This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My freshman English literature and composition classroom is a place where students come to learn how to read, how to write, and how to critically think. It is a place where students feel comfortable to challenge themselves and to realize they can go farther than they ever thought possible.
In class we have been learning why reading and writing is absolutely necessary for our success inside and outside the classroom. Ms. M continually emphasizes how important these skills are, and she really wanted us to be able to put these skills into effect. The BuHi Project emerged from discussions we had in class about why it's important to be involved in one's community. Our neighborhood is home to people from all over the world. On Buford Highway, we have many different kinds of food and cultural experiences, but it lacks sidewalks, bike lanes, and other amenities that our community values. We wanted to think of ways that we could apply our academic and social knowledge to contribute to our neighborhood's development.
The BuHi Project tangibly connects what we do in school to what happens in our community. We wanted to find a way to participate in the planning of our neighborhood development while also finding ways to celebrate our vibrant culture. The BuHi Project allows us to understand why what we do in school actually matters...right now. While collaborating with community members and classmates, we have also learned about city planning, urban design, engineering, pedestrian considerations, transportation infrastructure, affordable housing, city governance, public speaking, and community involvement.
In Their Own Words
These past couple of months, students in Ms. M’s class have been working on a project which seeks to improve Buford Highway, but to complete the project we need sets of computers to be able to work on it every day for a long period of time.
Our goal is to get people to donate to Ms. Morris’s freshman classes. With the computers we will not only continue to develop and research our ideas for Buford Hwy, but we can also make these ideas public by utilizing websites and social media.
Our class is trying to create an open dialogue within the community. We have created a website, launched an Instagram and Facebook page, and begun managing an email account for this social project.
Students have also presented their ideas to the mayor and city council and hosted a couple exhibitions to display their ideas to the community. By having more technology available within the classroom, we will be able to amplify our voices.
The BuHi Project seeks to improve roads, walkability, environmental conditions, streetscapes and lighting, and businesses. It also seeks to preserve the diversity of income and race along this famous international corridor.
We also want to improve the overall shopping for people living and visiting Buford Highway. We have too many pawn shops, check cashing shops, and gas stations. We would love to see the curb appeal along this road become more welcoming by planting shrubs and flowers.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Morris and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
