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Art of Data Exhibition.

How can we use data to tell a compelling story? How can data lead us to creative action? Students set out to answer these questions by analyzing Kansas City’s open data source and interpreting the data through creative expression. The Chief Data officer and a Senior Analyst from the City Manager’s office worked with students to help them interpret the available datasets. Local artists inspired students with weekly visits to the classroom during the creation phase of the project. I coached the high school math teacher in designing this project, co-taught the lessons, and managed the community partnerships central to the work.

 
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41 Action News/Student Co-Production.

How can we interrogate the narrative of gentrification and get those privileged by race and class to care? Storytelling and humanization. My students teamed up with Scripps journalists at 41 Action News to produce the story of their own neighborhood. Reporting on gentrification in the Westside, they contacted potential interviewees, conducted interviews, and wrote the script and web story.

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Human-powered Google Maps Tour of KC.

How can we make learning more active? An exercise bike and a circuit made from a Makey Makey, of course! These 3rd grade students designed their ideal way to learn about Kansas City by creating a Google Maps tour powered by a circuit that included the human body pedaling a bike.

 
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Podcast with Jolie Justus.

Founding members of the All Girls Considered Kansas City chapter met with the inimitable Jolie Justus to talk about winning, losing, and being authentic through it all. Their conversation leaves an impact and reminds all of us to be authentic and tell our stories.

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Student Archeologists on Boat Dig.

Working with the excavator of the Steamboat Arabia, a group of students are digitizing cargo lists from a sunken ship, the Steamboat Malta, which will be unearthed sometime in 2020. The lists will support the archeologists on the dig site as they uncover artifacts and will eventually be featured on the History Channel.

 
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Designing a Tote Bag for City Market.

Working alongside the marketing department at City Market, one student is creating a new design for a tote bag that will be sold in the market. I supervised this student’s experience to ensure he met the City Market’s expectations through consistent client meetings and iterations on the design.

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Greenspace Design & Proposal.

Lacking a nearby place to play, students decided to design and propose their ideal greenspace behind the school. I facilitated their work with architects and play equipment designers to come up with a well-researched design which was actually built!

 
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Youth Radio Broadcast Program.

In partnership with the Kansas City Museum and One KC Radio, I facilitate a group of students as they write and produce a radio show geared towards young people. The students focus on local arts and culture, news, and mental health and wellness.

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Science City Exhibit Design.

As part of the Battle of the Brains competition hosted by Burns and McDonnell and Science City, I’ve led several groups of students and their teachers in the research, design, and proposal of a new exhibit.

 
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Education Initiative with Mayor’s Office.

Working with Sly James’s Education Advisor, Julie Holland, students helped lobby for the Talking is Teaching initiative. They researched the initiative and presented to councilpersons to garner support for the initiative in each district.

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Community Activism in Neighborhoods.

With the guidance of a local historian, third graders took a bus tour of different communities in KC. After making observations about each one, students spoke with their own neighborhood councils about how to make their communities better. KCUR picked up the story.