Crawford MVAS Students Explore Community Issues

Crawford Multimedia and Visual Arts School students joined residents from all walks of life in their City Heights neighborhood in learning about how to take leadership in environmental issues.

Residents from all walks of life City Heights, of varied ages and from many countries, such as Burundi, Myanmar (Burma), Somalia, Vietnam, and Mexico; participated in workshops on topics that included urban planning, environmental justice, active transportation, community food systems, tenant rights, organizing and advocacy.

Crawford MVAS students participating were: Reyna Bravo, Binti Musa, Long Nguyen, Michelle Burlaza, Yadria Mejia and Jennifer Nguyen. The other members of the class were from a variety of countries, which reflects the international character of City Heights: Burundi, Myanmar (Burma), Somalia, Vietnam, and Mexico.

The nine-week program brought six Crawford MVAS AVID students together with 40 other City Heights residents. Sponsoring the workshops were the City Heights Community Development Corporation, Environmental Health Coalition, International Rescue Committee, and Proyecto de Casas Saludables, through a grant provided by the California Endowment Building Healthier Communities Initiative.

For more information on the program, contact Diego L. Gutierrez, Principal, Crawford MVAS-IDEA at dgutierrez@sandi.net.