Hunger and homelessness are on the minds of Tulsa’s children.
More than 300 students across Tulsa and Union Public Schools spent a semester identifying problems in their communities and trying to make meaningful change with the Changemakers program.
This week they presented their projects to peers and parents at the nonprofit’s “pitch nights,” the final step in a semester-long afterschool program that encourages kids from elementary to high school to take action.
Surveys and interviews at the Union Sixth Grade Center “overwhelmingly pointed out community hunger,” said student Alex Hernandez. At DOVE School of Discovery, a quarter of students say they experienced food insecurity this semester.
“Many people, including students, wonder where they will get their next meal,” said Jasmyne Durant, another Union student.
The federal government shutdown and temporary loss of food assistance quickly captured the attention of Hernandez, Durant and their Changemakers cohort at Union Public Schools.
That’s when the sixth graders abandoned all other ideas, opting to create a food bank for the district’s sixth and seventh grade centers. They hope it will prevent parents from having to choose between paying rent and buying groceries. In the new year, they’ll make it official with administrators and the district school board.
“The responsibility of addressing hunger does not rely on just one person or one organization,” said Anthony Heras.
He encouraged members of the community to donate to food banks across the area, with food items, time or money.
Six students at Grissom Elementary selected bullying as their initial topic but later realized the deeper problem was conflict resolution. In interviews with the cohort, teachers said misunderstandings, sharing, “roasting” and cheating in sports are the most frequent drivers of conflict. Now, Changemakers are bringing those scenarios to community circle time in upper elementary classrooms through role play.
At Ellen Ochoa Elementary, a survey of fourth and fifth graders showed many students struggle to express their emotions or feel unsafe doing so. Changemakers developed laminated emotion charts to tackle mental health awareness at the elementary level. They hope easy to understand forms will help more students express their feelings to teachers or trusted adults.
“Sometimes we as adults inadvertently limit them and think that because they’re younger and can’t read that they can’t go and do these things, but they can,” said Abigail Steinle, a Changemakers coach at Grove Elementary.
For her second graders, the decision to support those experiencing homelessness was unanimous — and simple.
“Kids are really important,” they told Steinle. “Why would we not want to help them?”
Her cohort interviewed Erica Robbins, a homeless liaison at Union Public Schools. She shared the district always needs more toiletry items and hygiene products for families experiencing homelessness. The seven students organized a schoolwide collection drive that will run through January.
“Pushing them in these leadership roles really helps them grow their confidence and figure out what kind of impact they can make, even at seven and eight,” Steinle said.
A full catalogue of student projects can be found here.
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