Woodrow Wilson High School in Los Angeles, California

Within the past few years, aided by the decline of the economy, there have been a growing number of food deserts across America. This has become a serious issue in the fight to provide adequate nutrition to many children and families.  School Spotlight salutes Woodrow Wilson High School in the El Sereno neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, for its role in working to eliminate this food deficit in their community to help make a difference. (To read the original Los Angeles Times article in its entirety, click here.)

According to the CDC, “food deserts are areas that lack access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat milk, and other foods that make up the full range of a healthy diet.” After working with a nonprofit in doing a comparative study of El Sereno’s access to fresh foods versus other communities, one undeniable conclusion was found: they were in need of another community garden.

As an answer to these findings — and with the help of his class — Kevin Armenta, a teacher of Environmental and Urban Studies at Wilson, spearheaded a project to change this reality. They transformed a forsaken back entrance to the school that was sitting in disrepair and created a healthy food source option, the People’s Garden. According to the article, Armenta says of the garden “It’s a physical solution to a research topic about food deserts.”

They are also using it as a community-building tool. Different cultures representing the makeup of El Sereno are coming together to assist in the success of the People’s Garden, as it is aptly named. However, the physical labor — think planting, weeding, and watering — is done by the students and staff. The students began preparing the seeds last winter that are currently in the ground. They have a vested interest in this project, which is evidenced by their presence at workdays, where time is spent doing general maintenance. After all, the garden’s control ultimately lies in the hands of the few students, teachers and community members who are involved.

Because Wilson High School members want this project to blossom, they utilize the guidance of the Native Green Gardener Program, a group offering advice that teaches sustainable gardening and landscaping practices.

The members of the high school are focusing “on growing plants that reflect the communities of El Sereno.” Among other items, included in this garden menagerie are medicinal plants from China and the “three sisters” of Mesoamerica: corns, beans and squash.

The People’s Garden and Wilson High have endured a few setbacks due to vandals destroying the water delivery system — three garden hoses that snake down through the garden, lying in wait for someone to use — but they keep their eye on the prize. This garden is a living representation and physical manifestation of the will of a few to make lives of many better.

Food deserts are a hard fact to swallow, but it is a reality that many still live with. More and more people, organizations and groups are seeing the need and rallying to close the gap on a serious issue affecting too many in the United States. Schools, in particular, have been hit hard by this. A growing number of children and families are participating in free meal programs at their schools on a daily basis. Include in this the food deserts that are becoming more of a norm and it makes for a challenging future of a healthier America.

What these dedicated “urban gardeners” are doing to combat this issue deserves accolades. Thanks to the endeavors of Armenta, his students and community members, and Woodrow Wilson High School, what started out as a school research project for a few students has now become an invaluable lesson and tool for its community. Kudos!

Know of any plan(s) or organization(s) in your community or schools working toward a similar goal? Use the box below to tout the commendable efforts of those working to make a difference.

I’ve been working on revisions for a new version of the Civic Index, a tool created by the National Civic League to help communities assess their civic strengths and weaknesses. In the process, I’ve been looking back at some of the best examples I know of communities doing innovative things with civic engagement.

In general there are two approaches to local public engagement. One is to convene temporary deliberative processes to do strategic planning, issue-oriented dialogues, conflict resolution or problem solving initiatives. Another is to embed public participation processes in local government with permanent neighborhood councils or other structures.

In Sarasota County, Florida, local officials and philanthropic leaders found a third way. Concerned about the negative and unfocused nature of discussions over a controversial bridge project, they decided to form a nonprofit to handle the county’s public participation and dialogue strategies, SCOPE, Sarasota County Plans for Civic Excellence.

“Government tends to do certain things well,” noted Tim Dutton, SCOPE’s executive director, when I interviewed him in 2009. “Encouraging people to engage in rich dialogues has tended not to be one of those things. SCOPE can help out a little bit here because we’re not the government. We are being asked by government to convene around issues now, because we can create an invitation that has a different reaction than what happens when government makes the invitation.”

SCOPE has convened dialogues on such issues as traffic and congestion, aging, affordable housing, school dropout rates, mental health, family violence and community change. Last year, the group convened a summit on environmental action. Sometimes the organization produces short documentaries on topic areas as part of its “Stories Project.”

Interestingly, SCOPE studies and summits have led to the creation of nearly a dozen nonprofit spinoff groups to work in different issue areas, including a community housing trust to buy housing that can be preserved as affordable. A conversation/study on school attendance got the local school district to change the way its handles its dropout policies, and a group of mental health organizations launched a $9 million initiative focusing on children.

Additionally, the organization undertakes what it calls community report cards, looking at a number of indicators that reflect different facets of community life. In 2008, the report card led to the convening of a summit for Environmental Action.

SCOPE was one of the organizers of the Grassroots Leadership Initiative, an effort to identify and develop leaders from under-served communities. One graduate of the program joined the country housing authority board. Another became a PTO president. One became a program associate at a local foundation.

SCOPE has helped change the way citizens and activists think about community solutions, said Dutton. In the early years, recommendations from the conversations tended to produce documents that began with the words, “The County should do….” “We now talk in terms of what we have to do to grow active citizens,” he explained. “How can I have the capacity to make a difference in my own neighborhood? At best we are looking at government being an active partner.”

Today SCOPE receives funding from three area foundations, Sarasota County and (to a smaller extent) four municipalities, the United Way and various groups and individuals. It was one of the three projects the county listed when it was named a finalist in the 2008 All-America City Awards.

At the NCL, we think it is important for communities to convene citizens in large-scale efforts to do problem solving or planning, so people can be engaged in local issues year-round, not just on Election Day. Sometimes we help them do it themselves through our Community Success programs. Often we work with local government officials to kick start a project.

But these days city funds are tight and more and more communities may need to find new ways to finance and organize ambitious civic engagement projects. SCOPE could be an interesting model for other communities.

Counties, towns and cities throughout the United States are finding that more traditional ways of governing and garnering public participation are no longer as effective as they once were. We as an American public are growing more concerned — and, consequentially, more aware — about things going on in our communities. Therefore, there no longer resides an easy willingness to accept that which does not work anymore. That being the case, what are some of the ways your community is changing to make local government work for the good of the people. Use the box below to brag on your civic and civil growth.

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Mike McGrath is senior editor and chief information officer for the National Civic League. A former newspaper reporter and magazine writer, he is editor of the quarterly National Civic Review, which will be beginning its centennial year of publishing this spring.

Mike’s posts will appear every Thursday on the State of the Re:Union website.

Yesterday was the first year anniversary of the shootings that occurred in Tucson, Arizona. Six people lost their lives and 13 people maimed on that infamous day, and many more carry scars. During a visit to Tucson, State of the Re:Union asked relatives of victims and those who bore witness to this horror to write a letter to their city, reflecting on Tucson one year after this tragedy occurred.

In remembering these people, NPR aired SOTRU’s Letters to Tucson, One Year After the Shootings. It is a collection of indelible memories and thoughts from men and women recounting this day. If you missed it on NPR yesterday, you can listen to it here.

NPR’s and PRX’s State of the Re:Union will feature this fascinating city and the people who call it home in SOTRU’s 2012 season. As it is with all of the places we visit, there is a lot more than meets the eye going on in this town. With SOTRU as your personal guide, you will enjoy a spectacular journey into the intriguing city of Tuscon. Stayed tuned!

Pittsburgh Dilworth Elementary, A Bright Spot for Pennsylvania

School Spotlight takes a peek at what one school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is doing to become a High Opportunity School and earn a Bright Spot in the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. (To read original article in its entirety, click here.)

Pittsburgh Dilworth Elementary uses an arts-infused approach to help educate their Pre-K through fifth grade students. According to information gathered by The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, it is an arts-focused magnet school that has recently increased some students’ reading scores by 20 points in the past five years. This success is due, in part, to the school’s Principal Dr. Monica D. Lamar.

According to Lamar, she had her own struggles with reading as a student. However, working with a school-based reading specialist – combined with her participation in the arts – helped her find success in school. Her experience has manifested into the success that Pittsburgh Dilworth students and staff are experiencing today.

She believes students thrive when given diverse learning opportunities. Therefore, the elementary school has a “full complement of art, music, gym, library and academic teachers on board, as well as two artists-in-residence who infuse the arts throughout the curriculum,” according to The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.

The school also utilizes the “Response to Intervention and Instruction Strategy.” This is a system of intervention curriculum with varying levels that uses frequent assessment to monitor students’ progress.

These children read throughout the day and have a goal of reading at least 30 books every year. This significant amount of reading for these youngsters is rewarded with positive accolades and fun trips.

In addition, these students are learning how “to manage stress and take care of themselves.” One strategy teachers use at test time is to let their students go outside and run after Morning Meeting (complete with their principal running with them!) In preparation for tests, they’re encouraged to drink lots of water and calm down with yoga breathing. And as a special treat students receive three tiny mints that also help stimulate their mental state during tests.

Lamar and her staff have helped create a great and fertile environment for learning at Pittsburgh Dilworth. Through providing support, promoting communication, and offering diverse learning opportunities, these students are learning – not only reading- but invaluable life lessons that will serve them well in their lives.

The arts have be proven time and again the importance it plays in the lives of people, especially children. Unfortunately, the arts are disappearing in budgets, but the need is not. It might have been a bit of a sacrifice for Lamar to substitute administrative staff for a chance to bring on staff for the much-needed “diverse learning opportunities,” but she believed in her choices, and they have paid off. There are quite a few other schools facing these challenges, and we want to know some other approaches being used to bring about success for students. Use the box below to share your stories that we would love to hear.

Stitching together the fabric of communities

Source: The National Civic League's All-America City Quilt Tour

Question: What could be more American than a quilt?
Answer: an “All-America City Quilt.”

Each year, dozens of finalists in the All-America City Awards are asked to submit quilt squares representing something special about their communities. The squares are stitched together into a quilt, which tours the country visiting each finalist town, city, county or region.

I have the quilt from 2007 on my office wall and looking at it reminds me of the communities that participated that year—Somerville, Massachusetts; Richmond, Indiana; and Rancho Cordova, California, among others. The quilt tells a story about that event, the communities that participated and how they view themselves.

First stop on this year’s quilt tour was Kenai, Alaska, population 7115, a finalist and winner in the 2011 All-America City Quilt Tour. Among other things, Kenai’s award winning application focused on a community-wide effort to cleanup a local salmon fishery. Not surprisingly, the town’s quilt square illustrates a salmon leaping out of the river.

Torrance, California, number five on the quilt tour, features a beach scene on its patch. Ann Arbor, Michigan, sports jig saw puzzle pieces fitting together to symbolize diverse groups coming together as a community.

Fort Worth, Texas, has an image of a longhorn skull and a heart. Fort Worth is a cow town, but it has done some great things about dealing with homelessness and mental illness. Downey has a picture of the Space Shuttle (used to be the main production facility for NASA). Lakeview, Oregon, has the image of the sun, symbolizing the town’s commitment to alternative energy sources.)

The patchwork varies from intricate designs—some communities enlist the efforts of accomplished quilters—to very simple and basic cut and paste shapes. Craft and technique, however, are less important than the sentiment and community pride.

It could be the town seal, for example, or an official city motto. It could be a local landmark, a scenic view or words expressing local values and goals, or a combination of any of the above. The patch-makers are encouraged to use their creativity.

The quilt has been a tradition at the National Civic League since Gloria Rubio-Cortés, a quilter herself, became president of the Civic League a few years ago. The original idea was to inject a little fun\and folksiness into the annual award. But the quilt tour also gives the finalist communities an opportunity revisit their successes and to celebrate their great community work.

The quilts are displayed in town halls, libraries, art galleries, schools, recreation centers and municipal office buildings. In some communities, the quilt tour generates a surprising amount of media buzz.

The City of Lakewood, Colorado, for instance, rolled out the red carpet this week to welcome the 2011 All-America City Quilt to town. In fact, there was a police escort and a report in the local TV news. Gloria was there along with Lakewood Mayor Bob Murphy and other local community leaders.

You can link here to see the video from a 9 News report. Lakewood’s quilt patch has the city logo and the word, Lakewood, “We’re a city that collaborates.” Lakewood has done a lot of public process work around revitalizing neighborhoods and older commercial districts.

Last stop on the quilt’s 17-state, 24 city tour will be Beloit, Wisconsin. It has a lovely patch. I’m not sure what the symbol in the middle means.

Along the way it will visit Tupelo, Mississippi; Seaside, Oregon; and Fayetteville, North Carolina, among other locales. The tour is being paid for with support from Southwest Airlines, the official airline of the All-America City Award.

Learn more about the award program and follow events leading up to annual event the All-America City blog at www.allamericacityaward.com. The 2012 All-America City Awards will be held in Denver, Colorado, June 30-July 2 and will have a special focus on communities that mobilize to improve reading scores for low income students.

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Mike McGrath is senior editor and chief information officer for the National Civic League. A former newspaper reporter and magazine writer, he is editor of the quarterly National Civic Review, which will be beginning its centennial year of publishing this spring.

Mike’s posts will appear every Thursday on the State of the Re:Union website.

Every new year ushers in with it new goals and resolutions made with the intent of betterment for self and community. For those who need a bit of encouragement for 2012 goal setting, State of the Re:Union passes along the inspirational story of one woman’s American journey to find and highlight people making a difference in their community. (Click here to read the full story.)

According to the “Spreading the Word on Good Deeds” CBS Sunday Morning segment, Dafna Michaelson quit her job and cashed in her 401(k) to fund her year-long mission: “Visit one state each week and interview people changing their communities, and then share their stories to inspire others.”

Dafna said she was fueled by the desire to know what it feels like “to be the person who raises their hand and says ‘It’s up to me to do this.’” With the use of planes and cars, she traveled all over to find men and women who’ve literally taken their community into their own hands and made a positive change affecting many lives.

From the housewife in Arizona who became an advocate for community safety and helped stop crime in her town, to a man in Oklahoma helping young boys in crisis find the tools to “make it in life”– she shares the stories of these men and women who are taking it upon themselves to make a difference without waiting for someone else to intervene first.

Michaelson strongly believes “problems in your community are solved at home, by you, by your neighbors, by the people in those communities.” She also understands that there are many people in the United States who are doing incredible things for the betterment of community. These are men and women selflessly stepping up to the plate and taking action because there is a need, and they want to help. They do this, not for the glory or the possibility of being on the front page, but because they are genuinely concerned about the welfare of their community. So, with the help of her fiancé, Michaelson shares their stories and each week’s interviews on her Web site, 50in52journey.com.

She says of her journey: “What I’ve learned about this country is that we really are great, we really have great people, we really are built from a fiber and a core that says whatever it is that has to be done, this is the place to do it and we’re going to do it.”

Changing a situation or community structure rarely occurs as a “plan.” In most cases, it happens when people can endure a situation no more and are mobilized to make it better. No glitz and glamor, no paparazzi, no supreme intervention, just men and women who are doing what they can to help make a bad situation better. That is all that it takes – action.

Exploring and sharing interesting stories of some amazing people is a great way to start the year. It makes it easy to believe this year is full of endless possibilities — make it a year to be proud of. Use the box below to tell us some of your plans, resolutions and goals to make a difference in your community.