With the dramatic uptick of Chicago Public Schools students caught in the crossfire of violence and the approach of summer, worries about the safety of students remains high across the city. One teacher, Marisol Sierra of McKinley Park Elementary, is taking a proactive approach by teaching her preschool class on how to stay safe in these dangerous times and is being rewarded for her efforts on June 3 as one of five recipients of the 2008 Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Award. While, on the surface, educating four- and five-year-olds about gang violence may seem a bit extreme, the children sadly have no lack of first-hand experience. Five-year-old Aldo Gonzalez related, "I was riding by my home and I saw some gangbangers on my street and they were fighting. I got on my bike and I ride fast and then I got back to my home and I got inside." more ›