YOUNG ADVOCATES

On the morning of Thursday, May 9, students from around the state of Illinois will unfold their tables in the Capitol Rotunda in Springfield and set up displays that demonstrate to legislators and their staffs how they’ve both learned about innovation and applied what they’ve learned to help others in their communities.

Sponsored by the Illinois Digital Educators Alliance (IDEA), Students for Innovation: Advocacy Day offers students from all age groups the opportunity to mingle with lawmakers and communicate to them about how technology and innovation are preparing them for the future.

With its innovation space on campus, Lake Forest Country Day School (LFCDS) has been a leader on the North Shore and in the Chicago region in creating a fostering environment for students not just to learn about technology but to apply what they learn by participating in projects both within school and through creative partnerships with other schools. LFCDS is the only independent private school participating in Advocacy Day, and three of its projects will be featured.

“The focus is less on the Technology and Innovation Lab and more on our students having agency and being able to make a difference in the community,” says Greg McDonough, Innovation Space Director at LFCDS. “So, our first graders identified problems that they found throughout the school and used the Innovation Lab is a tool to fix those problems.”

Annie Baird and Megan Dziekan are both firstgrade teachers at LFCDS, and they say the idea for the first graders’ project really stems from the notion that anyone can make change, regardless of age.

“The projects are the culminating act of a Social Studies Unit we rolled out this year called Change Makers,” Baird says. “Our first graders studied a variety of change makers from the past and present day and their investigation into change makers led them to the realization that anyone could take action and make a positive change in their community.”

One of the projects the first grade Change Makers undertook was to take a look at food waste in the LFCDS dining hall. Food is served family style, and they noticed that while some tables were calling for second helpings, other tables weren’t finishing their first portions. So, they created an awareness campaign to make sure that students went to other tables to see if there was leftover food before they went up for a second bowl.

“Being mindful of food waste, and for it to come from their perspective, I thought was very interesting,” Dzekian says. “They made posters and made announcements during lunch period. They also made a video.”

Throughout the course of the project, Dzekian says, the students used technology in a very authentic and age-appropriate ways.

“The students weren’t just using tech to use it, but they were making videos, printing signs on the 3D printer for a purpose. It’s been really inspiring to see them take action in this way,” says Baird. “Megan and I are both firm believers that sometimes the youngest children can have the most impact on others if we give them the tools and the opportunity and time to do so.”

Student volunteerism through partnerships with other schools is a big component of efforts at LFCDS to provide a well-rounded education for its students, and that extends to technology and innovation. LFCDS presentations at Advocacy Day will feature two partnerships—one with Roberti Community and one with North Chicago Community Center—that demonstrate how what LFCDS students are learning about innovation can benefit the broader community.

Roberti Community House (RCH) runs a variety of programs in an underserved area of Waukegan. These include culinary, gardening, sewing, and afterschool programs, among others. LFCDS has had a strong partnership with RCH’s afterschool programs for the past five years, and students have made monthly visits to RCH since the start of the school year. Students from LFCDS and a student who benefitted from the school’s partnership with RCH will jointly present at this year’s Advocacy Day.

“This partnership has led to a special community forming between students, teachers, and volunteers at both organizations,” McDonough says. “Pam Fisher, RCH’s volunteer coordinator, has been instrumental in our partnership.”

LFCDS also has a tight relationship with North Chicago Community Partners and Forrestal Elementary School in North Chicago. Each month, LFCDS teachers and seventh and eighth graders visit a different Forrestal teacher/classroom and, depending on the topic, bring along tools to enhance Forrestal students’ learning experience. Faculty lead the activities, but the students play a pivotal role that day in the classroom.

“The student piece is nice because they are able to get outside their little community and go to the wider community and make connections with younger students,” says Marlo LaCorte, a Junior Kindergarten teacher at LFCDS. “They are entering another school and forming relationships with students who have different backgrounds.”

Seventh and eighth graders as well as a student from Forrestal will be presenting on Advocacy Day. For the LFCDS students, it’s a great opportunity to show leadership and demonstrate the value of civic participation.

“I think we are interested in instilling the idea that being part of a larger community is vital,” LaCorte says. “This partnership with North Chicago Community Partners helps with that because it gives us the opportunity to go beyond our own school.”