Nov. 28/29, 2011 ~ This weekend 30 University students, faculty and staff travelled to East St. Louis for what might very well have been our last official ‘Outreach Weekend’ in East St. Louis. The group was comprised of students from three courses, Martin Wolske’s LIS 451 graduate students, Vicki Eddings’ FAA 291 group of undergrad students from across campus and Prof. Robert Hughes’ FAA 291 HCD group of Human and Community Development Freshmen students.

Upon arrival at Eagle’s Nest Martha Watts (founder and Executive Director) joined us and gave the students a wonderful overview of the Veterans shelter followed by a tour of the facility. Billie Turner soon joined us for her legendary ‘tour’ of East St. Louis where she treated the students to lots of stories and historical facts about her city.

After lunch the students were eager to begin their weekend projects at Pirtle's, Village Theatre and the Public Television Station. Patrick Hatch, ESLARP alum currently working as an auditor with HUD came to work with us for the weekend. It was fitting that he joined us this weekend as he has been with ESLARP almost since its inception.

Projects:

Village Theatre – Patrick and Bob Hughes took on the siding project which turned out to be much more than they bargained for. The two leaders, with assistance from Christina, and six undergrad students got right to work and before the weekend was over they had successfully accomplished their goal! The students learned new skills and made new friends – it was an excellent experience just to watch!

Pirtle’s – Pirtle’s is becoming a new favorite project spot for our students. The undergrad students worked with LIS grad students to install desks and vinyl flooring in both the new computer room and the ice cream store. They had a blast this weekend. Mr. Pirtle treated everyone to free ice cream and lots of positive feedback about their work.

Public Access Television Station – Friday, some of the FAA 291 students worked with LIS grads painting and preparing for a new computer lab. This project is a new venture and we’re looking forward to seeing the results of the LIS 451 students’ technical efforts.

ESLARP tool move – A few of the students volunteered (?) to help pack and clean up ESLARP’s tool shed in preparation for the move to Champaign. Although the work was dirty and sometimes heavy lifting was involved, they were great and hung in there with me as we went through all the tools and other things we had stockpiled over the years. By the end of Saturday the U-haul was packed with tools ready to be brought to their new home with Action Research.Illinois in Champaign . . . progress can be good but sad!


Many thanks to those who helped this weekend – you know who you are! I’m looking forward to all the new adventures in East Central Illinois.

Prosperity Garden

The second outreach weekend in Champaign was kicked off to a great start Saturday morning with a new group of students from both FAA and HDR classes working hard in the Prosperity Gardens on North First Street. Students began their morning by winterizing the vegetable garden, clearing the corn field, and trimming back the rain garden on the north side of the Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance building. Maintaining the growth of the rain garden keeps the plants healthy and adds to the aesthetics of the neighborhood. Before breaking for lunch, students got a head start on various tasks to prepare for the North First Street Halloween Extravaganza event for neighborhood children on Monday afternoon.

During the lunchtime cookout, everyone had an opportunity interact and get to know one another over some great barbeque and sports time in the park. The best part was that community members and neighborhood kids came out to join us in playing games and they referred to the college students as “the cool big kids.” It was great to see as many smiles on the students’ faces as there were on the kids’!

After lunch, our team continued preparing for the Extravaganza and started decorating the site by turning the scarecrows into mummies and carving pumpkins to set out. When we finished up turning the garden into a scary graveyard, we set out to help another team rake leaves at the home of an elderly couple who have made a great contribution in the community. Thanks to our team’s extra effort, everyone’s yard was finished as scheduled. AR.I and all of our community partners made this a great outreach weekend and a huge success!!!

October 2011 Outreach Weekend

Saturday morning got off to a cold start, but quickly turned into a beautiful day. My team got started bright and early and Shadow Wood. Our project was to paint the community center that the Library and Information Science students are working on turning into a computer lab. While our group was small, we were eager and quickly had the first coat up on the walls.

Lunch came at a perfect time because we had worked up quite an appetite. The community cookout was so much fun! We got to eat GREAT barbecue and mingle with the other students. The best part however, was getting to meet some community members and play football and soccer with some of the neighborhood kids. Seeing their reaction and excitement to have us around was extremely inspiring. The cookout came to an end and we went back to Shadow Wood to finish up painting.

By the end of the day Saturday, we were tired and covered in paint, but felt accomplished and inspired by the community and the people who are working to make it a better place. We were all very excited to be back, working in the Champaign-Urbana community. Can't wait to see what the future holds for AR.I!!

Welcome to AR.I in Action!! Formerly ESLARP in Action

Greetings!

I would like to welcome you to our new Blogspot Domain: http://ariinaction.blogspot.com

Action Research.Illinois (AR.I) is a public outreach program that works with partners across the State of Illinois, with a particular focus in East Central Illinois Communities.

AR.I maintains an on-going program of sustained engagement with community partners and public agencies, addressing social justice, human and environmental sustainability, and development in distressed areas and with marginalized populations through service learning and action research.

Together with residents and community organizations in severely distressed areas of Illinois, faculty, staff and students from across the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign endeavor to work on highly tangible and visible projects that address immediate and long-term needs.

Action Research.Illinois acts as an umbrella organization to support and sustain these vital University of Illinois projects:
~The East St. Louis Action Research Project (ESLARP)
~ILLINOIS Global Action Research (IGAR)
~Citizens Air Quality Project (CAP)
~Courses

Available Funding:
~Seed Grants for Course Development 2011
~Faculty Mentor Program 2011


Please see our website for more information: http://www.actionresearch.illinois.edu

Pirtle's Community Technology Center

When we started on our East St. Louis adventure on Friday morning, we were tired but excited to start the weekend! We arrived in East St. Louis and were greeted by Billy, our beloved tour guide. We went on a tour of East St. Louis, then gathered at Eagle’s Nest to eat a delicious lunch. We were introduced to Amy Funk, who told us all about the clean air initiative.

After an eventful and educational morning, we all separated into our groups and headed to our work sites. Our group spent the weekend at Pirtle’s. Our task was to paint the new community technology center that is in the process of being built. We had no idea the work that was cut out for us when we started on Friday, and feared that we would not be able to get the room cleaned and the walls painted come Saturday afternoon. However, with the commitment and determination of the FAA 291 students on site, we were able to complete the task.

We were sweetly rewarded after the weekend with Mr. Pirtle’s infamous ice cream. As we all loaded the bus to head back to Champaign on Saturday we were exhausted, but had an incredible feeling of accomplishment. East St. Louis and it’s residents are always so kind to us and we love the time we get to spend there!

Audrey Sanders House

6 students in FAA 291 spent the weekend completing an ADA accessible wheelchair ramp at Audrey Sanders house in East St. Louis. Audrey Sanders fosters children with both physical and mental disabilities; giving them attention and love, and caring for them when their own families have rejected them. This ramp will allow Audrey to easily move the children in and out of the house.

Specifically our team completed the ramp by attaching the few remaining spindles to the railing. The students were given the opportunity learn how to use tools such as a circular saw, and a drill.



The team also dug holes and poured concrete, repairing a fallen chain link fence. In fixing the fence, the children will have a safer area to play in outside.

ARCH 572 Students Document Sites in East St. Louis

Professor Dearborn introduces students to the site.

Twelve students from Professor Dearborn’s ARCH 572 Studio visited E. St. Louis as part of the Sept 9^th-10^th Outreach Weekend to analyze two neighborhoods for a semester-long research project exploring development strategies in Winstanley-Industry Park and Olivette Park. After lunch on Friday the ARCH 572 Studio discussed air pollution with Amy Funk of ESLARP’s Citizens Air Quality Project before departing on our tour of the two neighborhoods led by Leverne Backstrom. Students were exposed to key locations and historical facts of both neighborhoods as a portion of our detailed analysis for development studies. On Saturday the students documented two potential development sites in Winstanley-Industry Park and one in Olivette Park. While on site, the students were able to meet with some neighborhood residents and make contacts for future neighborhood meetings where residents can provide feedback, a crucial step of the design process, for the designs that will be created by the class.

Urban Agriculture in North Champaign

Students weeding the corn field

Happily moving mulch

For the first time, Illinois Action Research brought students in FAA 291 to volunteer in our own backyard of Champaign. Twenty students worked in the Prosperity Gardens, located on North First Street, near downtown Champaign. On Friday and Saturday students weeded, mulched, regraded, and re-soiled planting beds in the gardens and the introductory corn field across the street. The vegetables grown in the garden are sold at the North First Street Farmers Market and those proceeds are invested into local food justice programing, such as agriculture and nutrition education programs with local youth.

Prepping a space for future composting

Prepping the vegetable beds for winter

On Saturday students also weeded the rain garden on the north side of the Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance building. The rain garden is a great environmentally conscientious method to control runoff and prevent flooding of storm water systems, while using plants to filter pollutants from the water as it enters the ground. After lunch students examined the Bone Yard redevelopment area to better understand the plan for connecting north and downtown Champaign to campus town. The successful weekend ended in the building of four scarecrows to be used to deter groundhogs and other animals from the vegetable and rain gardens. IAR hopes to continue working with Prosperity Gardens as we continue to engage in community projects in Central Illinois!

One of many garter snakes seen on Friday

The bull frog that lives in the rain garden

41st Street

Friday morning came early and the students gathered outside of Temple Hoyne Buell Hall eager for a weekend of work. We hit the road and began our journey to East St. Louis.

Just outside of East St. Louis we stopped at Cahokia Mounds and took some time to learn about the rich history of the area. We climbed to the top of the tallest mound and were able to see a great view of the St. Louis. The view was beautiful!

After spending some time at Cahokia Mounds, we headed into East St. Louis and gathered at Eagle’s Nest for a delicious Fish Fry! After lunch my group and I headed to 41^st Street/Pullman Porter Park. On the last outreach weekend we had painted a new sign for the park, and this weekend we were going to be putting that sign on the ground and cleaning up the park to get it ready for the spring season.

The group was eager to get started, so we didn’t waste any time. We got right to it pulling weeds, raking leaves, cutting bushes, and picking up trash. By the end of the day on Friday the park was starting to look much better and more alive. After a full day, we went out, as a group, to dinner. Over dinner each group took turns talking about the work that was done that day. Friday night ended with a trip into St. Louis so that we could go to the City Museum.

Saturday morning came and we started with a tour of East St. Louis, which was lead by our community liaison, Billie Turner. We drove all over the city learning about its history and resilience over the years. It was great to get to see the city through Billie’s eyes.

After the tour, we went back to our respective work areas. We continued cleaning up the park and hung the sign. At the end of the day, we went to Pirtle’s Ice Cream shop and enjoyed a delicious treat before heading back to Champaign.

We ended Saturday night back where we had start at Temple Hoyne Buell Hall. We all worked very hard all weekend and accomplished so much. The park looked great and ready for visitors!

Preparing for Computers at Jones Park Community Center

We're picking up steam getting the Jones Park Community Center ready for a new computer lab. On April 1st and 2nd UP291 students joined forces with LIS451 students to assemble, prime, and paint 12 computer desks.

Saturday afternoon a group began replacing baseboard trim around the building, starting in the main entryway. Getting some of the old trim off turned out to be quite a challenge, but we were pleased with the results as the aging green trim was replaced with the new black trim. We look forward to future outreach weekends when we can get the rest of the trim replaced.


LIS451 students returned to East St. Louis on April 8 & 9 to continue preparations and to do a wireless survey in advance of a wireless network design proposal for the park. At a minimum, we need to find a way to get the broadband available at the Administrative building over to the Community Center. But we're also looking into whether one or more wireless hotspots might be created within the park for resident use. The final plan will be presented to the park district on our last visit April 29th and 30th.

No trip is complete without a stop at Pirtle's. On the 9th that stop not only included our getting some ice cream, but also in our adding two computers to the public access lab at the shop.

Keeping it F.R.E.S.H.

Students volunteering with the East Side Health District did some outstanding work to help get the F.R.E.S.H. (Foods Raised at East Side Health) Community Teaching Garden prepared for the inaugural season's vegetables and flowers over the weekend.

One student group built twelve raised beds in which community members will be able to plant vegetables for a source of fresh produce. A few students and two community members worked diligently to go from this...













To twelve completed beds!













Another group worked hard at preparing the soil for flower beds to mark the entry to the community garden and welcome community members inside.














This involved unearthing many interesting artifacts, including a Pepsi can from 1973, giant roots, and unwieldy chunks of concrete.




















Thanks to the students for making this work weekend a success!

April 1st-2nd at Jones Park Greenhouse

We’ve learned a lot and accomplished a lot in this outreach weekend. On Friday afternoon of April 1, we worked in the greenhouse. Three of us helped to paint the table legs, while two of us used boxes to cover the ground to stop weeds from growing in a more sustainable way. See how hard our students were working:

Figure 1 Students painting table legs

Figure 2 Student working underneath a table to over the ground with boxes

On Saturday morning, we had a tour around East St. Louis, which was a routine but excellent experience for students who first came to ESL. Even those who have been to ESL could always learn something new from the tour. Students raised a lot of interesting questions during the tour.

In the afternoon, we went back to the greenhouse and two more students joined us. We did something outside, which is to paint speed bumps! We split into two groups to work more efficiently. At the end of the day, we painted 10 speed bumps or even more we could found in that area. See how these speed bumps were painted:

Figure 3 We first cleaned up dirt and trashes around speed bumps

Figure 4 Then we painted the first half of the speed bump to let vehicles go over

Figure 5 Then we go to a second speed bump, painting half of it

Figure 6 When the first half of the first bump is dry, we come back to the first speed bump to paint the second half.

Pirtle’s is our last stop for this outreach weekend. The ice cream is great reward for our students’ hard work.

On Friday April 1^st students left UIUC campus bright and early to make their way down to East St Louis. We stopped at Cahokia to stretch our legs on a quick hike up Monks Mound and learn about the civilizations that occupied the area hundreds of years ago. After lunch and a tour at the Joseph Center a group of students were led around the Metro East area on a “Toxic Tour” led by Kathy Andria of the American Bottoms Conservancy. Students got an up-close glimpse at the environmental problems that are facing communities in industrial areas in the region, including Sauget, Granite City, and Pontoon Beach. Kathy’s comprehensive knowledge of the issues and passion for her work engaged the students, who had a lot of good questions and ideas for work projects and educational endeavors that could help the area. Central to the environmental concern in the area is the fact that the industrial area is in the Mississippi River floodplain, much of it is directly adjacent to weakened levies. Students also learned that residents of Granite City contend with air quality that ranks among the worst in the whole country.

On Saturday we spent the day high up on ladders, painting the new siding at Opal’s House, a home for victims of domestic abuse. The fresh coat of paint was the finishing touch on a weekend of landscaping, planting, and general maintenance to make the house as comfortable and welcoming as possible for its residents.

A stop at Pirtle’s Ice Cream Shop was just the thing after a day of hard work outside.

FAA 391 students learn about housing with EPDC and beautify landscapes with Eagle's Nest

FAA 391 students started their outreach weekend activities with a Friday tour and discussion of housing development in East St. Louis with Jason Carbone of Emerson Park Development Corporation. The housing tour educated students on importance of creating quality housing, and the challenges of housing development in East St. Louis.

On Saturday, students worked with Eagle's Nest residents to plan, design, and plant landscaping around the parking lot entrance of Joseph Center. This was a continuation of the work FAA 391 students did in the Fall 2010 semester by digging a small koi fish pond at Joseph Center. The fish pond created a relaxing space for the men to enjoy, but residents felt that additions of color and more plants would improve the environment even more. Students worked side by side with residents of the shelter to plant flowering shrubs, evergreens, and seasonal flowers around the pond and the building. The plants should offer color and texture year round.

February 25-26 Outreach Weekend

Friday morning came and the students filed into Temple Hoyne Buell Hall. While cold out, people’s excitement was warming. Everyone was divided into their groups and loaded onto their buses. The journey to East St. Louis had begun.

When we arrived in East St. Louis we were greeted by our community liaison Billie Turner. Billie showed us all around the city and told us all about it’s history. It was amazing to learn about a community that had been through so much, and be so resilient. After the tour, we went to Eagle’s Nest for a fish fry. The food was delicious and everyone was given time to get to know one another.

After lunch we went to our respective work sites. I was working on the 41^st/Pullman Porter Park project, painting a new sign for the park. The first day we arrived at Willie’s and learned all about her, the park’s history and how our work here would affect her community. After that, we got right to work. We sawed the piece of plywood down to size and then began tracing the poster onto it. The rest of our time was spent painting the park sign. We got the base coat done by dinnertime on Friday.

After a full day, we went out, as a group, to dinner. Over dinner each group took turns talking about the work that was done that day. Friday night ended with a fabulous variety show at the Village Theatre.

Saturday morning came, and everyone seemed just as excited as they had been the day before. Our group spent all of Saturday finishing the details and making final touches. We finished mid-afternoon on the sign, and it was beautiful. We ended our day at Pirtle’s Ice Cream Shop before heading home. It was delicious!

I had a wonderful group of students who were passionate and inspired by Willie, her story, and East St. Louis. They worked hard to paint a beautiful sign and I could not be more proud of them. We all came to East St. Louis eager to make it a better place – and in return, East St. Louis made us better people.

Feb 2011 Outreach Weekend at Jones Park Community Center

Our group— five FAA 291 students and I worked at Jones Park Community Center. On Friday, we helped our community partner paint the floor of the center. It took us about two hours to tape the trim and finish painting the floor.

On Saturday, we set up the dinning room for the ESLARP team lunch. Our students moved about 14 tables and 90 chairs from the storage room to the dinning, cleaned those tables and chairs and set up the kitchen for pizza and fruits to serve. We also decorated the community center with lights, trees, flags and welcome signs, etc., making it as welcoming as possible. After lunch, we helped to clear lunch trash and clean the dining room and the kitchen.

Finally we mopped the floor, including the rest rooms. Our group had worked hard and did a nice job eventually.

----By Yushu Zhu