Douglas park was originally named for Illinois politician and slave owner Stephen A. Douglas, but was renamed to honor abolitionist Frederick Douglass and his wife Anna in 2020— three years after a group of students from Village Leadership Academy organized to have it changed.
One of The Douglass 18’s primary missions is to highlight that particular factoid about the 200 species of birds who migrate to the park— hence the involvement of Lincoln Park Zoo. The designs that were created for the course all feature some kind of bird-inspired architecture.
So far, Waldron says much of their team’s focus has been on social media marketing. It’s where they expect to make the most significant impact. He wants to make sure, though, that their education in the field is well-rounded.
“We’re team building and bonding. They’re suggesting new marketing efforts, learning who the influencers and leaders are for our audience [and] finding organizations who we want to build partnerships with,” Waldron says. This list is just a sample of the things they cover in their daily meetings. “These are skills that they can take and do what they want with them.”
The mini golf course is expected to be completed during spring 2021, at which point one of their primary goals — which is to promote a successful launch— will be accomplished. Waldron doesn’t want his team to stop there.
“One of my main goals is to help them develop the necessary skills to either position them for future career opportunities, or even start their own business,” he says, emphasizing that marketing jobs are available in nearly every industry. “We can use this platform not just to educate about Douglass Park, the birds, the golf course, but also to promote the community, the business owners and creatives.”