Kids at Stockton Elementary in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood are definitely listening when Bob Schwalb is at the front the class. "When he tells you about it, I feel like I can do anything," said 8th grade student Brittany Smith.The HEART program is taught at 44 different schools in Chicago, including Stockton, and teaches kids self-confidence and to be more accepting of people different than themselves. It deals with subject like sweatshop labor, homophobia and bullying.
Schwalb is teaching these 8th graders how to be humane. And how he does that is through a curriculum he put together for HEART — an acronym for Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers.
To see WGN's report on "Chicago's Very Own," click here. You can learn more about the HEART program from its website, here.
I've filmed several videos for HEART, and they really are a great organization. Their services, classes, and projects are provided to the schools completely FREE OF CHARGE, so anyone who says it's a waste of taxpayer funds doesn't even know what they're talking about. This was one of the coolest projects they did: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v5E6VgUAT8 They went down to Springfield and actually lobbied their local senators and congressmen. Not only that, but we got a private tour of the Capitol. Bob and his staff have only one intention, and that's to teach the students of Stockton and several other Uptown schools lessons that no one else will.
ReplyDelete"lessons that no one else will"
ReplyDeleteSeems like a little good parenting would do a lot more. It's not that hard to be a good parent.