Our 7th grade students have been trying to answer the following question: how do we make the world a better place?  That question alone has stomped many a people down because it is so overwhelming and intimidating.  We have decided to look inward, at the City of Milwaukee, and try to do our part to focus on making our City (and the lives of the residents living within) better for all.

We started a few weeks back by studying some basic geography of Milwaukee, looking at key locations and their physical relationship to things around it.  From there, we analyzed different types of maps; focusing on poverty and crime maps.  We then spent some time looking at a map of food deserts, or areas in the city without access to healthy food options.

Our students became interested in this topic and we have analyzed different problems and solutions as it relates to hunger.  Yesterday was our first brainstorming session (or a braindump) where we tossed out ideas as they relate to our problem; focusing on solutions to the problem of hunger/food deserts.  Below you will find a sample of our discussion, looking at a few items we came up with (the handwriting I warn you is mine…sorry).

Feel free to talk to your children about different solutions to the problem of hunger…the more minds, the better.

One of the core values at MJDS we work to instill within our children is that of Tikkun Olam; or making the world a better place.  Throughout the year, we engage in countless activities designed to provide opportunities for our students to engage with people in our community in need of assistance and to make a difference in their life.  On Tuesday, October 9, our seventh grade class were provided with that opportunity to help the community by preparing, serving, and eventually cleaning up breakfast at The Gathering.