How do you get urban teens interested in journalism? And to make it an even taller order – in environmental journalism, math and science?
We can all learn from what they’re doing in Detroit. The lessons drawn from the 3rd annual city-wide high school journalism conference (“Steroids, Makeup and Polar Bears: Journalism and the Environment”) that took place Wed. Feb. 27 read like a How To:
* First, invite some 200 DPS students and their journalism advisors/chaperones to take a day away from school
* Host the event at the very impressive Detroit Zoo, which has a great educational facility, interactive exhibits and an amazing array of guest ‘speakers’ from amphibians of all kinds to polar bears and arctic foxes
* Shape the agenda around topics that are real-life and news worthy to teens, such as - steroids use, environmental journalism, the dangers of make up, global warming and teen depression
* Invite local anchors like Carolyn Clifford and meteorologist Andrew Humphrey to give truly inspirational opening remarks
* Ask eager young reporters like Chris Lau and Kirkland Crawford of the Detroit Free Press (who aren’t that far removed from high school themselves) to moderate sessions
* And have committed people like Jim Detjen (director of Michigan StateUniversity’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism), Cheryl Pell (director of the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association) and Emilia Askari of the Detroit Free Press behind the whole thing putting the pieces together with vision and energy
* Oh, and finally have the whole thing piggyback on the steady coaching and nurturing of local talent by the likes of Erin Hill of the Detroit Free Press who heads their inspired high school journalism initiative
Then add the energy, curiosity and giddiness of more than 200 high school students and you’ve got the mix for a winner. The high points of such an event are numerous but one speaks for the rest. At the end of his talk meteorologist Humphrey asked the crowded auditorium to see how many teens were of the class of ’11, then of the class of ’10, then of ’09 and finally ’08. He then asked how many of the seniors are registered to vote. A number remained standing and he responded by laughing, opening up his bag and distributing voter registration forms.
This is, after all, about much more than journalism alone – it’s about inspiring young minds and opening up career possibilities but also about kick-starting interest in our communities, country and ultimately our democracy.
But what a great place to start.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
NYT Piece on Greening Suburbs
The New York Times had an excellent piece on the challenges involved in greening suburbs. See it here. Discusses the relationship between density and auto use to a community's carbon footprint. Great reporting. Average single-family home in the U.S. nearly doubled in size from 1970 to 2005, to nearly 2,500 square feet. I didn't know there was a 70-ft turbine in Lisle!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Sorry Mayor - Preservation = Green
This was my response to the Tribune's series on how City Hall lets much critical development/preservation decision-making take place at the ward level (see the series at http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-code-overviewjan27,0,6181305.story). They didn't run it, so I'm posting it here!
"It was disheartening to read Mayor Daley’s assertion that architectural preservation is handled best at the most local level or becomes a perceived City Hall power grab. There is a third choice – actually creating a much-needed city-wide master plan for preserving our great architectural legacy. There are three critical reasons the Mayor should seriously reconsider this position immediately:
1. Preservation fosters community identity. Research shows that people feel a stronger connection to their community when the historic fabric is respected and preserved. They find more comfort in the area and become more civically engaged.
2. Preservation leads to investment. Research also shows that where architectural preservation is valued, investment follows. From restaurants to renovations, tourism to the film industry dollars tend to follow.
3. Preservation is Green. Sustainability is all about valuing existing assets.
Destroying our architectural legacy – whether the neighborhood icon buildings (movie theatres, stores, churches) or worker cottages – flies in the face of the Mayor’s wonderful ambition to make Chicago a truly green city. In addition, demolition debris makes up one of the largest categories of urban waste.
These questions are simply too important to be decided by a process so vulnerable to influences that do not take into account the city’s best interests. City Hall completed an ambitious Chicago Historic Resources Survey in 1995 that painstakingly evaluated all buildings constructed prior to 1940. To date this resource has essentially led only to minor delays in demolition. It’s time to use this valuable grid to help lay the foundation for a city-wide plan for preserving our neighborhood fabric.
After all, the city's job is not just to attract investors to Chicago - but to guide their dollars to projects that have a lasting, positive impact on our neighborhoods."
"It was disheartening to read Mayor Daley’s assertion that architectural preservation is handled best at the most local level or becomes a perceived City Hall power grab. There is a third choice – actually creating a much-needed city-wide master plan for preserving our great architectural legacy. There are three critical reasons the Mayor should seriously reconsider this position immediately:
1. Preservation fosters community identity. Research shows that people feel a stronger connection to their community when the historic fabric is respected and preserved. They find more comfort in the area and become more civically engaged.
2. Preservation leads to investment. Research also shows that where architectural preservation is valued, investment follows. From restaurants to renovations, tourism to the film industry dollars tend to follow.
3. Preservation is Green. Sustainability is all about valuing existing assets.
Destroying our architectural legacy – whether the neighborhood icon buildings (movie theatres, stores, churches) or worker cottages – flies in the face of the Mayor’s wonderful ambition to make Chicago a truly green city. In addition, demolition debris makes up one of the largest categories of urban waste.
These questions are simply too important to be decided by a process so vulnerable to influences that do not take into account the city’s best interests. City Hall completed an ambitious Chicago Historic Resources Survey in 1995 that painstakingly evaluated all buildings constructed prior to 1940. To date this resource has essentially led only to minor delays in demolition. It’s time to use this valuable grid to help lay the foundation for a city-wide plan for preserving our neighborhood fabric.
After all, the city's job is not just to attract investors to Chicago - but to guide their dollars to projects that have a lasting, positive impact on our neighborhoods."
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