Students organize March 14 events across the city to engage peers, lobby elected officials to address gun violence as part of nation-wide day of action
CHICAGO, IL—(ENEWSPF)–March 13, 2018 – On Wednesday, March 14th, Chicago youth will join students across the nation in raising their voices to protest gun violence (both local and national) and to urge Congress to take action on gun regulations and other pressing issues following the recent high school shooting in Parkland, Fla., in which 17 people were killed. Events vary from school to school but all are youth-led and aim both:
- To demonstrate the power of youth voice (both to each other and to the elected officials who represent them) and
- To provide youth with a host of different opportunities – ranging from direct action (protest) to electoral action (voting) – to speak out and make their voices heard.
See chart below (or this GoogleDoc) for details / points of contact for each specific action.
| Time | School | Address | Teacher Contact | Student Contact | Event Description (written by students) |
| 10:00am and 12:00-2:20pm | Solorio Academy High School | 5400 S St Louis, Chicago, IL 60632 | Charlotte Piwowar [email protected] | Annays Yacaman : [email protected], Se’maya Oliver [email protected], Mixtli Guerrer [email protected] | Solorio’s Student Voice Committee is organizing a walkout in protest of gun violence in solidarity with walkouts nationwide. Eligible students are invited to take their activism a step further later that day and cast their very first ballot together in Solorio’s Parade to the Polls. Walkout – Solorio (5400 S St Louis), 10am, for 17 minutes; Parade to the Polls – starting point – Solorio (5400 S St Louis), at 12pm noon, heading to Gage Park fieldhouse (2415 W 55th St), returning by 2:20pm. |
| 10:00 AM | Juarez Community Academy High School | 1450 W Cermak Rd, Chicago, IL 60608 | Johanna Fernandez [email protected] | Benito Juarez Community Academy is hosting a Day of Action in support of youth voice and engagement on March 14. We are standing in solidarity with victims of school shootings, survivors of gun violence, and the Dreamers, for whom our Congress has done nothing. We are specifically inviting candidates to come and speak to our students from 10:40-12:35. We will have three sessions. The first session will consist of all of the students who will be 18 by Nov. 6, 2018. These students will head to the polls to vote in the afternoon after hearing from candidates about what your office does and how you will serve our city, state, or county if elected. The second two sessions will consist of younger students. This will be a great opportunity for candidates/orgs to educate young voters, to share your passion for civic action, and to show that you support the youth of our city and country in this moment when so many brave young people are taking their future into their hands. Our students will participate in the 17 minute walkout at 10am. Media will be invited. (Candidates’ staffers are welcome to come and represent their candidate.) | |
| 10:00 AM | CCA Academy | 1231 S Pulaski Rd Chicago IL 60623 | Audrey Haywood [email protected] | Chyann McQueen [email protected] | The walkout will begin promptly at 10:00. We will begin organizing and assembling our positions for the walk-out at 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday March 14th. The walk-out will last for a duration of 17 minutes during which time students and participants will acknowledge those who have lost their lives to gun violence,and chant our demands for new legislation that will address the issue of guns & violence. Directly following the walk-out students will go to early vote at St. Agatha Parish located@ 3147 W. Douglas Blvd in the 24th ward. |
| 8:30 AM | Vaughn Occupational High School | 4355 N Linder Ave, Chicago IL 60641 | Kelly Fischer [email protected] | Vaughn students will hold a peace rally outside our school at 8:30 am for 17 minutes in memory of the 17 victims in Parkland. On the morning of the rally, students will distribute 17 ribbons to each of the classes in a tribute to the seventeen victims in the school shooting in Parkland, FL. During our march today, one month after the attack, we will tie theses ribbons to seventeen messages of peace and hope: hope for a safer future where our rights for a peaceful life and education are honored by lawmakers. We demand safe schools and a ban on assault rifles. We demand peace! During the march students will tie ribbons to 17 messages of hope and peace which have been designed and painted by our occupational prep program. | |
| 9:55 AM | Lake View High School | 4015 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60613 | Kristen Hu ([email protected]) | Rachel Retana 312-888-0863 [email protected] |
At 9:55 on March 14th, Lake View students will meet in the Auditorium to be briefed by Honors Civics students and Student Council members about the logistics of the walkout. Then participating students will go outside of the school, where they will stand in protest for 17 minutes. Students want to spread awareness to the students about the effects of the NRA on gun laws, and the effect of those gun laws on the lives of students all across the country. Students will encourage their peers to tweet at elected officials who take money from the NRA and confront them about accepting these donations. The ultimate goal of this walkout is for students to come away with a greater understanding of gun control, and a sense that each person can help to make a huge change. |
| 2:30 PM | Westinghouse College Prep | 3223 W Franklin Blvd, Chicago, IL 60624 | Linda Becker [email protected] | GWCP’s Parade to the Polls – Students get to cast their ballot for their first time with their friends. The GWCP AP Government classes are inviting their peers to come and vote at Humboldt Park Library (1605 N Troy St, Chicago, IL 60647) on 3/14. We are using #WarriorsVote to keep track of students that vote, but do not attend our event. |
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Named after Abner and Zoe Mikva, the Mikva Challenge is a non-partisan, nonprofit that develops youth to be informed, and active citizens and community leaders. We do this by engaging youth in action civics, an authentic and transformative learning process built on youth voice and youth expertise. http://www.mikvachallenge.org/
Source: www.mikvachallenge.org
Related Article:
Students Throughout the United States to Participate in National School Walkout on March 14
