Tour given by Community High students is part of A2 Open’s school-wide focus on ‘journeys’
As part of a school-wide thematic exploration of “journeys” this month, two first/second grade classes from Ann Arbor Open at Mack delved into local Black history through a walking tour in Kerrytown. The tour focused on eight key locations: the Dunbar Community Center; Second Baptist Church; Diroff’s Market; Bethel A.M.E. Church; Delong’s BBQ; the Colored Welfare League Building; and the Black Business District.
CHS social studies teacher Joslyn Hunscher-Young, who is also the school’s Diversity & Equity lead, opened the event by giving a brief history of Jones School, which closed in 1965 and was later opened as Community High School.
She said AAPS students, staff, and families must recognize the history of the spaces they occupy each day.
“This tour, in particular, is important to me because it is a way to recognize, remember, and honor the strength and spirit of the Black community in Ann Arbor,” said Hunscher-Young. “It can also challenge us to consider how our decisions at a local level can have lasting impacts on who is able to be part of our broader community.”
A2 Open teacher Stella Rodriguez said she wanted her class to understand how Ann Arbor has changed over time to become the city it is now.
“My class is going on a journey through time, so for our shared research component we are studying ways Ann Arbor has changed over time since that is our common link,” she said. “Many chunks of Ann Arbor have become inaccessible for many members of our community and I think it’s important they understand the times this has happened before so we can hopefully prevent it from happening in the future.”
Her students have also written letters to City Council members regarding the closure of Pinball Petes; walked along the Indigenous trail through West Park; and begun independent research projects about people, things, or events from the past.
A2 Open teacher Sarah Kairis highlighted how each class at Ann Arbor Open chose a theme aligned with “Journeys.” Her students have delved into the migration patterns of birds and monarchs, local plant life cycles, family settlements, and the area’s history, emphasizing the changes it underwent over time.
She said this tour fits in with the final piece—the history of this area—along with learning about and touring the Native American trail through West Park the week before.
Hunscher-Young said such tours are a great way to build knowledge and relationships.
“For Community High at Jones students, these are a way to deepen their understanding and knowledge of the local history while also modeling what it can mean to be engaged in our school and community history,” she said. “I hope the Ann Arbor Open at Mack students were able to recognize and consider what this neighborhood used to be like and start to think about how there is history in every place they go.”
Reflecting on the tour’s success, she said she hopes a class or club at Community High will be formed to further involve students in local history. Encouraging other interested schools to partake, she said the goal is to offer guidance through student-led tours or by sharing information for self-guided explorations.
A2 STEAM students took the tour last school year. Other AAPS school staff interested in a tour should contact Hunscher-Young at hunscheryoungj@aaps.k12.mi.us.
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