Slavic Village Neighborhood looking for help in winning Grant!

I have a special affinity for the Broadway Slavic Village neighborhood, one that has developed fairly recently. While working on a project currently under construction in the neighborhood I have met many amazing people and discovered quite a few wonderful community groups who are working diligently to keep the neighborhood alive and increase its vibrancy. From a recent Walk + Roll (there is another one planned for July 25th) to discovering The Red Chimney pirogies (decadence!), so when Mr. Jonathan Young sent me an email asking for help how could I possibly resist?

Cleveland needs your help! The Broadway Slavic Village neighborhood has applied for a $250,000 Pepsi Refresh grant. That money would go towards constructing a park and playground on two vacant lots in a pretty rough area of the neighborhood.

Those two lots are overgrown and dangerous; a row of ugly bushes divides the parcels and creates hiding places for shady activity, which rightly worries people living next to the site.

This is where you come in. We already have plans drawn up for this park – we just need the money! Pepsi’s grant dollars are administered in a unique way: by virtue of the public’s vote. A bunch of grant proposals are published on their website, and whichever grant gets the most votes, gets the money. Voting for our project goes live next month!

It’s simple. All we need is your vote throughout the month of June.

I attached a press release that offers more background on the grant as well as the Pepsi Refresh Project. Go to www.SlavicVillage.org/pepsi for more information, and a direct link to vote! You can vote daily, and we’ll need it. This is a really wonderful project, but without your help, it won’t happen.

Thanks in advance for helping us make this a reality. Please forward this email around to friends, family, coworkers, pets, enemies, random people, anyone!

The Indians are in last place; the Browns are still rebuilding; the Cavs just blew it… but your votes will help to finally Bring Home a Win for Cleveland!

Make it happen!

Thanks,

Jonathan

Jonathan Young

Slavic Village Development

resources:

.pdf poster (2megs)

press release

Progressive Arts - George Washington Carver Architecture Show

Architecture Gallery Exhibit

Sculpture Center (Euclid Ave. Gallery)

12210 Euclid Ave.

Cleveland, Ohio 44106

2pm - 8pm

For the past few months I was on a team working with Progressive Arts Alliance on using architecture and user based design to clarify the topics of math, science, english and problem solving to 6 to 8th graders at George Washington Elementary (the temporary school). Working with the students we utilized sketchup, power point and some good ol' fashioned sketchbook sketching to create some scenarios of user groups, their requirements and then attempted to solve the requirements. The class being taught was based more in problem solving and communication then using the computer as an illustration tool however I have to admit that the students completely impressed me. More so as I think back to how little time they actually were able to spend on the computers working on their projects.

PAA, through an impressive technology grant, was able to supply us with 20+ mac notebooks, enough that each student in each class was afforded their own to work on. Through lecture, conversation and private tutelage the students worked to create 3d models of the projects and ideas that they first fleshed out in their sketchbooks. Ideas that were intuitive and rather well formed. In fact, the personal responses and the maturity of the project goals astounded me, as did the design capability and exuberance.

To thank them, studioTECHNE architects and the Sculpture Center has donated space for a brief showing of the projects. Most importantly so that the students are afforded the ability to view each other's work and ideas as well as to see the success of their presentations.

It will be a short, one day only showing as we were only able to find coordinating time in between scheduled shows in the gallery but all are welcome to come and take a gander at what 6 to 8th graders can imagine, design and explain in only 12 short 50 minute class sessions (including set up and tear down time).