Overview and Background of Our Tour
Alcott College Prep has students from all over the city. We come from different neighborhoods and bring our experiences with us. Because we come from all over, we rely heavily on public transportation to get us here, but once we are here we become part of this community and have a stake in it.
The community has been through endless struggles and had some victories. They have mainly fought for jobs and housing. For instance, Stewart Warner was a company that supplied over 2,500 jobs for this community. When it moved out of Chicago, a gated community with million dollar homes took its place. It pushed out residents and it moved out jobs, which was a loss for the community members and activists. However, when something similar happened with the Cotter & Company, the community members fought against the million dollar homes that were going to take its place and won! They were able to get a Costco in its place and slowed down gentrification from spreading into the community. Costco now supplies jobs for the residents and gives great benefits to their workers. This is a major success story of community activism that the community members are proud of. Many of the workers live in the Lathrop Homes a short walk away.
The Lathrop Homes, however, is currently struggling as a community; residents are currently fighting the Chicago Housing Authority against tearing down the homes and replacing them with market rate housing and a high rise. Along with the Lathrop Homes being in danger of being demolished, their resources are in danger as well. Many of the residents at Lathrop depend on the Boys and Girls Club that keep teenagers active, provide daycare, tutoring, and mentoring to those who need it. The Boys and Girls Club is in danger of getting torn down along with the Lathrop Homes. Not only does the club help out community members, but it also helps out our school. We use the Boys and Girls Club for our sports teams’ games and practices where teenagers feel welcomed.
If the Cotter Boys and Girls Club is not saved, Hamlin Park has a great baseball field, pool, and multiple basketball courts right nearby the Alcott. However, our school is often denied use of Hamlin’s facilities. And, not welcoming us to their space causes us not be a part of their community.
As for Schneider Elementary, it was home to the Lathrop Homes and Hamlin Park. The school was great during the late 90’s and early 2000’s, until it started to descend when the population decreased throughout the Lathrop Homes, as residents were being displaced. This caused families to put their kids in a new school in the community they were now moving into. Schneider School was also in the process of being replaced. Soon Schneider became Alcott College Prep.
At the College Prep a civics class was offered for students wanting to make change, one of the changes students wanted to make was to help fight for the community and Lathrop Homes. It is because of this class that we are aware of the changes that the surrounding community has gone through.
The community has been through endless struggles and had some victories. They have mainly fought for jobs and housing. For instance, Stewart Warner was a company that supplied over 2,500 jobs for this community. When it moved out of Chicago, a gated community with million dollar homes took its place. It pushed out residents and it moved out jobs, which was a loss for the community members and activists. However, when something similar happened with the Cotter & Company, the community members fought against the million dollar homes that were going to take its place and won! They were able to get a Costco in its place and slowed down gentrification from spreading into the community. Costco now supplies jobs for the residents and gives great benefits to their workers. This is a major success story of community activism that the community members are proud of. Many of the workers live in the Lathrop Homes a short walk away.
The Lathrop Homes, however, is currently struggling as a community; residents are currently fighting the Chicago Housing Authority against tearing down the homes and replacing them with market rate housing and a high rise. Along with the Lathrop Homes being in danger of being demolished, their resources are in danger as well. Many of the residents at Lathrop depend on the Boys and Girls Club that keep teenagers active, provide daycare, tutoring, and mentoring to those who need it. The Boys and Girls Club is in danger of getting torn down along with the Lathrop Homes. Not only does the club help out community members, but it also helps out our school. We use the Boys and Girls Club for our sports teams’ games and practices where teenagers feel welcomed.
If the Cotter Boys and Girls Club is not saved, Hamlin Park has a great baseball field, pool, and multiple basketball courts right nearby the Alcott. However, our school is often denied use of Hamlin’s facilities. And, not welcoming us to their space causes us not be a part of their community.
As for Schneider Elementary, it was home to the Lathrop Homes and Hamlin Park. The school was great during the late 90’s and early 2000’s, until it started to descend when the population decreased throughout the Lathrop Homes, as residents were being displaced. This caused families to put their kids in a new school in the community they were now moving into. Schneider School was also in the process of being replaced. Soon Schneider became Alcott College Prep.
At the College Prep a civics class was offered for students wanting to make change, one of the changes students wanted to make was to help fight for the community and Lathrop Homes. It is because of this class that we are aware of the changes that the surrounding community has gone through.
Tour Sites and Route
Demographics
- Population: 13,958
Income and Housing
- Median Household Income: $92, 218
- Long-term resident (5 years): 23%
- Median Age: 33 years
- Average Sold Price: $645, 171
- Average Rental Price: $2,573
- Pet Friendly Rentals: 78%
Marital Status:
- Singles: 9.7%
- Married Couples: 43.7%
- Single Parents: 7.3%
- Married Couples w/ Kids: 39.3%
Workforce
- White Collar-2030
- Blue Collar-1486
Race
- White alone - 9,544 (88.5%)
- Hispanic - 491 (4.6%)
- Black alone - 325 (3.0%)
- Asian alone - 230 (2.1%)
- Two or more races - 172 (1.6%)
- American Indian alone - 12 (0.1%)
- Other race alone - 11 (0.1%)