USSF CHILDREN'S SOCIAL FORUM SCHEDULE
June 22-26, 2010
The USSF Children's Social Forum will engage children with a variety of interactive learning opportunities facilitated by art, music and the environment.
Tuesday, June 22 (9am – 1pm) COBO Hall
Registration - (9am to 10am)
Children will be checked in and then divided into colored coded groups by age. Each small group will have up to 15 children. The groups will remain intact throughout the week and be assigned to one teacher who will oversee the group throughout the day. Teaching staff includes veteran or retired teachers as well as a few young teachers. Younger teachers are paired with veteran teachers as well as a class assistant to facilitate bathroom breaks and other tasks. Retired teacher and Children's Social Forum coordinator, Ange Smith will be on hand to oversee the classes and all activities.
Assembly – (10-10:30am)
Children will begin to learn a song written especially for the Detroit USSF by a local veteran teacher, artist and singer, Ange Smith. Each day after the song is sang, children will engage in a “git down dance” with the larger group to energize them for the day.
Planned Activities – (10:30 – 12:30)
Children will rotate through 3 activities in smaller groups. Activities will be conducted in 45 minute increments.
* Making Your Personal Shield – Kendra Bostick, MSW
* Theater Games – University of Michigan Prison Theater Group
* Creating electronic Music – Jeff Sturgis, local artist and teacher
Clean-Up (12:30 – 1pm)
Parent Pick-up - (1pm)
Wednesday, June 23 (9am-6pm) – THEME: Detroit's Connection to the U.S.
Registration and quiet activities – (9-10am)
Assembly (10-10:30)
Themed Activities (10:30-12:30)
Children will rotate through two activities in small groups:
* Core lessons taught by experienced teachers on Detroit's Connection To the U.S.
* Art projects focused on social justice by Vistas Nuevas Head Start
Lunch (12:30-1:30)
Action Events (2-5pm)
* Joe Reilly, Elizabeth Jones and friends will engage students with Native American songs and storytelling.
Clean-Up (5:00 – 5:30pm)
Parent Pick-up – (5:30-6pm)
Thursday, June 24 THEME: Detroit's Connection To the World
Registration and quiet activities – (9-10am)
Assembly (10-10:30am)
Themed Activities (10:30am-12:30pm)
Children will rotate through two activities in small groups:
* Core lessons taught by experienced teachers on Detroit's Connection to the World
* Art projects focused on social justice by Vistas Nuevas
Action Events (2-5pm)
Children will rotate in sub-groups between three interactive performances and activities.
* Nsroma African Centered Charter School African drummers led by Malik Yakini, School administrator and Food Justice Activist
* Matrix Theater Company puppet art projects. Projects will be centered around fish and water in keeping with the River Resurgence project and parade. Children under the supervision of their parents are welcomed to participate in the parade which will take place in downtown Detroit on Friday, June 25, from 10-11:30am. See registration table for details.
* Poetry workshops
Clean-Up (5:00 – 5:30pm)
Parent Pick-up – (5:30-6pm)
Friday, June 25 THEME: Environmental Day
Led by the East Michigan Environmental Action Council, this day is primarily a field trip to a local park a few miles from COBO Hall called Belle Isle. Activities will take place in and around the Belle Isle Nature Zoo. Children will be outside for most of the day, please dress them accordingly and supply sunscreen, hats, allergy medication, asthma inhalers or other individual supplies as needed.
Registration and quiet activities – (9-10am)
Assembly (10-10:30am)
Jenelle Mazaris, a Yoga and Drama Therapy instructor, will lead the children in Yoga postures and a short, guided imagery, art project.
Themed Activities (10:30-11:15am)
To prepare children for the outdoor, environmental activities through experiential learning, children will reenact the 'web of life.'
Field Trip to Belle Isle Nature Zoo - 11:15-11:30am load buses
Lunch (11:45am-12:15pm)
Themed Activities (12:30-3:30)
Activities will be led by experienced environmental educators. They are designed to increase awareness of environmental issues, as well as, ignite sensory awareness of nature.
Children will rotate through experiential activities that will include:
* Bird Watching
* Cloud Watching
* Sensory nature walk – Unnatural Trail
* Bike riding to the lighthouse on the isle
* Team building – Toxic Waste
* Field Games such as kick ball and relay races
Return to COBO (3:45-4pm)
Reflection/Debrief (4:00-4:15pm)
Movie (4:15-5:30)
Parent Pick-up (5:30-6pm)
Saturday, June 26 – THEME: The Music of Motown
Registration and quiet activities – (9-10am)
Assembly (10-10:30am)
Themed Activities (10:30am-12:45pm)
Children will utilize the information learned about the unions in Detroit to stage a protest. During the week in art classes they will have made picket signs that will be displayed as they march through the halls to the PMA session.
Preparation Activities include:
* Final practice of the original song; “Listen To the Children” that will be sang in the halls as part of the protest.
* Final sign preparation
* Explanation of protest
Lunch (12:45-1:45)
Action Events (2-5pm)
* Performances
* Motown Sound
* Jazz
* Dancing and Art
* Detroit Hustle – to be done with larger group later
* Closing art projects
Clean-Up (5:00 – 5:30pm)
Parent Pick-up – (5:30-6pm)