Nuf Said

CYVN’s NUF SAID crew will be holding its two-part final event on Wednesday, October 27th at The Chicago Urban Art Society [2229 S. Halsted]. The culminating event will feature NUF SAID youth presentations and public launch of the NUF SAID website.
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Wondering what the NUF SAID project is all about? This behind-the-scenes slide show from our kickoff event gives you a look at how it all started.

Jacob Colker of The Extraordinaries Inspires Chicago Youth

People spend 9 billion hours per year playing solitaire. What if they gave some of that time to support their favorite causes? This is among the questions Jacob Colker was considering when he co-founded The Extraordinaries, a social media technology company that engages people in “micro-tasks” that support organizations or causes by using a mobile phone or web browser.

Jacob Colker

Jacob was they keynote speaker for the Youth 2.0 Recovery Project on January 30^th at Columbia College, where he discussed the power and potential of social media tools to mobilize groups and create change. Through a series of case studies based largely on personal experience, Jacob described how emerging social media tools have decided elections, sparked boycotts, ruined political careers, and roused political dissent.

As an entrepreneur concerned with addressing social problems, Jacob sees a bright future for social media technologies to expose, inspire, inform, and rally groups of people around critical issues. His insights were a valuable addition to a kickoff event attended by over 50 youth from throughout Chicago, all of whom were excited about the opportunity to use social media for social good.

The next step in the process? Youth will be using some of the very social media tools Jacob presented on to poll their peers about the effects of the current economic recession. Using data collected from hundreds of their peers, youth media makers will then create multimedia work that reflects the authentic experiences of Chicago youth. In the end, youth producers will have compiled a series of snapshots that together will form vibrant collage of stories about what it’s like to be a young person living in Chicago in 2010.

‘NUF Said (Network, Unity, Future) is the new name and brand of CYVN’s Youth 2.0 Recovery Reporting Project. Beyondmedia Education youth leader Crystal Jackson won a Flip Cam for the overwhelming favored pick at the Kick Off Event on Saturday January 30th. Congratulations Crystal and thanks for capturing the spirit of our project in a terrific name!!!! Look for changes in our design soon to reflect our new branding strategy for the project.

This group was facilitated by Florian Sichling and Jorge Valdivia

Is segregation a problem?

How do you distinguish a house from a home?

How many times have you moved within the city?
Did you live in public housing?
How many H.S. have you attended?

Do you feel safe where you live?

What’s your perception of Section 8 housing programs?

Do you have your own room?

Where do you go to find out about resources?

Are you aware of (before/after)?
When police cameras
Park projects
Government/Retail Development

What would you do to make your community better?

How have you been effected by gentrification?

What is gentrification?
Is it always bad?
Who is responsible?
Who is affected?

Would you consider working w/youth in other parts of the city?

This group was facilitated by Deanna McLeary and Rebecca Estrada

If you have to gain experience for employment how do you do it?

Where are job training opportunities in the community?
I don’t know
Churches
library
schools/community college
park district
friends or family

What are the things in your household that impact/shape your view for job search?

If you want a job, where do you go?

What do you do when there’s not any job available?

Does public assistance affect your outlook on jobs?

Why do you want a job?

How do you find the right job?

How long do you stay in a single job?

This group was facilitated by Jeff McCarter Kari Lydersen and Troy Harden
Where do you go for information about …your health???
Doctor
Parents
Teachers
Friends

How far do you have to travel for healthy food?
1-3 blocks
6-12 blocks
a couple miles
further

Is eating healthy important?
yes
no

Where do you feel you eat healthy?
School
Home
Friends
I don’t eat healthy

When/if you get pregnant who do you tell first?
Boyfriend
Friends
Parents
Teachers
Someone else

If you are sexually active do you use protection? If yes, what type?
Not sexually active
No
Yes, female/male condom
Birth control, ex. IUD, pills, shot

Do you know how to find out if you have been exposed to lead?
yes
no

Do you know anyone who has or has had lead?
yes
no

How often do you eat fast food?
one day/week
2-3 days/week
4-5 days/week
7 days a week (every day)

Do you think weed should be legalized?

Do you smoke weed? How often?
yes, a couple times a week
yes, a couple times a month
yes, a couple times a day

If you use drugs, which ones do you use?
I don’t use drugs
Weed
Alcohol
Ecstasy
More than one

What are the negative effects of weed?

Is weed easy to get?

Who is selling drugs?

Is it toxic where you live?

Who do you blame for toxicity in your community?
Government
Previous generations
Ourselves
I don’t know

Do you feel that your neighborhood is a clean area?
Yes
No
I don’t know

What is your form of exercise?
Swim
Run
Sports
Other
I dont exercise

What do you consider healthy eating?
Organic foods

How safe do you feel your neighborhood is?
Very safe
Somewhat safe
Very dangerous
Somewhat dangerous

How far away from home can you go and still feel safe?

How often do you hear gun fire?

Do you have access to healthcare?

Does your family have health insurance?

How far do you travel for healthcare?

This focus group was facilitated by Salome Chasnoff, Rob Wildeboer, and Rebecca Connie

How many times have you been approached by the police?

Do you think police cameras are effective?

Do you agree that online sites promote violence?

Have you been or do you know someone who has been a target of violence based on:
race
sexual orientation

Does the media influence violence?

Which of these leads to the most violence?
Social networking?
Race?
Jealousy?
Neighborhood?
School?
Money?

Does CPS take proper precautions against school violence?

Do you think suspensions deter violence?

When students get in trouble in school, should CPS:
suspension
expel
arrest
conflict resolution

How much of an influence is music to violence?
A lot?
Somewhat?
Not so much?

Do you think the way violence is displayed in movies influences younger children?

Who’s responsible for curbing violence?
CPS
You
Police
City of Chicago

Is participating in an act of violence (or fight) always a choice?

Have you been or do you know someone who has been sexually assaulted/harassed/raped?

Have you ever started a fight?

Have you ever thrown a first punch? provoked the 1st punch?

Do you think positive youth organizations prevent youth violence?

Do you think that if there were more job opportunities for youth there would be less violence?

Have you ever engage din a crime/violence because you were bored?

Facilitated by Sarah Karp and Therese Quinn

When does reality kick in?
life changing event
job or revelation
responsibilities
deciding on a college
independence

What makes good teachers?
ability to connect with students
ability to see the whole students
ability to turn curriculum into real life scenarios
making curriculum fit to what teens want to know

How do you get back on track?
counseling
parents
friends
spiritual change

What type of people drop out?
crimes
learning disabilities
dysfunctional families
overwhelmed at school

What role does your environment play in your decision to stay in school?
major
small
none at all

Do you know your counselor?
Yes
No

Do you know what your counselor does?
Yes
No

Do you think your counselor cares about you?
YES
NO

Have you visited your counselor at least once this year?

Your counselor visits your classroom?
Yes
No

On a scale of 1 to 10 rate your counselor

Do you learn more in school or at your afterschool activity?

Do you think the education you are getting in school will help you succeed in life?
some classes
none
classes don’t, but other experiences do
all classes
one class

Why do you think that high school students drop out?
lack of motivation
uncertain future
make quick money
need money

How many times a week in school do you feel in danger?
once
every other day
always
never

How often do you feel unsafe coming to and from school?

On January 29-30, CYVN launches the kick off of the Youth 2.0 Recovery Reporting Project. Keynote speakers announced today bring Social Media experts together with Journalists and Social Researchers in order to help prepare youth to monitor how youth in Chicago are faring during the economic recovery.

JACOB COLKER

Jacob Colker is a recognized leader in political activism and issue advocacy, and a leading voice in the use of technology for community engagement. Jacob has managed political campaigns in California, Illinois, and Maryland, and he was one of the first field directors in the country to leverage Facebook® in a major political campaign to win a statewide election. Jacob has also managed issue advocacy campaigns for The International Campaign for Tibet, The 1Sky Campaign, and other non-governmental organizations, both in the U.S. and around the world.

NATALIE MOORE

ALEX MOFFAT-BATEAU