It's bright and early here at Project 43 and UNITE members are already gathered in a large 45 person circle. Everyone is zeroed in on Rudy Arroyo, a supervisor at Ceasefire Chicago in Little Village, who is engaging participants by sharing stories about violence prevention, how gang life can influence the dropout rate in Chicago, and how we as teachers can make an impact.
Ceasefire is an organization that works with communities to stop the shooting. Rudy explains, "Our job is to keep individuals busy who may be in a gang. Whether that means talking with them for a few minutes, which may turn into a three to four hour conversation, or taking them to dinner...either way it is keeping them off of the streets." So how can teachers do the same?
Many people come in and out of the lives of young people but a teacher spends more time with a child than most. Rudy says, "Teachers can be the roadblock for a student considering entering a gang. Teachers need to be the inspiration to rise above gang involvement or gang influence. If you can't become someone in their life that is a pillar...something a child can aspire to become...you need to rethink your profession."
To all participants and all teachers:
Give each child a fair opportunity. Care about every individual student's life. Don't label them. Challenge their thinking. Do not let them fail. Excuses? There are none. No matter what your students are facing, be their inspiration.
http://www.ceasefirechicago.org/
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