‘When will I see [student’s name] again?’
Over the past several years, Immanuel Lutheran School in Palatine and St. Paul Lutheran School in Dorchester, a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, have been in partnership with one another through the District and Chicagoland Lutheran Educational Foundation (CLEF)’s Stirred to Love Program. Through this program, the students have built meaningful relationships with one another and been given a glimpse into life on the other side of Chicagoland. Principal Delaine Schiestel of Immanuel reports the students know one another by name and eagerly look forward to seeing each other, asking her regularly, “when will I see [student’s name] again?”
Stirred to Love gained its name from Hebrews 10:24, “and let us consider how to stir up one another to love.” It brings teachers and students from urban schools together with teachers and students from suburban schools, providing a highway for them to collaborate with and learn from one another.
Immanuel and St. Paul don’t go about this lightly either. Principal Schiestel says Immanuel’s community knows they have a sister school in the city and parents actively seek opportunities to serve St. Paul, including through their Christmas program where Immanuel families provide Christmas gifts for certain children at St. Paul.
The teachers have come together to learn from one another and help their students’ receive enriching experiences through joint teacher in-service days and field trips. Each year, students from St. Paul travel to Immanuel and vice versa to spend class time with their peers and gain an understanding about school and life in a neighborhood not far from their own. This fall, students left the school walls and went to Walcamp for a day of adventure together. Upon arrival, students ran across the field looking for their friends from the other school, according to Principal Schiestel.
Stirred to Love has already made an impact upon the communities at Immanuel and St. Paul, and the District and CLEF look forward to seeing how the program will enhance the learning experience at other schools this spring and in years to come.
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