BACK OF THE YARDS, FRONT

Fundraising PresentationBy:Ali HamzaArifa RizviKelsey ShawMettellus HolmesSukhmani SinghMrs. Fyfes Students: Why we should care

INTRODUTIONProject Name: We Love Science! Raising funds to acquire Science Kits for hands-on learning for Mrs. Cheryl Fyfes Pre-K Special Education at James Hedges ElementaryIssues: High-risk urban communities (poverty and crime) Special education (Learning Disabilities & Developmental Delays)Location: Southwest Chicago in Back of the Yards

CORNELL PARK SHOOTINGSeptember 19, 2013

CORNELL PARK REVISITED

Cornell Park Basketball Court 11/7/2014Cornell Park Basketball Court 09/19/2013A CLOSE CALLCornell Park less than half mile south of Hedges Elementary

New City ranks 20th among Chicago's 77 community areas for Violent crime reports in the last 30 days

5Heavily industrialized area that originally surrounded stockyards which flourished in Chicago from the 1860s to the 1960s. Populated by successive generations of immigrantsPer the 2010 U.S. census, population of New City/Back of the Yards was 44,377, a decline of 14% from 2000 census. Demographics: Largely Hispanic 57.2%, African-American 30%, White 10%Poverty rates New City and Back of the Yards: 30% Chicago as a whole: 22%.Cook County: 16% Illinois: 13.7%,

BACK OF THE YARDS

, Back of the Yards became one of the epicenters for the study of the post-industrial society and socio-economic degeneration of working-class neighborhoods that coincided with the decline of the meatpacking and other industries in Chicago during mid-to-late 20th century.

6We Love Science!

Helping Special Needs Students in Back of The Yards

Online charity makes it easy for anyone to help students in needPublic school teachers post classroom project funding requests Examine every classroom project requestpurchase and ship materials to school provide photos supply a cost reportDollars raised: $287,517,283Projects funded: 520,725Students helped: 13,197,547

About DonorsChoose.org

OUR PROJECT Goal: $256Current: $99AutismAutism Spectrum Disorder is a mental condition found in the early stages of life. Children with ASD vary from severely challenged (low-functioning) to extremely gifted (high-functioning).The Center for Disease Control estimated that in 2000 1 in every 150 children had ASD. In 2006 it increased 1 in 110 children had autism and the most recent study shows that in 2008 1 in every 88 children are autistic. Between 2002 and 2008 the prevalence increase by 78%.

Autism costs a family $3- $5 million to raise an autistic child.Behaviors:Avoiding Eye ContactDont like to be touchedNot showing interest in moving objectsNot noticing when someone points at something or tries to speak to themIssues with vocalization and speechKids with ASD tend to withdraw into their own world

autism

Case conducted by Autism SpeaksAssigned 32 children with autism, ages 4 to 8, to one of two groups for 10 weeks. Group 1: Standard speech and behavioral Group 2: Standard + Experimental and sensory integrationParents did not know which kids were in each groupResult: children in the sensory integration group scored significantly higher on attaining their goals. standardized tests showed that the children receiving sensory integration therapy required less assistance from their parents in self-care and social situations.

Why Science?Autisms symptoms - difficulty processing sensory informationtextures, sounds, smells, tastes, brightness and movement Ordinary situations overwhelmingMake these situations less overwhelmingMany students cannot speak in this classintegrating tools that stimulate senses is beneficial for these studentsChanging how sensations are processed by the brain helps children with autism make better sense of the information they receive and use it to better participate in everyday tasksGeneral levelWhy Science?Chicago public schoolsIn 2013, 50 CPS schools were closed for reasons of underperforming and others issues. (30,000 students affected, mainly African American)In 2013, over 2,000 staff were laid off, and earlier 2014 another 1,000 were also laid off due to falling enrollment and budgetary issuesIssues with teachers

Part of the CPSOne of only CPS schools with 2 different learning levels for students with learning disabilities: Special Education and Blended Education99% of students are from low-income familiesHigher-than-average teacher attendanceDiverse and dedicated teachers, innovative teaching modulesJAMES HEDGES ELEMENTARY

Joined Hedges this yearTeaches 2 classes, both Special EdLives in Brookflied, but prefers to come and work in a high-risk Chicago neighborhoodExtremely dedicated to her students, and protective, given their circumstances, VERY HARD to secure a meeting with her at the schoolDePaul Alumni

CHERYL FYFE

22 students in the class we have selected to supportPre-K students with various stages of Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Delays, only 4 students have speech-capabilitiesSome are children of parents that belong to gangs, parents not capable of providing financial or emotional supportThey want to learn, grow, and play just like all preschoolers. In order to learn most concepts to the best of their ability, it is necessary for them to have a variety of hands-on and visual materialsDue to lack of funding, she brings supplies from home and visits yard sales looking for games, teaching sets etc.Her STUDENTS

I just wanted to send you a quick email to thank you for such a pleasant visit. I hope it was worthwhile for your project, as I realize that I have a tendency to ramble. As college students, I am aware that having money to fund a project is not easy. Please don't worry yourself about the funding component. Maybe the awareness of these types of classrooms will spur one of your peers to become a great advocate for students such as mine. Best of luck on your project!A Message From Mrs. Fyfe !