East St. Louis Action Research Project

East St. Louis Action Research Project University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign \| College of Fine and Applied Arts
About Us Why East St. Louis? Why University of Illinois? Mission Statement People Community Partners Campus Partners ESLARP Staff Campus Advisory Committee and Affiliated Faculty Graduate Assistants Alumni Get Involved Courses Current Courses FAA 291 Fall 09 Since 2000 1990 through 1999 What We Do Student Learning Community Information and Technology Neighborhoods and Planning Organizational Capacity Building Parks and Open Space Design Assistance and Construction Publications and Reports Academic Publications Student Projects and Reports Neighborhood Plans Conference Presentations Outreach Weekend Reports Retreats and Annual Reports Awards and News ESLARP in the News Awards and Recognitions Newsletters Resources and Links Maps Internal Resources Make a Gift to ESLARP Outreach Weekend Registration *SPOTLIGHT* Larine Y. Cowan Make a Difference Award The Larine Y. Cowan Make a Difference Award was presented to ESLARP Director Laura Lawson and FAA Dean Robert Graves earlier this month during the 24th Annual Celebration of Diversity breakfast on November 11, held at the I Hotel. Presenting the award to ESLARP was Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Robert Easter, and Menah Pratt-Clarke, Interim Assistant Chancellor and Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access. ESLARP in Action Blog Search	Enriching young minds through community engagement Illinois Avenue Playground To build its membership and its reputation as an organization that gets things done, WIPNO looked for a project that could meet the residents' concerns and be completed relatively quickly. Few of the neighborhood parks had play spaces for toddlers, so the construction of such a playground was a suitable project. Several elderly neighbors had been maintaining some abandoned lots as a place for children to play. The University assisted with the site acquisition, donation of materials, and playground construction. But the design of the playground came from the youngsters' own ideas of what the "perfect" playground would be. Marie Drake East St. Louis Resident [1.22 M] "...give our children a place to play..." [0.49 M] "...input from the community..." Jeanne Genis Student, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [0.24 M] "...trees, flowers, grass, someplace to run..." [0.60 M] "...a living testament..." Illinois Avenue Playground is a visible improvement in the community. It represents an investment in youth, provides a place in the neighborhood for senior citizens and children to be together, and promotes the development of vacant lots. Dorothy Kenney East St. Louis Resident [0.18 M] "...when I look out across the street..." Marie Drake East St. Louis Resident [0.17 M] "...I'm proud of it..." Minnie Reed East St. Louis Resident [0.53 M] "...look out and see beauty instead of a wilderness..." Last updated on 12/9/2008