Education al fresco
May 29, 2007 at 9:30 pm by Joeff Davis in Scene & Herd
ELEVEN PAIDEIA STUDENTS LIVED IN AN INMAN PARK PLAYGROUND FOR FOUR DAYS LAST WEEK AS PART OF A HOMELESS-IMMERSION PROJECT: “Can we have class inside today?â€
For four days last week, 11 students from Atlanta’s Paideia private school forsook all the comforts of home — including a home itself. They lived in an outdoor playground in Inman Park, and were permitted to bring a blanket, a plastic sheet, $5, the clothes they had on, and a pair of old shoes.
The students were participants in teacher Elizabeth Hearn’s homeless-immersion class. The goal is to teach about the challenges of being homeless, to humanize homeless people and to show students how materialism “inundates our culture.†According to Atlanta Children’s Shelter, there are 2,500 homeless children in the city.
The 11 students who participated were chosen from a pool of 17 applicants. During the day, they walked around Atlanta, visiting with real homeless people on the street and volunteering in homeless shelters.
Maddie Mitchell, 13, says the most difficult part of the experience was “getting [dirty] looks from other people†while she walked down the street.
Lying on a cardboard box and looking up at the sky, 10th-grader Aryelle Cormier described an encounter the students had with a group of people in a homeless encampment in southwest Atlanta in almost spiritual terms.
“They didn’t have anything,†she said, “but they did.â€
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May 31st, 2007 at 3:28 pm
That matty mitchel is not spelled the right way. I am “Matty mitchel” but spell it Maddie Mitchell. The guy who interveiwed me even asked how to spell my name. I am not happy with this!!!!!!!
June 6th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Do they offer a “Get a Job, Hippie!” class at Paideia. Or is that just at public school?
June 6th, 2007 at 10:47 pm
UPDATED: Maddie, we have corrected the spelling of your name and apologize for the error.
June 8th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
I always loved that song from The Karate Kid, “Fight for Your Honor”
‘Cause I am a man who will fight for your honor
I’ll be the hero that you’re dreaming of
Gonna live forever knowing together
That we did it all for the glory of love…
- except I would sing it with a little Michael McDonald flavor… with some gospel singers doing backup vocals…
June 15th, 2007 at 9:15 am
Interesting and cool program. Too bad Maddie Mitchell couldn’t have just offered the correct spelling in her comment and left of the “I am not happy with this!!!!!” It certainly dilutes the positive energy of the piece and reinforces the snotty stereotype of private school kids.
June 17th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Silly hippies . . . if you want to help the homeless go buy them an alarm clock so they can wake their lazy butts up and get a job.
June 22nd, 2007 at 4:41 pm
WHAT?!? I do help the homeless by making lunches, giving them clothing and helping at shelters. And no, Paideia does not offer a get a job hippie class. We don’t need one. We are a great school. Why does everyone think we are ALL hippies. Paideia has changed a ton. By the way, we do have snotty people at Paideia but I would not say I was. I was mad because the guy interveiwing me also asked how to spell my name!
June 22nd, 2007 at 7:08 pm
By the way, it was 5 days and four nights. There was 12 students too.
June 24th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
Tyler, StepHen,
I’m sorry to be mean, but until you guys go out there and listen to what these people have to say. Until you live on the streets for a year, with all the danger, and pain and fear that homeless people feel. Only then can you say what you have said. Homelessness is not a choice, and it is that misconception that is one of the major issues of homelessness. I think it is so funny that people are calling us snotty for choosing to inform ourselves, and listen to others. I don’t think that a lot of people understand how hard this was to do. Wow, have we got some work to do with society!
June 25th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
you tell them Lizzie!
June 29th, 2007 at 8:58 am
Hi Liz,
Your comments are good. Unfortunately you misread…or didn’t read… my comment. To repeat: The program looks interesting and cool. Note my reference to the positive energy of the piece. My only negative was directed towards Maddie’s addressing her anger in the comments and using 8 exclamation points and how that then detracts from the good vibe some people might take away from the article. A phone call, email or letter might have been a better forum for her complaint.
Please don’t lump me in with the likes of some of the simpletons you find posting comments about “give them an alarm clock” or “get a job hippy classes.” My post had none of that idiocy.
!!!!!!!!
June 29th, 2007 at 8:59 am
Meanwhile, I’m so mad at me for misspelling my own name! Although I’m only one exclamation point mad.
:-D
June 29th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
WHAT?!? OMG- you now what-forget it, it’s not worth it…
August 27th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Grow up, Maddie. You’re nothing but a litle brat.
September 8th, 2007 at 11:04 am
OMG! That is not true! I am not a brat. You are the brat here. That was really mean. Don’t judge me if you don’t know me. I am really nice unless people are really mean is act like I am nothing. So just don’t say anything.
September 23rd, 2007 at 9:36 am
Hello,
To clear up what Lizzie was saying, she was talking to both Tyler and StepHen, so I don’t think she was saying that you (stephen) said those things about the homeless.
Also I don’t think that what Maddie said reinforces the steriotype for private schools. I know Maddie and she is not snotty, so please do not believe that about our school. Even if you do feel the need to think that, please do not judge what we did with the homeless thing just because of the school we go to. What we did was amazing and really made me feel for them. Before you judge homeless people, please learn about them.
Tyler, just so you know, once you become homeless it is not as easy as it seems to just get a job and get a house. You have to have a lot of money to put down the downpayment for an apartment. Even if you work 40 hours a week, if you have a minimum wage job, you will not have enough money to keep an appartment and pay for all the other expenses that we don’t even think about. But anyways, what I’m trying to say is that it’s not as easy as it seems.
Jonathon, we’re kids, we have a long time before we need to be grown-ups. Please try not to be rude to my friend, calling someone a brat can be very offensive. I would be really hurt if you called me a brat.
Thanks for reading the artical though, because seeing all those people who were like us except that they had almost no money and people looked at them like they were gross was really sad. When I see someone homeless now, I look them in the eye because they are just as good as anyone else. Even if you don’t want to give them money, don’t shy away from them, because that’s the worst part, when other people think you’re nothing. Or even just think your’re a brat.
Peace,
Joanna
September 29th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
Joanna,
You’re being overly sensitve.
There’s no need to get all teary-eyed because someone gave direct feedback.
Let’s not be overly dramatic here… but perhaps that was the whole point.
September 30th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
Jonathon,
Joanna is not being overly sensitive.
She is being honest.
Just because you think a diffrent way than other people
does not give you the right to be mean.
September 30th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Way to go guys! Wish I had done something like this when I was thirteen.
October 1st, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Cloudspitter,
I love how you are so positive! (strange reply name though) LOL
October 28th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Maddie,
You and Joanna need a big box of Kleenex for all of your tears.
It’s OK though, the world has all kinds, and that certainly includes the teary-eyed.
October 29th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
Jonathon,
Listen, that is not who I am. I am very diffrent from who you think I am. I am anything but teary eyed. So if you don’t mind please quit bugging me.
November 8th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
thats cool. is the pic of 1 of u ppl?
November 8th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
cool dude,
ya, thats Jonny (Jonathon) trying to sleep through the horrible, bright flash that goes off each time the reporter to a picture! funny!
November 22nd, 2007 at 9:38 pm
that is really quite interesting. I would have loved to be able to try out homelessness. You are really lucky. :)
December 23rd, 2007 at 10:21 pm
tascata,
It was amazing. I am/was very lucky and glad I was able to go on the trip.
January 2nd, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Jonathon,
You should keep tossing out your “funny” remarks because that’s all they’re good for. I happen to know Maddie and Joanna, and they are way better people than you could EVER be!!!!!!
BTW… If ignorance was bliss, you would be the happiest person alive!!!!
January 2nd, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Yo Jonathon,
You should seriously consider getting a life because the whole “teary-eyed” insult is the oldest one in the book.
P.S. You better get out some kleenex because YOU JUST GOT SERVED!!!!!!!!!
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:56 am
Jonathon - they’re kids, try not to be such a huge jerk. They have a lot to learn and a long time to learn it. God bless them for trying to get out and see for themselves.
I did that myself, spending a lot of time voluntering in homeless shelters and soup kitchens where I learned that, for the most part homelessness is not a choice, but it is the inevitable result of a series of choices. I also learned that the vast majority are homeless only temporarily.
Liz - you are mistaken that I have to live as a homeless person to understand what it means to be homeless or to fix the problem, any more than a doctor has to get sick to treat a patient.
Maddie, Liz and friends - keep it up, learn for yourself and don’t believe anything you are told unless you know it to be true from first hand experience or you check it out for yourself. Learn that there are snotty litle jerks that will flame you in forums lke this for no reason at all. Most importantly, learn that you don’t know much right now. It’s okay, you aren;t supposed to know a lot. Just pay attention and keep learning as long as you breathe.
Also, learn that journalists get it wrong on a lot of subjects (like spelling a name) and you should get your info from a wide variety of sources.
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:59 am
I just have to wonder how I ended up commenting on a story this old?????
January 4th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Dale-
thanks for the message thing. It was really nice.
-Maddie
January 19th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Jonathon,
You really need to open up your mind to things that you haven’t experienced. I know Liz, maddie, and Joanna, and all of their friends, and it just so happens that they are REALLY nice people! No, we are not a hippie school, either. We are just a school who cares about the environment, and so should you! Maddie has the right to be annoyed if her name is spelled wrong because it happens a lot to her. Think about it this way: what if everyday, someone spelled your name like this: Jonthon. It would get pretty annoying, right? I think it’s awesome that maddie, liz, and joanna went out and tried something that is hard for people, unlike a narrow minded person, as yourself. Get some new jokes too!!!!!!
February 4th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Maddie and friends,
How sweet…
More of you little friends came to the rescue.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
I don’t know why you keep acting like we’re crying. You’re being really immature and that’s a big deal for someone of my age to say.
It’s annoying that just because I care about the world or anything as important as homelessness i get bashed by someone like you who doesn’t seem to get it.
I’m not teary eyed, I’m annoyed. Could we end this pointless arguing because it’s not going anywhere. Stop insulting what we did.
peace,
Joanna
February 5th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Jonathan - you are a jerk and a bully. Bullies are cowards, always.
Try to demonstrate some maturity and help Maddie and her friends.
Or just shut up..
Remeber, it is better to remain silent and have people think you are an ass, than to speak up and confirm it.
February 6th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Girls - responding to that douchebag only makes it worse. Say nothing and he will find others to annoy. No, I am not talking about you, Dale. I mean Jonathan. Really I do.
February 6th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
yeah yeah yeah
I love you too
February 7th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Hey, folks, we’re pleased to have the conversation continuing on this post but not the abusive language. A comment has been deleted for that reason. Please refrain from harsh, abusive or threatening language. Thanks.
February 9th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Sorry,
We are all just really mad. It won’t happen again
Maddie
February 14th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Jonathon,
You are a HUGE jerk. By the way, I would appreciate it if you didn’t refer to me as “one of maddie’s little friends”. I’m really proud of them for doing something like that.
Dale,
Thank you for being nice to us and supporting us. It shows that you care about others. By the way, well said about Jonathon being a coward. I’m not trying to be mean, but it’s true.
Morgan
February 14th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
About the brat thing-
Jonathon,
Within this situation I believe you are the brat because you are referring to me as a brat who you have never met in your life. Everyone within this forum thinks you need to quit harassing us young teenagers who were fortunate to experience this extraordinary trip type thing, homeless immersion. I would like to dismiss your unfortunate behavior and start with a clean plate.
-Maddie
September 23rd, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Homelessness is often a choice.
No mortgage payment, No Utility Bills, No “keeping up with the Jones’s” (or “Leon’s”).
Plus, people like Matty will come out and give them free baloney sandwiches every now and then, to go with their hot wings and malt liquor.
Next time, maybe these kids could help these bums move down the path of getting work. If they don’t want to work then that’s that.
I see hundreds of Mexicans working and living productive lives, meanwhile these so called homeless (American changos) shift around living for free.
How about Matty gives these homeless fellas a ride to the Home Depot to do some day labor and get them back in the work force.