• Awareness Campaigns (air quality, water quality, environmental issues, etc)
• Implement recycling programs in schools
• Factories/industry increase proper waste disposal
• Improved city services (garbage pick-up, cleaning sewers/manholes, street cleaning)

• Eliminate graffiti
• Begin environmental groups in schools
• Provide home water testing
• Increase in bicycle & public transportation use
• Adopt all parks in Little Village

• All schools in Little Village encourage environmental projects & competitions
• Community wide participation in recycling
• Maintain factories away from homes
• Repair or replace city plumbing and/or city services to improve water quality overall

• Little Village will be a clean community
• Little Village is computer literate and fluent in current technology
• Little Village is a safe, well lit and pedestrian friendly community
• Block clubs exists throughout Little Village
• Local government and elected officials fully support and encourage community lead growth

Environmental Visioning Project at Project VIDA - March 4th, 2004

Sonia Munoz presented the visioning project to the girl participants at Project VIDA’s Girls Program. Project VIDA is a community organization that hosts girls programs to educate and empower young women. During this visioning session there were a total of 30 girls and it went very well. The girls had some questions about some existing environmental conditions in Little Village, as well as some recommendation on how we can improve the environment in the future. The girls also had a chance to fill out the environmental survey. Some of the issues that the girls talked about included the need for more street cleaning, safer parks and more stray animal control.

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After the drawing we went over some common themes that were drawn and discussed what Hammond school would like to see in the future. This school was invited to participate in Aprils’ Visioning Event.

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Visioning at Telpochcalli School - March 19th, 2004

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Visioning at Little Village Academy - March 24, 2004

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Visioning at Saucedo Elementary - March 29, 2004

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Visioning with girls group at Corkery School - April 1, 2004

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Visioning with girls group at Whitney School - April 5, 2004

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Visioning with girls group at Zapata School - April 6, 2004

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Steering Committee Meeting - April 21, 2004

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Visioning at Dominguez School - April 23, 2004

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Environmental Visioning Roundtable - April 29, 2004 at Saucedo School

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Steering Committee Meeting - May 18, 2004

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Saucedo Elementary - Visioning Stakeholder Group
February 26th

In attendance were a total of 14 parents who came together to form the stakeholder group. We reviewed basic information about the project and past meetings at Saucedo and then presented the images that were drawn at the last visioning activity. Based on the images a participant timeline was created and " What is group 2020?" activity was started. People divided into groups of 4 and each group had 4 to 5 participants. They created an overall list of things that we would like in/of Little Village in the next 20 years. They then placed these things in a timeline and presented to the rest of the groups. The next meeting is Mon. March 29th and the agenda will include a more detailed and organized timeline to present in our environmental summit/luncheon in April.

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Little Village Academy - February 25th, 2004 - 9:00am-10:00 am

During this meeting we were only able to do a quick introduction to the visioning project. Approximately 25 parents participated during this session, but they were extremely receptive to the information. We only had one parent whom complained about the alderman’s lack of initiative in dealing with problems in the community. We had a total of 25 minutes to present the project. Unfortunately, we were unable to conduct a visioning workshop or even distribute an attendance sheet. But I will be working on scheduling another visioning workshop and later developing a stakeholder group.

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February 24th, 2004 - 9am - Corkery School

This was the Visioning introductory meeting to Corkery School. The turnout was great, we had a total of 22 participants. This session was the first time that we presented the Visioning project to the parents. Larry Wilson and I put poster boards up with detailed information on the project. I presented an introduction to the project and proceeded to do the drawing activity with the group. The groups were divided into 4 small groups, and given the instructions. Each group was given time to discuss their visions of the future, and later they drew out what they wanted to see. Overall, I think this presentation went extremely well and I am looking forward to going back to work with these parents once again.

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Little Village Academy - January 30, 2004 - 9:00am-10:00 am

LVEJO was invited by Mr. Fred Arana the principal of L.V academy to present our project to the teachers (many of which live or lived in L.V in the past) of Little Village Academy. A total of 43 teachers were present. I began with introducing LVEJO history and introducing the visioning project. I only had approximately 20 minutes, so I went ahead and distributed the survey. After the survey, I gave a 2 minute closing presentation where I was able to answer any questions the teachers had, distribute the brochure and invite the teachers to any of the visioning presentations that were set for later in February.

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McCormick Elementary
January 21, 2004 - 9:00am-10:30am

This session was the third time that we were invited to talk with the parents at McCormick school. A total of 18 parents from the community arrived and most were very enthusiastic about the project.

I prepared for the session by taking large sheets of paper with a description of the project to place on the walls, markers/pencils/crayons for the activity, sign-in sheets, LVJEO brochures, and flyers of the project. When Miguel and I arrived, we quickly began to post the informational posters on the walls. Miguel introduced himself and gave a brief introduction to LVEJO history. I introduced myself and the project and began going over some of the past concerns of the parents in the previous sessions. The reviewing of past concerns bridged into the Visioning activity very well. We divided the group into 3 groups of 5-6 parents and asked them to discuss their ideas for the community amongst themselves for 10 minutes and make a list based on the dialogue. The next instructions were to begin to draw what was on their list. Later one volunteer would present the drawing. All three groups developed great images of their environmental future and further discussion on the next step arose in the conversation.

Follow-up : The next step is to contact them via home visit, phone call, or mailing and invite them to the “Stakeholder group” named Group 2020. Many of the parents were willing to return and be part of this group.

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2nd Visioning Workshop at McCormick Elementary School
October 21st - Area 2

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2nd Visioning Workshop at Hammond Elementary School
October 16th - Area 3 / Sonia Munoz

A total of 11 participants showed up for the Workshop. After reviewing some of the responses that were given at the Introductory Workshop we began the discussion of the priorities for the future of Little Village.

Priorities are: #1. More Parks - #2. Daycare Centers - #3. Art / Dance / Painting courses offered to Little Village

The things they wanted to more of in the future were leadership classes, more trees, more recreational programs and better public transportation.

They want to see less violence, gangs, garbage, congestion and rats.

We closed with a drawing / writing activity of the community.

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Introductory Visioning Workshop at Hammond Elementary School
September 25th - Area 3 / Sonia Munoz Presented

Although this was our first presentation at Hammond School they were very excited to have us conduct the first workshop with them. We were included in the Bilingual Parent Committee Agenda and were able to hold the workshop at the end of the meeting. Some of the comments from the exercise's were:

"Mas parques creativos, mas educacion para los ninos y padres, escuela para adultos, escuela especiales, mejor seguridad, evitar el vandalismo, parques para patinar, y parques con albercas"

"More creative parks, more education for children and parents, schools for adults, specialty schools, better security, stopping vandalism, skating parks, and parks with pools."

Overall the presentation went well and the parents were receptive with the small amount of time. I will be returning in October to present the 2nd workshop and look forward to getting volunteers to write an informative piece for the Hammond Newsletter regarding the Visioning project.

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Introductory Visioning Community Meeting at McCormick School
September 23rd - Area 2 / Sonia and Miguel Presented

The Visioning Community Meeting took place along with the Bilingual Committee Meeting and No Child Left Behind Meeting. The parents were voting for committee members that day and were actively participating in the process. Miguel began by presenting LVEJO history and inviting parents to our Visioning presentation. He brainstormed with the parents about "what is Visioning?", which bridged perfectly into the next section, the Visioning section. Parents were ready with plenty of ideas for the exercise :

Some of the responses to the Visioning:
"Que vivir en esta comunidad tiene de bueno que uno no pierde sus (costumbres) la ventaja que la mayoria de la gente able (espanol) y que es muy dificil llegar a un pais donde se abla otro idioma. Y que hay muchas oppotunidades para las personas que quieres salir adelante"., "mas limpieza, servicios de limpieza," "otra biblioteca, buenas escuelas bilingues, celebraciones fiestas mexicanas", "Las escuelas estan mas cercas, Las rentas mas economicas, mas librerias cercanas," "Las tiendas que venden alimentos mexicanos,",

" Living in this community is good because you don't lose you customs, the advantage being that most people speak Spanish and it's very hard coming to another country were a different language is spoken. There are lots of opportunities for people to move ahead"..."more cleaning, cleaning services", "another library, good bilingual schools, celebrating Mexican festivities", "the schools are closer, rent is more economical, closer libraries", "the stores sell Mexican products".

Aspects needing improvement:
" Poner Centros de Recreaccion, guarderias para ninos, el transporte es malo", "menos ratas, tratar de acabar con las gangas porque yo perdi unfamiliar y no me gustaria que mis hijo crescan con gangas,, mas vigilancia," "platicar con los ninos", "terminar el grafiti", "terminar con los policias racistas"

"Place more recreational centers, daycare's for kids, transportation is bad", "less rats, try to eliminate gangs because I lost a family member and I don't want my kids growing up with gangs, more vigilance", talking with kids". "eliminating graffiti", "eliminate racism police men and women."

Visioning Community Meeting at the Adult English Learning Center
September 3rd - Area 4

Why did you come to live in Little Village?
Some of the answers were: "because most of the people speak Spanish, Mexican food, variety in stores, I like living in Little Village because you feel like you are living in your country, Mexico"

What changes have you seen since you moved here?
"26th Street and Little Village are pretty because the stores and supermarkets are easy to find and we can communicate with the people without problems that we face at other locations, people who have different work schedules are helped a lot by the transportation system because buses are circulating day and night on 26th Street."

"The neighborhood is better then it was 6 years ago, the school are less populated"

What top 3 priorities should be the focus of improvement in Little Village?
"Gangs, Cleaner neighborhood, and educational/sports programs"

June 6th & 7th
LVEJO Facilitation Training
For local community residents, school, businesses and community organizers:

• Become a community leader and help us gather the communities visions.
• Inform your Local School Council, Bilingual Parent Group and any other group that your school might have and sign-up for Visioning meetings.
• Volunteer to pass out flyers and get the word out.
• Attend community meetings to give us your vision of the future of Little Village.
• There are many opportunities, give us a call and find out what's happening