The grant funding these forums intends “to give immigrants a specific sense of belonging in America, and experience as active community participants and future civic-minded individuals.” This project — “Creating a Vibrant Hartford: Adult Learning as a Pathway to Change” — allowed participants, immigrants and native-born alike, to participate in a democratic process. One participant described how her group’s facilitator helped empower her to take a more active role in the discussions. Another said she had the opportunity to implement one of her group’s action ideas by referring someone she knows to “culturally appropriate addiction, trauma, and domestic violence services” in that person’s native language.

Celebrating the end to one phase of the dialogue groups, facilitators and participants presented their action ideas on Tuesday evening at the library; these ideas were divided into four themes, which community members will have the opportunity to work on further.

To improve on the adult learning experience in Hartford, barriers to access, accreditation and licensing, coordination of services, and support for networks would need to be addressed.

Though many of these ideas, like providing more affordable learning opportunities and improving transportation, seemed obvious, others, like working on a way for accreditation/education from other countries to be recognized here might be less so. Ensuring that the type of training offered matches jobs and skills sought by employers is an action idea certain to resonate with many who have lost their jobs and were pushed into programs that gave them nothing beyond certificates of completion.

As for coordination of services, participants thought that having a network of service providers and a comprehensive directory of services would make adult education easier to navigate. The Connecticut State Department of Education, for example, has adult education information on its website, but it is far from comprehensive. In its directory, Hartford Adult Education on Washington Street is the only adult education provider listed for the city; the website listed for this one site is incorrect. A virtual dead-end can be discouraging. A participant who is a refugee said the one thing really needed by immigrants like himself was encouragement and support, as the process of beginning a new life is extremely stressful.

Ajit Gopalakrishnan of the CT Department of Education echoed this, saying “our students have potential” but they are always being told that they “lack” something. He said, “sometimes it’s good to have energy and pressure from groups like yourself,” to push the government to take action more quickly.

The next step is for community members to join action groups and develop strategies. Anyone interested in knowing more can contact imls@hplct.org or 860.695.6294.

They say they will have plants for “shade gardens, sun gardens, butterfly gardens, vegetable gardens, succulent gardens, decorative grasses, and more.” The sale runs from 9-6 on Friday, May 18, and from 8-2 on Saturday, May 19, 2012.

Knox Parks is responsible for planting trees and flowers citywide, as well as establishing and managing community gardens in Hartford.

The Hog River Revival Kickstarter project, over 100% funded with time to spare, has hopped on the buried river bandwagon. Supporters of this project will receive art work of and inspired by the journey underground; those pledging over $500 are invited to tag along with project artists Joe McCarthy and Peter Albano when they walk through small conduits.

Joe McCarthy says  they are able to sidestep legal issues that others have been shut down for because they are not selling tours of the river. They say that their project is being backed by the iQuilt Plan and Bushnell Park Foundation.

McCarthy and Albano will have a retrospective exhibit at the ArtWalk gallery in December.

According to Charles A. Goodrich, “as early as 1647, Massachusetts required by law that every township which had fifty householders should have a schoolhouse and employ a teacher, and that such as had one thousand freeholders should have a grammar school.” The purpose? Religious and moral indoctrination.

Horace Mann, a 19th century reformer, promoted the idea of universal public education. At the same time, he viewed moral training — creating a docile work force — as one of the roles of education. In 1998, Jon Spayde pointed out that “for our policyheads, education equals something called ‘training for competitiveness.’” With the continued push for “back to basics” education – known as Core Knowledge – some have shown a lack of faith in the ability or need for children of certain backgrounds to do more than spit back facts. What need have they of critical thinking in the line of manual work predetermined for them?

Reformer John Dewey espoused the contrasting belief that school was not only a place to acquire knowledge; it was also where social change could occur. He promoted experiential learning — learning by doing. Though some k-12 schools manage to hold onto this, it is more likely to see service learning and hands-on learning unapologetically happening in higher education, where not all students are subjected to standardized tests.

That’s the good and the bad. Here is the ugly.

Throughout history, schools were used as tools to assimilate immigrants and Native Americans into the dominant culture. Literacy was reserved for a certain race, class, and sex for years. Separate and unequal was the norm for too long; some would argue that students still experience the detrimental effects of racial and economic segregation. Today, people scratch their heads about why children are not being read to in certain homes, blaming uncaring, uninvolved parents; illiteracy and low-literacy on part of the parents rarely comes up in conversation as the reason why children are receiving little help with homework. Talking about the rate of adult illiteracy in America would mean acknowledging that we have a problem; it’s often easier to simply claim that parents of children in “failing schools” are uninterested.

Many see standardized testing as a way to ensure that all students’ needs are being met, a way to check that education is delivered equally regardless of socioeconomic standing; however, at least one of the major standardized tests has dubious origins. The creator of the SAT was a proponent of the eugenics movement. It is believed that this kind of testing was meant as research to support the belief that certain types of individuals were unable to learn as well as other types. Some do not believe we have stepped much beyond using these types of tests as a way to reinforce privilege.

In Hartford, there are three upcoming opportunities for regular folks — not just those deemed to be experts — to take part in discussions about education.

For a month, several small groups met weekly at the Hartford Public Library, having conversations about adult education, an area that has received remarkably little attention for all the debates about learning over the past few years. Participants looked into existing resources and barriers to adults receiving services. The groups will share highlights of their conversations (”Creating a Vibrant Hartford: Adult Learning as a Pathway to Change”) and develop an action plan at 6pm on May 15th. Refreshments will be available in the Hartford Public Library (500 Main Street) at 5:30pm.

Achieve Hartford! and The Hartford will be sponsoring a forum at Classical Magnet School (85 Woodland Street) on May 22nd. The topic: “A Conversation Beyond the Books: Family and Community Roles in Preparing Children for College and Careers.” This is slated to go from 5-7pm.

The final piece of this educational hat trick is the May 31^st Community Conversation on Education about the purpose(s) of education. Is the goal of public education to turn our youth into little worker bees? Is it to show them how to participate in civic life? Is education for the sake of education enough? Something else? Though this event is intended to foster frank, open conversation, it is meant to lead to action. The Community Conversation on Education will take place in the theater at the Learning Corridor (359 Washington Street) from 5:30-8:30pm. A light dinner will be served; childcare will be provided free of charge. They request an rsvp: (860) 525-3449  or info@hartofhartford.org

Are there any other education conversations happening in Hartford in upcoming weeks that did not make this list?

]]> http://www.realhartford.org/2012/05/14/ongoing-conversations-about-education/feed/ http://www.realhartford.org/2012/05/14/place-this-place-94/ http://www.realhartford.org/2012/05/14/place-this-place-94/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 11:45:08 +0000 Kerri Provost http://www.realhartford.org/?p=12961 Do you know where in Hartford this is?

The prize this week will be the usual: 24 hours of smugness.

Though not a fancy place, In God We Trust Afrikan Restaurant beats out anything downtown in the category of warm and welcoming. It’s the kind of place where Judge Judy on the television is not annoying because it gets you talking with diners from another table, who also say goodbye when you are done with your meal.

Who wants linens and flattering lighting when you can have that?

We stopped in before catching Ragtime at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, so we did not take our sweet time to dine, though it was clear nobody would have rushed us out had we decided to occupy space for a longer while.

There is a menu, but we were invited to come look at what food was in the bins. They have fried fish, oxtail, curry goat, beef, lamb, chicken, and seafood. I ended up with a combination of fufu and a stew of black-eyed peas and greens, plus the cassava and fried plantains that I was stealing from Christopher’s plate. This was my first experience with fufu, so I can only say that I enjoyed it, but not whether or not it tastes like what I think it is supposed to taste like. It is slightly sweet, fluffy, and sticky. Fufu is traditionally eaten with one’s fingers; I was given utensils without asking.

Looking at their menu, I can see many reasons to return: Jollof style spaghetti, macaroni & cheese, kosey, banku, and everything I had already sampled. I would eat an entire meal of fried plantains if they let me, but I am guessing that they would know what is best for me and sneak other vegetables onto the plate.

They have a ginger juice that almost made my head explode from one sip — and I like natural ginger. They have milder, sweeter juices available if you can’t hack fiery beverages.

In God We Trust Afrikan Restaurant is located at 453 Washington Street. They have indoor and patio seating. They’ll deliver, but for large orders only. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9am-11pm, and Sunday, 10am-10pm.

Directed by Brian Jennings — who recently performed in HartBeat Ensemble’s Flipside — the musical based on E.L. Doctorow’s novel delivers.

Set just after the turn of the century, characters struggle with the American Dream myth and with the expectations they have of each other. The vocals are stunning, especially those of Miles Wilson-Toliver and Ashley Lewis. Coalhouse II, of course, steals the show.

This doesn’t feel much like a high school play, and it shouldn’t, given that the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts is “designed to prepare gifted and talented students to pursue post-secondary studies and professional careers in creative writing, dance, instrumental music, vocal music, theater, musical theater, technical theater, visual arts or a study in interarts,” according to its website.

The Theater of the Performing Arts is located at 359 Washington Street. 7:30pm is the start time.  Ticket prices vary.

Proceeds from this event will benefit the Veterans Art Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes art and therapy for PTSD experienced by veterans.

La Paloma Sabanera is located at the corner of Capitol Ave. and Babcock Street.

April Piette, a security officer at 25 Sigourney Street, a State building, says she wants “them to do what they’re supposed to do by contract– pay our pensions.”

Employed by SOS Security for two years, Piette says the company has been “intimidating, bullying, and threatening” while refusing to provide answers as to why they are not making pension contributions as required by State contract.

She was one of the 32BJ SEIU service workers on strike today in front of 450 Capitol Avenue, one of the two locations where the private security officers are assigned. Michael Allen, Assistant Director of Communications for SEIU, said “replacement workers” were being used today while roughly 40 security officers were on strike.

Whistles, sirens, and drumming could be heard blocks away. Chants of “Security!” and “Who hasn’t paid your money?” continued until the crowd gathered to listen to speakers who declared “It’s a shame.”

Beyond the pension dispute, subcontracted security officers say they struggle to afford health care with wages as low as $9.56 an hour.

Piette, though frustrated with SOS Security, was hopeful that “a lot of State workers” were coming by the picket line to support the cause.

This dispute has been ongoing since June 2011.

View more images and listen to the sound of security officers on strike.

If paying $4.08 per gallon has not been sufficient to motivate people to find better transportation than the single-occupant vehicle, it’s hard to imagine what would.

CTrides, a network created by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, is providing a bit of peer pressure to get asses out of the driver seat and onto bicycle saddles. Their goal is to have 2,500 people select an alternative form of transportation — bike, walk, vanpool, carpool, bus, train, or telecommute — for at least one time during the week of May 14-18, 2012. CTrides provides commuters with information about specific transportation options in their region of the state, and offers commuters free trial trips by bus (ten ride pass) or vanpool (one week) so they can see if the mode would work for them. Currently, there are around 400 people willing to alter their plans just once next week.

On May 18th, there will be a Bike to Work breakfast on the lawn of the Old State House from 6:30-9, with a program beginning at 8 that morning. Tom Maziarz, DOT Chief of the Bureau of Policy and Planning is expected at this event, as is DEEP Commissioner Esty; the latter will be biking up from Cheshire.

BikeWalkCT provides resources for new and/or nervous cyclists. Worried about traffic? What to wear? Riding through puddles? BikeWalkCT can set you up with a cycling buddy who can give riding tips.

Still not convinced? Check out this list of 61 benefits of bicycling, which includes gems like “bicyclist can ignore the highway traffic jam reports” and “cheaper parking.” Need reasons to walk? Those exist too. Reasons for using public transportation? Reasons to telecommute? People have been there, done that, and compiled lists of excuses for others to leave their cars in the driveway, at least on occasion.

What are your reasons for not always driving just yourself around? What is your preferred method of alternative transportation?