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Chicago Tribune | Section 10 | Sunday, December 22, 2013
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Empowering children from place of creativity
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When Rachel Switall “I would just contact was earning her master’s the school librarians and degree from the University principals, who would of Illinois at Chicago, she collect the students’ partnered with students work,” she says. “I would who lived in Cabrini Green pick it up, lay out the to create a magazine called magazine and take it to Heidi Stevens Peaceful Times. the printer. Balancing Act This was close to 20 “But what I really years ago, when a series wanted was to get to the called “Killing Our ChilSouth Side.” dren” was running in the She contacted princiChicago Tribune. The pals on the South Side, got series reported, on the five on board and added front page, the murder of their students’ work. She every child under age 15 makes sure the published that occurred in the city. magazines, now named — Rachel Switall “I remember seeing that StudentsXpress, make their tally and thinking, ‘What can I way back to the kids. do?’ ” Switall says. “I thought trying to The Chicago Department of Public reach the kids beforehand and give them Health sponsored the winter issue, alsome sense of control might help. I had lowing Switall to print 40,000 copies, them draw pictures and write about their which reached students last week. She feelings. We talked about ways to solve had them distributed to 50 schools, as things without resorting to violence.” well as the Harold Washington Library Peaceful Times was part of her thesis Center, which passed them to branches. project, and she couldn’t afford to keep it The next issue in March doesn’t currunning after her Master of Fine Arts was rently have a sponsor, which means the completed. She found work as a graphic press run will decrease dramatically. designer and, a few years later, had two Switall doesn’t get paid for this endeavkids of her own. or. “I just think Chicago’s youth really “I remember working on a pet groomneed this right now,” she says. “This is ing magazine,” she told me. “And I what I can do from where I am.” thought, ‘I really don’t care about pet StudentsXpress.com has a collection grooming.’ My passion was still to help of notes from teachers whose students children in the city.” contribute to the magazine. A teacher So many of my conversations — with from Coonley Elementary wrote, “When my friends, my husband, other parents — we passed out the current issue … here start and end at a place of defeat. “What are some comments I overheard: “OMG could we possibly do?” About gun vioOMG OMG I’m IN HERE!!!” “I can’t lence. About bullying. About the increasbelieve my writing is published!” ing number of screens in our kids’ faces. “The squeals and outward joy were so “Not much,” being the unspoken answer. funny because these are middle-school Switall doesn’t settle for “not much.” students,” the teacher wrote. “They rarely After her pet grooming epiphany, she show this excitement!” launched a student magazine at Hamilton It’s not uncommon to see your name in Elementary, a public school on Chicago’s lights these days, Switall says. Kids have North Side, where her son was attending Facebook pages and Instagram accounts kindergarten. When her son and younger and online avatars. daughter (now in sixth and fourth grade) “This is more of an honor for them,” started attending Lakeview’s Nettelhorst, she says. “It really boosts their confidence she partnered with the after-school prowhen they can show their family their grammers to publish a magazine of stuartwork or their writing on a page.” dent artwork and writing. “It shows them they have something “I worked in the industry, so I knew you important to say,” she adds. had to sell ads to keep it going,” she says. And Switall shows them someone’s So she sold ads — mostly by going door-to- listening. door, business-to-business in her neighborhood. She expanded the magazine to hstevens@tribune.com five nearby schools. Twitter @heidistevens13
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