Changing Worlds
Encyclopedia
Changing Worlds is an education
al arts
nonprofit organization
whose mission is to foster inclusive communities through oral history
, writing
and art programs that improve student learning
, affirm identity and enhance cross-cultural
understanding.
Public School located in the diverse
, predominately immigrant Albany Park neighborhood. Driven by a vision to build bridges across cultures through story, its founder Kay Berkson partnered with the school’s staff and parents to create an oral history and photography
exhibit. Now occupying three corridors of the school
, the exhibit
highlights fourteen family
stories along with photographs, art work and maps
. These captivating stories told by students, their parents and grandparents are translated into twelve different languages. They vividly describe diverse journeys to Albany Park from all over the world. The project led to the development of an activity guide with ongoing family
programs and classroom curricula that foster an inclusive school community. In 1999 a traveling version of the exhibit was created to share these family stories with other communities, giving a face to those too often seen through the filters of stereotypes. Building upon the enthusiasm and success at Hibbard, the Changing Worlds project became an independent 501c3 nonprofit organization
in 2000.
through separate but interconnected program areas and activities that include:
• school
partnership programs
• professional development institutes and workshops for teachers
• community outreach programs
• traveling exhibitions
Values
Changing Worlds believes in:
• The inclusion and acceptance of the differences and perspectives of others
• The power of art and personal stories to change perceptions and nurture connections
• The ability to affect social
change through teachers
and young people
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
al arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
nonprofit organization
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
whose mission is to foster inclusive communities through oral history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, writing
Writing
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...
and art programs that improve student learning
Learning
Learning is acquiring new or modifying existing knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals and some machines. Progress over time tends to follow learning curves.Human learning...
, affirm identity and enhance cross-cultural
Cross-cultural
cross-cultural may refer to*cross-cultural studies, a comparative tendency in various fields of cultural analysis*cross-cultural communication, a field of study that looks at how people from differing cultural backgrounds communicate...
understanding.
History
Changing Worlds began in 1996 at Hibbard Elementary School, a ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
Public School located in the diverse
Diverse
Diverse is an American rapper. An underground hip-hop artist, he has received critical acclaim "from knowledgeable heads worldwide".-Career:...
, predominately immigrant Albany Park neighborhood. Driven by a vision to build bridges across cultures through story, its founder Kay Berkson partnered with the school’s staff and parents to create an oral history and photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
exhibit. Now occupying three corridors of the school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
, the exhibit
Exhibit
Exhibit may refer to:*Exhibit , evidence in physical form brought before the court.*Demonstrative evidence is a term used to describe exhibits and other physical forms of evidence used in court to demonstrate, show, depict, inform or teach relevant information to the viewer.*Exhibit , a lightweight...
highlights fourteen family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
stories along with photographs, art work and maps
MAPS
Maps is the plural of map, a visual representation of an area.As an acronym, MAPS may refer to:* Mail Abuse Prevention System, an organisation that provides anti-spam support...
. These captivating stories told by students, their parents and grandparents are translated into twelve different languages. They vividly describe diverse journeys to Albany Park from all over the world. The project led to the development of an activity guide with ongoing family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
programs and classroom curricula that foster an inclusive school community. In 1999 a traveling version of the exhibit was created to share these family stories with other communities, giving a face to those too often seen through the filters of stereotypes. Building upon the enthusiasm and success at Hibbard, the Changing Worlds project became an independent 501c3 nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
in 2000.
Areas of focus
Changing Worlds works towards our missionMission statement
A mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making...
through separate but interconnected program areas and activities that include:
• school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
partnership programs
• professional development institutes and workshops for teachers
Teachers
Teachers may refer to:* Teachers, people who provide schooling for pupils and students* Teachers , one of the five Ascension Gift Ministries* Teachers , a British sitcom* Teachers Teachers may refer to:* Teachers, people who provide schooling for pupils and students* Teachers (ministry), one of the...
• community outreach programs
• traveling exhibitions
Values
Changing Worlds believes in:
• The inclusion and acceptance of the differences and perspectives of others
• The power of art and personal stories to change perceptions and nurture connections
• The ability to affect social
Social
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
change through teachers
Teachers
Teachers may refer to:* Teachers, people who provide schooling for pupils and students* Teachers , one of the five Ascension Gift Ministries* Teachers , a British sitcom* Teachers Teachers may refer to:* Teachers, people who provide schooling for pupils and students* Teachers (ministry), one of the...
and young people
Young People
Young People is a 1961 Mexican crime film directed by Luis Alcoriza. It was entered into the 11th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Teresa Velázquez - Olga * Julio Alemán - El Gato* Adriana Roel - Alicia...