ALL FOR ONE

A MAJOR MILESTONE for any Hamilton City Schools student is when they step into the halls of the Hamilton Freshman Campus for the first time, shoulder to shoulder with their peers all across the city. Garfield Griffins and Wilson Knights together as one. East side versus west side rivalries are no more. To achieve camaraderie and unity among classmates in his first year as the freshman principal, Ty Smallwood created ONE Hamilton, a group for freshmen associated with 17STRONG. At the beginning of the school year, students were asked to locate which Hamilton neighborhood they live in. Then they were invited to join the inaugural 2021-2022 ONE Hamilton group and eventually apply to be a Neighborhood Champion. The goal was to have 17 champions, one for each

Connecting communities with ONE Hamilton

BYKIEH KIRBY

distinct neighborhood in Hamilton— and in the first year, each of those 17 seats were filled with many more classmates joining the group as action team members!

17STRONG is a movement among Hamilton’s 17 neighborhoods that believes the city is stronger when its residents are more engaged, informed, and connected. They’re known for their we > me slogan, an effort to highlight that positive community change is possible when we all work together. “Our vision for Hamilton’s neighborhoods is to celebrate, not separate. We aim to identify and amplify what makes our neighborhoods special, and to provide a structure that would be inclusive of all Hamiltonians. In turn, we will create stronger, more identifiable areas throughout Hamilton that will make us better as a whole because neighborhoods are the strategic building blocks of overall community developments.”

The ONE Hamilton 17STRONG group of freshmen are passionate about our city. This group gives space for freshmen to vocalize ideas or concerns about their community. One specific way they can move their ideas into action is by applying for the 17STRONG microgrant—a grant open to any Hamilton resident. Up to $2,500 is awarded if your application is accepted. Many students proposed ways to improve their neighborhood’s crosswalks, increase communal activities and more. One grant was awarded for the ONE Hamilton group in 2022—a composting project in Highland Park. This was the first time many of these students had applied for a 17STRONG microgrant, but I can tell you it won’t be the last. Current freshman Eckley Bridges, from the Armondale neighborhood said, “The reason I came out and signed up for 17STRONG is because I wanted to help my community. I wanted to help the neighborhood that I’m going to live in, the city I’m going to live in and the community that I live in right now… Principal Smallwood told me that Armondale is one of the least active neighborhoods when it comes to talking to each other, so I would love to see more activity in every neighborhood, not just Armondale… The way I see Hamilton, is the place where I’m going to be for my whole life hopefully... I have big aspirations for Hamilton. I want this to be the best place for my [future] kids, my wife, my family, for everyone who lives here, and I think we can accomplish that with this group right here.”

As the 2022-23 school year began, principal Smallwood quickly started the application process for the next round of ONE Hamilton 17STRONG Neighborhood Champions. To his surprise, more than 100 freshmen applied. Twice a month, the group gathers together to talk about the city, their unique neighborhoods, and ways they can get involved. “The students lead this. The coolest part about it for me is that I just get to drop a little seed and then they run with it. We have a lot of support staff who help as well—our librarian and secretary. It’s a really fun addition to the school, to have these

YEAR-2 MEMBERS

kids lead. These kids are amazing. They all talk about how they want to stay here and invest locally,” said principal Smallwood. Some of their meetings included guest speakers such as city manager Joshua Smith, 17STRONG board chair Kathy Klink, and director of neighborhoods, Brandon Saurber. Hearing directly from others about the impact of a connected community ignited a spark in these freshmen that will hopefully only continue to grow.

The next round of 17STRONG microgrants are available now to any Hamilton resident with an idea to create a safer, cleaner or more engaged neighborhood. Current freshmen are already hard at work coming up with ideas to improve their community and connect their neighbors. You too can join the movement at 17stronghamilton.org where you can learn which of the 17 neighborhoods you live in or apply for the upcoming microgrant due on March 17.