal Mart and DICaprio and launched a campaign to get WalMart and clebrities like DiCabrio to raise money for tutor/mentor programs in inner city neighborhoods?

What if these students were asking people who want to be President, or Senator, or Governor, or Mayor, to tell them what they are doing to connect those who can help (business, clebrities, rich people, volunteers, etc.) with tutor/mentor programs and other places working to create learning and mentoring opportunities that can compete against gangs for youth involvement and loyalty.

This idea can be spread through forums like Classroom 2.0. If youth are mapping stories in Detroit, New York, London, Manchester, Bombey, Hong Kong, Sydney, Los Angeles and other big cities, the web pages of each student team would become a meeting place for youth and adults who want to end poverty by creating strategies of support that reach kids in all places, and constantly improve in the types of services and learning opportunities they provide.

This won't happen until our leaders in business, government, entertainment, and media become more consistent in their own support.

If you know of school groups who are already mapping and discussing the news in this way, please post information in this blog so we all know about them.