homework house in highland park

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Students, parents welcome the Homework House in Highland Park

By Cryss Walker

November 1, 2022 / 5:43 PM EDT / CW50 Detroit

(CBS DETROIT)  - It takes a village to raise a child.

That's the motto Shamayim "Mama Shu" Harris says led her to create Avalon Village in Highland Park.

The newest installment, the Homework House, is another resource for kids in the community.

"And literally, that is what this village is about," Harris said.

"It's about building family. It's about building the whole child and family."

Yusef Muhammad is a high school senior.

The 17-year-old stops by the Homework House after school because he says he can get his work done in a quiet place. 

"My cumulative GPA is a 3.75 so, yeah it's like a good workspace and it's like chill," Muhammad said.

"Not too much noise, just do what you got to do."

Retired Highland Park teacher Boniswa Brock is the director of education.

"Mama Bo is amazing with her stem education for the youth," said Derrienne Reese, a parent.

"She's very engaging with them. They're always so excited to learn with her and she, you know, she'll get down and she'll roll around on the floor with them. Like she's very engaging with all the kids and they love it."

Brock says homework can account for 25% of a student's overall grade.

 The educator stresses the importance of completing and understanding assignments.

"Being at the homework house and getting it done is very important," Brock explained.

"In addition too, they need to learn how to do research and to learn how to study. A lot of them don't know how to study."

Mama Shu says often times that understanding is hard to achieve because some kids can't concentrate at home.

"Sometimes the grand parents are taking care of them," Harris said.

"Some parents are incarcerated. Sometimes they're just overloaded and they have two and three jobs and they have to go to work and it's hard to sit down and actually help you know the child with their studies."

The center is currently looking for qualified tutors.

Applicants can click here for more information.

• Highland Park

Born and raised in Detroit, Cryss Walker is happy to be back after leaving her hometown for the state's Capitol.

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Highland Park activist Mama Shu, volunteers transform blighted house into homework space for kids

Activist opens safe place for children to do homework, grow in highland park.

Mama Shu's Homework House in Highland Park provides a safe place for homework, making music, learning, and more.

HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. (FOX 2) - The latest addition to Avalon Village in Highland Park is a project five years in the making .

"So glad this day is here. It's a long time coming, stop and go. Different things have happened, but we are finally here at this moment to open up today," said Shamayim Harris, aka Mama Shu.

Shu wanted to fight blight in her neighborhood while helping the community, so work started on The Homework House .

"Our team got together and said this is something we want to get involved with," said Bob Layne, with Habitat for Humanity. "This was really more about the kids, and we really feel that our future is in our kids."

Volunteers helped transform a house that was slated for demolition into a safe place for children to do their homework after school. 

"Sometimes people don't grasp that, that you can't do your homework around a lot of chaos," said Dr. Anita Bates, a professor at Wayne State University. 

That's not all – The Homework House also has a music studio, a basketball court, a playground, and will have a daycare in the future.

"This is a gifted and talented program focused on STEAM," said Boniswa Brock, with Every Child is a Genius Daycare. "We base it on how they grow. We grow with them."

The opening of the house comes on the 15th anniversary of the hit-and-run death of Mama Shu's 2-year-old son Jacobi Ra in 2007. Then in 2021, her son Chinyelu was murdered . It's pain she's channeled into progress, taking her neighborhood from blight to beauty.

"I'm just a citizen, just decided to say, ‘I want to fix up this block and do something with it and make it a phoenix rising,’ and that's what we did," Shu said.

More will be added to the house, too.

"This is a safe place. It's positive, and it's something we can be proud of as we move forward to rebuild our community," said Highland Park Councilman Ken Bates

From 3-6 p.m., the community is invited to tour The Homework House at 40 Avalon St. in Highland Park and pick up a backpack full of school supplies. 

Avalon Village's Mission is to create a safe, nurturing, uplifting, and healing space within the City of Highland Park MI. We're doing this by converting vacant and blighted land into a valuable urban resource and providing basic living components for a quality, comfortable, and prosperous life. In addition, we provide basic services to the community to enhance traditional municipal or government services that have been reduced, eliminated or have become unaffordable.

Avalon Village is a proud partner of the

Highland Park Community Crisis Coalition- Emergency Hub.

2023 CNN Hero Top 10 finalist Shamayim ‘Mama Shu’ Harris is the founder and CEO of Avalon Village in Highland Park, MI. She is a mother, a community activist, and a former school administrator, who served Detroit schools for 27+ years. Her dream of building this urban oasis was manifested after the tragic loss of her son, Jakobi RA, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver in 2007 at the age of two.

In 2021, the unthinkable happened. She lost another child when her 23-year-old son Chinyelu was murdered on January 26.

Rather than fall into despair, Shu chose to heal and honor the memory of her sons by transforming "Blight to Beauty"™ and creating something wonderful for the people of Highland Park. She assembled a team of engineers, futurists, artists, urban farmers, volunteers, and donors from around the world who are helping to build Avalon Village, a sustainable eco-village on Avalon Street between Woodward Avenue and Second. The village currently owns 40+ parcels of land and 5 houses with plans to acquire more property as the organization grows.

These vacant, blighted lots and structures are being brought back to life as the Homework House (an after-school learning and activity center for neighborhood children), the Goddess Marketplace (an economic development initiative for women entrepreneurs), the Healing House (a center for holistic healing), a healthy cafe, activity courts, greenhouses, a micro-library and more.

This unique community-building project has received local, national, and international media attention on The Ellen Show, NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, the Today Show, People Magazine, The New York Times, Huffington Post, Fast Company, and many other publications in Detroit and beyond. Comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres even gifted Mama Shu with a prefabricated house which now serves as The Village Hall, the headquarters of Avalon Village.  

Shu served as the first female chaplain with the Highland Park Police Department. She was the chairwoman of the Highland Park Charter Commission, charged with helping shape the city’s future. In addition, she served as Vice President of the Highland Park Housing Commission, president of the Highland Park Board of Education, and as an appointed member of The Michigan Commission on Community Action and Economic Opportunity, appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. She has received the Let Freedom Ring Award and numerous other local and national awards for her work.

Shu has dedicated her life to serving the people (especially children and elders) in her community, demonstrating that one person truly can make a difference, even against seemingly impossible odds, and inspiring others to live without fear and follow their dreams. Learn more at theavalonvillage.org.

Hover over each picture to learn more about the places of Avalon Village

This park is dedicated to Jakobi RA, Mama Shu's youngest son who was killed on September 23, 2007 by a hit-and-run driver. This park is the gathering place for the community for private and community events, music festivals, concerts, workshops, or event a daytime picnic with your family. 

Jakobi RA Park

The Homework House is the tutoring center in the heart of The Village. This space is dedicated to giving the children of the community a place to come to before and after school to eat, do their homework, participate in after-school activities, and more.

The Homework House

Dedicated to Chinyelu Humphrey, Mama Shu's son who was killed on January 26, 2021, this garden and shrine is a place to sit and find peace. The beautiful rows of flowers brighten up the village with their bold array of colors. Come sit in the gazebo and spend some time taking in the beauty of The Village.

The Invincible Gardens

Donated by Ellen DeGeneres and Cacoon 9, The Village Hall is the place to do business in The Village. Like all cities, The Village Hall acts as the municipal hub "City Hall" for the important work Avalon Village conducts.

The Village Hall

The first addition to The Avalon Village Athletic Department, My 3 Sunz Basketball Court is a place where the community can come together to exercise, play ball, have tournaments, or just let off some steam. The court is dedicated to Mama Shu's 3 Sunz who are now ancestors: Jakobi RA, Pili (Bonus Sun), and Chinyelu.

My 3 Sunz Basketball Court

The Goddess Marketplace incubates, supports, and nurtures a collective of women-owned businesses promoting self-sufficiency while increasing wealth and prosperity in the community.

The Goddess Marketplace

An addition to The Homework House, The Imhotep STEAM Lab will help foster innovative thinking in the children of our community. They will get to explore and learn about SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ART, and MATH in a recycled shipping container that has been transformed into an eco-friendly, sustainable building.

The Imhotep STEAM Lab

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4 p.m. - Exploring Homework House in Highland Park

New residents Michael and Jessi share how Homework House has helped with their children and what they love about the neighborhood. | We're spending 24 hours in Highland Park on June 3, 2024, going live every hour with a story about a local family, local initiatives, or local issues that need addressing. Follow along with us all day on ClickOnDetroit.com, on Local 4 News, and our Local 4+ streaming app.

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Forklift smashes into Highland Park home on same day house was apparently sold

HIGHLAND PARK, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A forklift toppled onto a house on the same day the home was apparently sold in Highland Park.

L.A. fire crews responded to the scene on Holland Avenue on Monday.

The house caved under the weight of the machinery, which appeared to be a telescopic forklift. The roof of the residence was seen with significant damage.

A neighbor said no one was home at the time, and no one was hurt.

It's not clear why the forklift tipped over. Correction: A previous version of this story described the machinery as a crane. This has since been corrected.

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32 Aviemore Drive, Highland Park, NZ 2010

Property ID: #L30255934

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Ling Ding Harcourts East Tamaki

Jayden Xia Harcourts East Tamaki

Prime Location, Exceptional Investment Opportunity

If you're familiar with the vibrant East Auckland community, you'll know that the area is currently undergoing a significant commercial uplift. A brand-new Pak'n Save is nearing completion, adding even more value to this already thriving locale. Now available on 32 Aviemore Drive is a rare property located closest to the bustling commercial hub. Whether you're a savvy investor looking to landbank or a developer with big plans, this project is one you can't afford to overlook. This 627M2 flat, rectangular plot with a 17.5-meter frontage is situated in a high-density residential zoning area, making it a prime candidate for future development. The convenience of this location is unmatched, with walking access to Pakuranga College, the library, family medical centers, sports fields, and three diverse shopping centers. These centers offer a variety of restaurants, cafés, gyms, major banks, and more, making this an ideal community setting that's hard to find. The property includes a well-maintained, north-facing, single-level home featuring three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The house is fully fenced with ample parking space, and the large outdoor deck extends the living area, offering plenty of space for relaxation. Each bedroom is bright, airy, and drenched in natural light. Benefit from an additional study room and recreation room (with own toilet )for more living and entertaining options. Don't hesitate to contact us for a viewing at your convenience. Opportunities like this in such a prime location are rare and should not be missed! Added 29 August, 2024

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