Legacy Week, Kindergarten Selection, Gift-Giving Drive, and Much More! | |
|
On October 5, Head Start Region 5 Conference Attendees toured our North Lawndale site. In addition to learning about our programs, guests enjoyed an archival display exploring our history and the close connection of the North Lawndale community with the Civil Rights Movement. Many thanks to the Social Justice & Equity (SJ&E) Committee and site leadership for creating such an engaging experience. Vickie Roman, Associate Director of Programs & Impact Operations, shown at podium.
| |
Early Childhood Education (Ages 0-5): | | |
|
|
Kindergarten Selection Day
August and September are busy months for some of our children as we celebrate their graduation from preschool and into kindergarten, while helping parents navigate the process of enrolling their children into a kindergarten classroom. Each site hosted their own Kindergarten Selection Day where soon-to-be kindergarteners announced their new school and were gifted backpacks full of supplies – thanks to the generosity of our donors – that'll help them succeed as they begin their educational journey.
| |
Out-of-School-Time (Ages 5-17): | | |
|
|
Summer Camp
Campers had the opportunity to learn, craft, and take field trips outside the Center walls to explore neighborhoods such as Pilsen and Chinatown! Thanks to a generous donation from the Chicago White Sox, 250 youth had the chance to attend a White Sox home game on August 3 and to see a welcome message on the Sox scoreboard.
| | |
|
|
Back-to-School events
Thanks to the generosity of our partners at TPH Global Solutions, Lockton Companies, and the Peterson Pulaski Business and Industrial Council, 450 of our children and youth headed back to school with fully stuffed backpacks filled with the supplies they need to have the most successful school year yet.
| | |
|
|
Legacy Week
The Center observed Legacy Week, our annual observance of our founding & legacy, from September 12-16. Legacy Week is an opportunity to remember the stories of Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, and Cynthia Wesley, in whose memory the Center was named, on the anniversary of the Birmingham church bombing that took their lives on September 15, 1963. The Social Justice & Equity Committee planned a meaningful program of enriching curricular activities and purchased books for families to take home.
| | |
|
|
West Suburban Chicago Donation Drive
Our partners at Jack and Jill of America West Suburban Chicago Chapter commemorated the four girls killed in the Birmingham church bombing by hosting a donation drive to collect items that will support children and their families.
| |
|
Every year, Legacy Week culminates in a March for Peace across all our sites:
| |
|
Hispanic Heritage Month
The Social Justice & Equity Committee planned meaningful programming for Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 - October 15. A display of Spanish-language books were available for parents and children and a pop-up event engaged students with traditional Mexican dress and folk art.
| |
|
Our Support for Migrant Families
After receiving word from our partners at the State, bilingual staff from our home visiting and family support programs mobilized to provide critical support and supplies to families while they awaited relocation services. The Center is also working to enroll children at our sites and welcome them into our programs while ensuring it is a comfortable and welcoming experience for children and families alike.
| |
Community-Based Advocacy: | | |
|
|
The Center’s Advocacy Committee formally launched in Summer 2022! Committee members have discussed ways to engage staff and families in advocacy initiatives.
Julissa Cruz (left), Director of Community-Based Advocacy, staffs a voter registration table at Albany Park's Parent Orientation event.
| |
|
ISBE Testimony
Rita Barth, Infant/Toddler Advisor at our Albany Park location, and Marina Castillo, parent, testified before the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) on October 4 to urge more investments in early childhood education. Kelly O’Brien, Teen Reach Mentor at our Little Village site, will also provide testimony on October 24.
| |
|
Workforce Roundtable
Rita and Kelly will also be representing the Center in a Workforce Roundtable convened by Illinois Partners for Human Service. They will participate in identifying potential solutions to the sector’s workforce shortage by engaging with other service providers.
| |
|
Voter Registration
The Illinois gubernatorial election will be held on November 8, and Advocacy Committee members have begun Get Out the Vote efforts by registering Center families and staff to vote! You can register to vote online here. Early voting is already open at 191 N. Clark and 69 W. Washington, and will be available in all 50 Chicago wards from October 24 to November 8.
| |
|
Education Week row
July 25: Education Week -- a leading media channel for K-12 professionals, with 1.6 million readers nationwide -- featured Center Out-of-School-Time (OST) staff and program in video documentaries and a magazine feature about OST, whole-child education, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and Mental Health. Interviewed were Sonja Crum Knight, Chief Programs & Impact Officer; Kenny Riley, Senior Director of Out-of-School-Time Programs; David Walker, Senior Director of Mental Health; and Sydney Mitchell, Social-Emotional Learning Specialist. Footage of programs in action and teachers interacting with children was presented from both the Little Village and Albany Park flagship sites.
| |
|
CTA ads
Did you see our ads? They ran on CTA buses and trains and on platforms in the communities we serve from July through September, providing over 6 million opportunities to be seen by riders.
| |
Bela Moté, President and CEO, accepted the Frontline Forward award on behalf of the Carole Robertson Center at SHIFT the Future of Workforce in Minneapolis on September 28. | |
Bela and Sonja Crum Knight, Chief Programs & Impact Officer, presented on October 7 at the Region 5 Head Start Conference on our “Grow Your Own" Apprenticeship Model, our innovative approach to addressing the workforce shortage in early childhood education and youth development. The “Grow Your Own” model provides a workforce pipeline and a pathway to socioeconomic mobility for parents who transition, through education and work experience, into professional teaching and family support positions. Currently 24 staff-in-training are in the 9-month training cohort, and 34 full-time staff have benefited from the approach. | | |
|
|
Alicia Castañeda-Rodriguez, Senior Director of Family Engagement and Support (at far left), spoke on an Erikson Institute panel about the critical role advocacy plays in shaping the early childhood system, particularly regarding early intervention and dual language learners.
| |
|
Holiday Gift-Giving Drive
JOIN US FOR THIS SEASON OF GIVING!
Through your generosity, we ensure that every child or youth enrolled in our programs receives a special gift for the holidays. This year, your donations will allow us to purchase items that will stock the Holiday Gift Shop, where parents can “shop” for free gifts for their children and have them wrapped while they shop. In this way, our families can fully embrace the excitement of the holiday season and share the joy of gift-giving as a family. There are several ways to participate: Visit our Holiday Gift-Giving Campaign site for details. Deadline to sign up: November 18.
| | |
|
|
Give Today. Empower Tomorrow!
For every dollar you invest in us, you will see the return on your investment in the stories and impact on our children, youth, and families.
| | |
|
|
An Honor & Responsibility
Since its inception, the Center has worked to honor the life and memory of Carole Robertson who, together with her friends Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, and Denise McNair, was killed in the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.
| | | | | |
