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Hello hello, from our last newsletter of the summer! Here’s what’s been going on at Riverside this month:
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Cooperative entrepreneurship program
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Riverside’s cooperative entrepreneurship program is in full swing, with not one but two sessions this month! Highlights from the program so far include:
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Story circle: Students got to experience their first story circle, facilitated by Noel Didla. Each person practiced telling their story and making the space safe for others to tell theirs. We learned that listening is a skill and we’re excited to continue cultivating it through future circles.
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Play-Doh power: A creative activity asked students to portray what power means to them using Play-Doh. Everyone created such different and imaginative sculptures! Interdisciplinary, hands-on learning activates the mind and uncovers new answers to old questions.
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Shared strengths: Ms. Vanessa facilitated an activity on shared strengths. Students talked about their respective strengths, added those strengths to balloons, and then presented their strengths to the group. We all bring something to the table–working together helps us lift each other up!
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- Cooperative roleplay: Students adopted the roles of different stakeholders in a business (workers, owners, community members) and acted out different scenarios–one in a generative working environment, the other in a negative one. Nothing teaches the value of a cooperative work environment better than experiencing it first-hand.
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Community: Students expressed a sense of community, cohesion, and belonging as part of Riverside’s first cohort. It’s an honor to facilitate this space for young people in Jackson to thrive.
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Jeff Good held a three-day fire sale at the Old Farmer’s Market on Woodrow Wilson, and Riverside showed up! We got great deals on a ton of cool furniture and equipment. Our space is starting to look like a real coffeeshop now–hooray!
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The outside of our building is getting beautified, too. Over the past few weeks, Lori and Vilas have cleaned up the exterior and cut down weeds. Now Lori is working on a landscaping plan that will bring back native plants and pollinators.
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We’d like to begin canvassing and door-knocking around South Jackson to engage more community and better reflect the needs of the neighborhood. If any community members or partners are interested in working with us on this–please reach out!
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That’s all from us. We hope everyone enjoys the cooling weather and stays hydrated!
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