Projects
Current Projects:
Druid Hill Community Block Party:
Druid Heights Community Block Party: CCI and Druid Heights Community Center (DHCC) are teaming together to throw a Back-to-School Block Party on August 29th, 2015 from 11 am – 2pm on Division and Robert Street. The activities at the block party are going to focus on education, a self-care (taking care of one’s self mentally and physically) resource fair, and uniting a community. For each theme there will be a specific event, but collectively all promote the importance of education, safety, and working together.
Education: CCI and DHCC are working to coordinate one of our biggest and most important endeavors: a school supplies drive for the students in the Druid Heights area. Our big hearts and ambitious attitudes are hoping to fill as many backpacks with notebooks, paper, pencils, pens, and other grade specific school supplies, (i.e., calculators, rulers, protractors, crayons, and reading material). We are currently in the process of finding companies and donors support us in helping students prepare for the upcoming school year. Providing school resources for youth is creating opportunities for students to succeed. If you are interested in helping us with this project, please visit our contact page. We welcome any assistance and resources with open arms and a gracious heart.
Self Care Resource Fair: A school supply drive is not the only event celebrating the upcoming school year. Our resource fair will feature organizations and activities that revolve around the importance of taking care of one’s self. Audre Lorde said, “self care is an act of self-preservation.” As students studying psychology, we understand how crucial self-care is. Because of this, we try our best to talk about and honor this practice of self-preservation as often as possible, but especially when it is needed. The recent events inspired our interest in working with others to learn and explore different ways of initiating self-care. The self-care resource fair is planning to host organizations that can provide community resources, health screenings, medical information, and educational material on a wide variety of topics. We are hopeful, and we are diligently working to provide services and resources such as: haircuts, medical screenings, nutritionists, massages, meditation, play time with therapy dogs, religious leaders, a resume building/job preparedness work station, information for students and parents about after-school programs, facilitated open discussions with youth about the excitement and worries of a new school year, a free library, voters registration, senior services and much more.
Uniting a Community: Residents of Druid Heights, councilmen, teachers, police officers, and community leaders, get ready – there’s going to be a basketball tournament for you, your neighbors, friends, and family to play in or watch! A team of four (three players, one substitute) will be compiled randomly from the list of people who sign up. You may be playing against your sister or the district’s councilman could be your point guard. This is an opportunity for neighborhoods to come together and play for and cheer on one thing: community. The teams will be mixed, so all spectators and participants of the basketball tournament will ultimately be passing to, defending, protecting and rooting for one common person - a fellow Baltimorean.
*Please sign up on our Contact Us page if you're interested in playing by August 20th. Teams and tournament prizes will be announced at 11:15, tip off at 12 and a championship game around 3.
While those three events are going to be the “main attractions,” of the CCI/DHCC Back to School Block Party, a block party would not be complete without food, DJs, open mic/poetry slams, steppers, marching bands, art projects, face painting, and a moon bounce. There is more, but we cannot give it all away!
Mural and Community Garden Project:
CCI is partnering with a local artist and DHCC summer camp to create a collaborative and interactive mural to be painted in the Druid Heights neighborhood. This mural is meant to combine art made by the youth of Druid Heights with a design celebrating education, community and self-care. Underneath the mural there is a plan to plant flowers and create a neighborhood vegetable garden. With this mural we hope to highlight the importance of recognizing the talents and work of our youth, supporting local artists, and community collaboration. Caring for a community resource, like a neighborhood garden, demonstrates the beneficence of cultivating a nurturing environment and encourages responsibility, growth and teamwork. A mural unveiling will take place in the Fall!
(Hopefully Near) Future Projects:
From Mentee to Mentor:
One of our long term goals is to create a school mentorship program. The idea is for teachers and school administration to identify leaders in their school to be a part of a "From Mentee to Mentor" program. Students will work with university students to strengthen and develop leadership skills. This is a chance for youth to be effective and resourceful mentors to fellow peers in their schools and communities. Ideally, the mentor will learn how to effectively facilitate open discussions, intervene safely in times of conflict, and encourage the importance of community, respect, and advocacy. The structure of this program provides youth an opportunity to use their voice and ability to cultivate a community built from within and on a foundation of inclusivity, empowerment, and opportunity. Recognizing respected peers and community leaders as a source of motivation increases the chances that others in the same community will follow their example. Watching individuals with a similar background accomplish their goals reinforces the idea that it is possible for them to flourish and thrive.
Facilitate Open Discussions:
Many youth, educators, and caregivers have expressed a need and want for students as early as the third grade to have an opportunity to openly and safely debrief and discuss not only current neighborhood events, but also the impact it has on them emotionally and mentally. An interest in facilitating interactive peer-to-peer conversations has been expressed.These conversations will allow the youth a chance to lead a discussion about what they feel is most crucial, nerve-wracking, and upsetting without so much direction that it becomes a distraction or detour from their most important concerns. Our aim revolves around mending the gap between truth and misconceptions. Hosting discussions will demonstrate how vital talking openly, using the support of others, and processing experiences is to maintain our mental health. These conversations also de-stigmatize fears and uncertainty surrounded around asking for and using mental health resources.
Druid Hill Community Block Party:
Druid Heights Community Block Party: CCI and Druid Heights Community Center (DHCC) are teaming together to throw a Back-to-School Block Party on August 29th, 2015 from 11 am – 2pm on Division and Robert Street. The activities at the block party are going to focus on education, a self-care (taking care of one’s self mentally and physically) resource fair, and uniting a community. For each theme there will be a specific event, but collectively all promote the importance of education, safety, and working together.
Education: CCI and DHCC are working to coordinate one of our biggest and most important endeavors: a school supplies drive for the students in the Druid Heights area. Our big hearts and ambitious attitudes are hoping to fill as many backpacks with notebooks, paper, pencils, pens, and other grade specific school supplies, (i.e., calculators, rulers, protractors, crayons, and reading material). We are currently in the process of finding companies and donors support us in helping students prepare for the upcoming school year. Providing school resources for youth is creating opportunities for students to succeed. If you are interested in helping us with this project, please visit our contact page. We welcome any assistance and resources with open arms and a gracious heart.
Self Care Resource Fair: A school supply drive is not the only event celebrating the upcoming school year. Our resource fair will feature organizations and activities that revolve around the importance of taking care of one’s self. Audre Lorde said, “self care is an act of self-preservation.” As students studying psychology, we understand how crucial self-care is. Because of this, we try our best to talk about and honor this practice of self-preservation as often as possible, but especially when it is needed. The recent events inspired our interest in working with others to learn and explore different ways of initiating self-care. The self-care resource fair is planning to host organizations that can provide community resources, health screenings, medical information, and educational material on a wide variety of topics. We are hopeful, and we are diligently working to provide services and resources such as: haircuts, medical screenings, nutritionists, massages, meditation, play time with therapy dogs, religious leaders, a resume building/job preparedness work station, information for students and parents about after-school programs, facilitated open discussions with youth about the excitement and worries of a new school year, a free library, voters registration, senior services and much more.
Uniting a Community: Residents of Druid Heights, councilmen, teachers, police officers, and community leaders, get ready – there’s going to be a basketball tournament for you, your neighbors, friends, and family to play in or watch! A team of four (three players, one substitute) will be compiled randomly from the list of people who sign up. You may be playing against your sister or the district’s councilman could be your point guard. This is an opportunity for neighborhoods to come together and play for and cheer on one thing: community. The teams will be mixed, so all spectators and participants of the basketball tournament will ultimately be passing to, defending, protecting and rooting for one common person - a fellow Baltimorean.
*Please sign up on our Contact Us page if you're interested in playing by August 20th. Teams and tournament prizes will be announced at 11:15, tip off at 12 and a championship game around 3.
While those three events are going to be the “main attractions,” of the CCI/DHCC Back to School Block Party, a block party would not be complete without food, DJs, open mic/poetry slams, steppers, marching bands, art projects, face painting, and a moon bounce. There is more, but we cannot give it all away!
Mural and Community Garden Project:
CCI is partnering with a local artist and DHCC summer camp to create a collaborative and interactive mural to be painted in the Druid Heights neighborhood. This mural is meant to combine art made by the youth of Druid Heights with a design celebrating education, community and self-care. Underneath the mural there is a plan to plant flowers and create a neighborhood vegetable garden. With this mural we hope to highlight the importance of recognizing the talents and work of our youth, supporting local artists, and community collaboration. Caring for a community resource, like a neighborhood garden, demonstrates the beneficence of cultivating a nurturing environment and encourages responsibility, growth and teamwork. A mural unveiling will take place in the Fall!
(Hopefully Near) Future Projects:
From Mentee to Mentor:
One of our long term goals is to create a school mentorship program. The idea is for teachers and school administration to identify leaders in their school to be a part of a "From Mentee to Mentor" program. Students will work with university students to strengthen and develop leadership skills. This is a chance for youth to be effective and resourceful mentors to fellow peers in their schools and communities. Ideally, the mentor will learn how to effectively facilitate open discussions, intervene safely in times of conflict, and encourage the importance of community, respect, and advocacy. The structure of this program provides youth an opportunity to use their voice and ability to cultivate a community built from within and on a foundation of inclusivity, empowerment, and opportunity. Recognizing respected peers and community leaders as a source of motivation increases the chances that others in the same community will follow their example. Watching individuals with a similar background accomplish their goals reinforces the idea that it is possible for them to flourish and thrive.
Facilitate Open Discussions:
Many youth, educators, and caregivers have expressed a need and want for students as early as the third grade to have an opportunity to openly and safely debrief and discuss not only current neighborhood events, but also the impact it has on them emotionally and mentally. An interest in facilitating interactive peer-to-peer conversations has been expressed.These conversations will allow the youth a chance to lead a discussion about what they feel is most crucial, nerve-wracking, and upsetting without so much direction that it becomes a distraction or detour from their most important concerns. Our aim revolves around mending the gap between truth and misconceptions. Hosting discussions will demonstrate how vital talking openly, using the support of others, and processing experiences is to maintain our mental health. These conversations also de-stigmatize fears and uncertainty surrounded around asking for and using mental health resources.