midcityspeaks

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Mid City Speaks rekindleMIDCITY Healthy Neighborhoods Day	Students hosted Mid City Speaks, a community engagement event designed to give a voice to residents and invite public participation in the project. Prior to the event, the studio worked to collect the stories and perspectives of the community in four specific Mid City locations: St. Vincent de Paul
	at 220 St. Vincent de Paul Drive; New Sunlight Baptist Church at 1777 America Street; Family and Youth Center at 1120 Government Street and One Stop Corner Store at 431 17th Street. Students built 4′ x 8′ chalkboard panels to solicit feedback about specific issues from the community at each location. The boards posed questions like, “What do you like about your neighborhood?” and “Where do you buy your groceries?” On October 6, the collected feedback was shared with the community on the project site at 1730 North Boulevard. Local residents, church members, and other community stakeholders enjoyed food, music, and an opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns about where they live. Students also distributed surveys to maximize the amount of input and feedback from residents. When asked what Mid City needs, many residents mentioned things like more lighting, a safe place for children and families to play outside, and a stronger sense of community.