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.