Gallery 79 Features Oglesby School in Art Exhibit

A public CPS Elementary Art Exhibit showcased students artwork from southwest side Englewood-Gresham, Pershing and Midway Networks, on May 3, 2013. Several bus loads of Oglesby Elementary youth, parents, local residents and curious art lovers, participated in this early evening of art on display. Th... more

Health Fair "on the block" Auburn Gresham 2013

Come Out and Join Us at the: Auburn-Gresham Health Fair 2013 DATE: May 30, 2013 TIME: 10am - 2pm WHERE: Along the Block of 79th Street ... more

What the "X" is Going On?!!!

May 22, 2013 Time: 6–7 pm Location: 7801 South State Street Community Room - 2nd Floor Chicago, IL 60620 Have you noticed the large red "X" popping up on some buildings, in our Auburn Gresham community? Join us for this community discussion and be part of the so... more

Identity theft prevention and shredding programs to be offered at local bank

Urban Partnerhip Bank is joining with the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation to present "Putting Your Financial House in Order," a free identity theft prevention program during Money Smart Week Chicago, April 20-27. "Putting Your Financial House in Order" will take place on April 24 fro... more

Auburn Gresham's a Parade of Characters

On Friday, April 12th, a parade of characters hit the streets of Auburn Gresham. It was a celebration to promote reading literacy, by one local Auburn Gresham Gold school, Oliver S. Westcott Elementary, located at 409 W. 80th Street. The book parade had full participation of school leaderhip, teache... more

Tenant group sues Chicago Housing Authority

Displaced tenants of Cabrini Green filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Housing Authority in an effort to return to their neighborhood after redevelopment. After the last iconic tower fell, the Cabrini Green row houses were all that remained of the public-housing complex. Its residents should hav... more

Englewood Renters Left Without Electricity, Gas Due To Foreclosure: 'We Were Left In The Dark' (VIDEO)

Eight members of the Shaw family, including a 14 month-old baby, have been living without gas or electricity for nearly a week, according to parents Shantisha and Ezekiel. Their two-bedroom garden apartment in Englewood, on Chicago’s South Side, is flooding and has mold damage. The two apart... more

CHA Broke Promise to Rehab Cabrini Rowhouses, Lawsuit Alleges

CABRINI-GREEN — A community group of some of the last public housing tenants in the Cabrini-Green rowhouses has filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Housing Authority, claiming the CHA reneged on a promise to keep hundreds of housing units. The residents of those 440 rowhouse units, which ar... more

Cabrini-Green residents sue CHA over renovated units

May 16, 2013 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Long-time tenants are suing the Chicago Housing Authority for allegedly reneging on pledges to return them to their neighborhood after redevelopment. The Cabrini-Green Local Advisory Council filed its lawsuit in federal court today. Chicago has been demolishing or... more

Housing Coalition Criticizes Giveaway to Private Developers

“Mostly federal money, state money, city money. At Oakwood Shores, the developer has $100 in equity and a $345,000 mortgage loan. The rest is public money,” said Brake. Liz Brake crunched numbers for the Jane Adams Senior Caucus and asserts the CHA’s public private partnership ... more

West Haven Safe Summer League Championship Games

Join us for the three championship games of the 2012 West Haven Safe Summer Basketball League: grade school high school and adult. When: Thursday, August 14th, starts at 4p Where: United Center Tickets!!! Free admission, but you need a T-I-C-K-E-T to attend! Tickets can be picked up at the office,... more

Unique sponsorship opportunity to support West Haven’s Youth

About the West Haven Giants and West Haven Diamonds Near West’s baseball and softball programs currently serve over 25 boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 17 years old. Housed in West Haven, a community in the Near West Side of Chicago, the programs enable underserved youth to participa... more

Yum! Healthy Cooking at the Brown School

This winter and spring, youth at the Brown School are learning all about healthy eating! Near West is working with McKinzie Jacobs, a UIC intern, to teach 1st through 5thgrade students how to cook and prepare nutritious meals. As part of our health and wellness programming, McKinzie meets with the... more

Youth in Action: Winter Showcase

The Youth in Action Winter Showcase took place on December 21st. It was a HIT!! Over 100 participants, family members and guests attended the event at the Abraham Lincolnc Center. Youth from all four sites--Legends South, Oakwood Shores, Westhaven Park and Jackson Square at West End--participated... more

Spotlight on Jailon O'Neal

Jailon is a champion of the boxing ring! He began his training with us three years ago. Now, he fights in Chicago’s Golden Gloves competitions and other matches around the city. Jailon’s eye is certainly on the prize. His goal is to become a professional boxer one day, similar to hi... more

The Resurrection Project’s work covered by Univisión and The Gate Newspaper

The Resurrection Project (TRP) works to build relationships and create healthy communities, and we’re excited and grateful that our work has made the news again! On Friday, December 7, The Gate Newspaper ran a feature article on TRP and our work to stabilize Chicago’s Back of the Yards ... more

The Resurrection Project Applauds Wintrust’s Decision to Sell the Second Federal Deposits to Self-Help Federal Credit Union and The Resurrection Project

On November 28, 2012, Wintrust Financial Corp. agreed to sell Second Federal Savings and Loans’ three branches and deposits to The Resurrection Project (TRP) and Self-Help Federal Credit Union (Self-Help). You can read the Crain’s Chicago Business article here. TRP and Self-Help formed... more

The Resurrection Project and Self-Help Federal Credit Union joint venture acquires 1,100 loans to prevent massive foreclosures

On November 12, 2012, Self-Help Federal Credit Union (Self-Help) and The Resurrection Project (TRP) were successful in acquiring 1,100 loans totaling $141 million of face value from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). These loans are part of the former Second Federal Savings and Loan (... more

The New York Times features La Casa

La Casa Student Housing was featured in the Education Life section of the New York Times this weekend. The article is available online here, and was featured in the Sunday print edition on November 4, 2012. NYT reporter Michael Winerip visited with The Resurrection Project in September, and took ... more

La Casa Student Housing Media Coverage

The Resurrection Projects La Casa Student Housing Ribbon Cutting ceremony received great media coverage from national news outlets such as Univision, ABC, Azteca America and Fox News! See how they covered the event and La Casa below! Univision: Azteca America: WGN Chicago: Other media outl... more

Shops and Lofts at 47 to anchor Bronzeville retail

Once completed in 2014, Shops and Lofts at 47 will feature a 41,000 sq. ft. Walmart Neighborhood Market, 14,000 sq. ft. of neighborhood retail and 96 rental apartments—an $46 million project in total. At the groundbreaking, Mayor Rahm Emanuel pointed out that Shops and Lofts at 47 aligns with... more

SAVE THE DATE! Quad Communities Development Corporation celebrates our Tenth Year Anniversary Luncheon

10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY FUNDRAISER 2003-2013 10 Years of Pursuing the Vision: Connecting the Past, Present and Future Thursday May 16, 2013 11:30 am to 1 pm Sponsorship packages available For more information contact: Yvette Kelly Special Events Coordinator at 773-268-7232 or ykelly@qcdc.org To... more

WBDC Micro Loan Days

Business Resource Fair

Elev8

October 8, 2012 kicked off another session of the Elev8 Extended Day program at Reavis Elementary School. This year we are moving to an extended schedule called Elev8 University. The program is set up similar to college where there are 7 core program areas that the students can participate in: L... more

Summer Camp

Were all in this together. Fun Filled summer activities in summer camp. Camp Activities Arts and Craft Literary Arts Daily Outings Water parks and much, much more *Before and after care provided. For more info, see attched flyer

EXPUNGEMENT SUMMIT

Everyone deserves a 2nd Chance. New Faith Baptist Church International located @ 25 S. Central Ave, is bringing EXPUNGEMENTS to the community. Saturday, June 8, 2013 Registration @ 8:30 am-doors close at 6 pm Application, Preparation, Filing Volunteer attorneys will be on site to help with expung... more

Navigating A Data Driven Society to the Path of Educational Excellence

A critical aspect of achieving a model of educational excellence involves establishing early warning systems to eliminate or significantly reduce dropout rates amongst those at a greater risk. Last month, Teamwork Englewood galvanized parents and community stakeholders to view the documentary Drop ... more

Navigating A Data Driven Society to the Path of Educational Excellence

A critical aspect of achieving a model of educational excellence involves establishing early warning systems to eliminate or significantly reduce dropout rates amongst those at a greater risk. Last month, Teamwork Englewood galvanized parents and community stakeholders to view the documentary Drop ... more

Wood Family Foundation Kids Baseball Clinic Registration Day

Free Kids baseball Clinic hosted by Kerry Wood, Former Chicago Cubs Pitcher. The Wood Family Foundation will be holding pre-registration for our summer baseball clinic. This clinic will have multiple stations that teach age-appropiate baseball fundamentals, fielding, pitching, catching, hitting, an... more

The Crisis of Black Male Joblessness in Milwaukee: Trends, Explanations, and Policy Options

ABOUT THIS REPORT Since the late 1990s, issues surrounding race and employment have been a central research focus at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Economic Development (UWMCED). In a series of reports, the Center has analyzed racial disparities in employment in the Milwaukee regio... more

Alderman Willie Cochran Discusses His Vote on on the Speed Zone Cameras and the Infrastructure Trust Ordinances

Greetings to all: Over the last two weeks the City Council has had two matters, Speed Zone Cameras and The Infrastructure Trust that were voted on. These matters have been in discussion for approximately six (6) weeks. Over that period of time thorough discussion were had and questions and ... more

Alderman Pat Dowell Discusses Her Vote on on the Speed Zone Cameras and the Infrastructure Trust Ordinances

At the two most recent City Council meetings, I cast votes on two ordinances that will affect all residents of the city. I cast a no vote for the ordinance authorizing placement of speed cameras near schools and parks and voted in favor of the Chicago Infrastructure Trust ordinance. (See ordinance ... more

2012 General Assembly Scholarship Application

2012 General Assembly Scholarship Application DEADLINE - June 15, 2012 The scholarships will be awarded for the 2012-2013 academic year. Individuals who have been awarded scholarships will be notified by July 16, 2012. There are specific criteria to be met for the scholarships, which may be used ... more

Summer Jobs for Youth

Summer Jobs for Youth Mayor Rahm Emanuel, along with County President Toni Preckwinkle, has announced One Summer Chicago. One Summer Chicago is a joint summer initiative between City and County to provide more than 185,000 summer opportunities for Chicagos youth (Ages 6-24). It is designed to enga... more

Woodlawn Rolls Out Network of Woodlawn's Education Strategy to Community Residents

Wednesday, October 17, 2012 Woodlawn residents, stakeholders invited to participate in community meeting to guide the future of local schools Network of Woodlawn and Woodlawn Children’s Promise Community to host 10/27 meeting, the first in the Future of Woodlawn series (Chicago) … Th... more

Woodlawn Public Safety Alliance Continues to Organize and Pray to Stop the Violence

Tuesday, October 16, 2012 W.Walker The Woodlawn Public Safety Alliance will be leading a prayer vigil and march around the 6300 block of S. Rhodes on Thursday, October 18th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The vigil and march is part of a response strategy to call attention to the escalation of youth violenc... more

State of Illinois Invests $2 million towards Decreasing the Digital Divide in South Side Communities

Tuesday, October 16, 2012 Governor Quinn Announces First Winner of Illinois Gigabit Communities Challenge State’s $2 Million Seed Investment Will Jumpstart Fiber Optic and Wireless Network in Mid-South Side Chicago Neighborhoods; Help Create Over 50 Jobs CHICAGO – October 16, 2012.... more

Parkway Gardens goes to the Chicago Children's Museum

Friday, July 1, 2011 Ryan K. Priester —> —> —> —> —> Saturday June 11thwas a day of firsts. For many of the children gathered together by Officer Jennifer Maddox, the day would be the first trip to downtown Chicago, the Chicago Children’s museum, or, perhaps mo... more

Parkway Gardens Residents move toward GED

Tuesday, July 19, 2011 Candice Collins —> On April 26, 2011 Parkway Gardens Apartment implemented its first GED (General Education Development) program through Literacy Chicago. Jennifer Maddox, the resident service coordinator in Parkway Gardens has been a driving force behind the progr... more

Hurlock honored as Citizen of the Year

The South Chicago Chamber of Commerce selected Angela Hurlock, Claretian Associates Executive Director, as its Citizen of the Year at the Chambers annual awards ceremony May 10. Angela has served on the Chambers board of directors, most recently as its president. "It is so gratifying to be honore... more

Cinco de Mayo fair serves 250 seniors

The 17th annual Cinco de Mayo Senior Health and Resource Fair served over 250 seniors and their families on May 3. More than 45 vendors provided free health screenings, resources and more. Everyone enjoyed free lunch, free bingo, Zumba demo classes and much more! Thanks so much to our sponsors: ... more

9100 S. Burley Apartments celebrates grand opening

More affordable apartments are ready to rent in South Chicago after the grand opening of the 9100 S. Burley Apartments on Friday, April 26. More than 65 supporters celebrated the opening, which also served as the kick off for the 6th annual 10th Ward Green Summit. The new affordable apartment ... more

New apartments avaialble at 9100 South Burley Apts.

Claretian Associates has new apartments ready to rent at 9100 South Burley Apartments, an affordable multifamily housing development, part of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. Know someone who needs a lovely new apartment? Click for the flyer in English and Spanish. This is an affordable mu... more

Claretian Associates hosts Public Health Commissioner

Claretian Associates was pleased to take the Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Bechara Choucair on a trolley tour of South Chicago. Dr. Choucair has hosted many roundtable meeetings over the past year and we were delighted to take him on a tour and discuss issues in South Chicag... more

SWOP’s "Reclaiming Southwest Chicago" Housing Campaign Moves Forward

SWOP SWOP continues to move on its effort to respond to the large numbers of vacant buildings plaguing the Southwest side by submitting a funding proposal to the Illinois Attorney General office as part of their request for proposals for the National Foreclosure Settlement Awards. Back in July 2012... more

SWOP LEADERS MAKE HISTORY AT DRIVER’S LICENSE BILL SIGNING

On January 28, SWOP leaders watched as Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed the highway safety legislation into law. Illinois makes history by becoming the first state in over a decade that had the courage to work in a bipartisan manner to pass driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants.... more

Two Greater Southwest Development Corporation (GSDC) Employees Become U.S. Citizens through SWOP’s New Americans Initiative (NAI)

Wednesday, July 13, 2011 Last month, Nick Kollias and Rob Navarro of the Greater Southwest Development Corporation (GSDC) became U.S. Citizens through the Southwest Organizing Project’s (SWOP) New Americans Initiative (NAI). SWOP’s NAI is a state program that educates and assists eligib... more

Southwest Organizing Project Gets The Word Out About Text4baby

Tuesday, September 4, 2012 Click here to watch the text4baby informational Video Having a child, whether your first or third, can be a time of great uncertainty, but more than 18,000 women in Illinois are finding stability and support through text4baby. Text4baby is the first ever free mo... more

SWOP’s Next NAI Citizenship Workshop is March 23rd at Daley Community College

Wednesday, February 27, 2013 Since 2005, the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) has been a lead organization in the in the New Americans Initiative (NAI). Through NAI, administered by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) in partnership with the Illinois Department of ... more

New Muevete Schedule Now Available

The new Muevete schedule has been published! Muevete is an innovative program which provides free exercise opportunities to the Greater Humboldt Park community.

Muévete Classes Start Up in Humboldt Park

Muévete is a physical activity initiative of Community Organizing for Obesity Prevention (CO-OP) Humboldt Park. Muévete is free and promotes culturally relevant physical activities by any means, for women and the entire family. For more information, please contact Leony Calderon at: ... more

April 6: Mercy Home for Boys & Girls Presents: Intervention Strategies For Adolescents In Crisis

Presented by: Mark Sanders LCSW, CADC Date: Wednesday, April 6, 2011 Time: 9:00am-12:00 p.m. (registration begins at 8:30 a.m.) Location: 1140 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60607 – Multi-Purpose Room Adolescents in crisis are vulnerable to truancy, academic problems, gang affiliation, su... more

March 26: "Tobacco in the Ranks"

This panel discussion will take place at the National Mexican Museum of Art, 1852 W. 19th Street, on Sunday, March 29 from 1-5 pm. It is sponsored by Vida Media and Radio Arte. More information can be found at www.radioarte.org.

May 12th: Caring for the Caregiver, A Compassion Fatigue Workshop for Professionals

Facilitated by Mary Andrus, ATR, LCPC and Kira Travis, MT-BC, this workshop will allow participants to explore the stressors that impact their work as well as use art making and music as opportunities to release the stress that could cause burn out. In completing this self-care workshop, partici... more

New Hoops in the Hood video

Monday, December 19, 2011 For the last several years, Tu Multimedia, through videos and audio slideshows, has been documenting Hoops in the Hood, the summer basketball program that LISC/Chicago supports in communities throughout the city. Heres the latest.....

Historic Gately Stadium Reopens
After Sweeping Renovation

Friday, November 11, 2011 Football players from eight public schools and South Side park districts that share decades-old Gately Stadium in Roseland gathered on Oct. 14 to celebrate a renovation that includes a new synthetic turf field, scoreboard, lighting and seating. They were joined just before ... more

Hoops in the Hood

Monday, December 19, 2011

Hoops in the Hood:
Profile of Volunteer Coach Darren Tillis

Friday, November 11, 2011 Community volunteers are an integral part of all successful neighborhood efforts – including Hoops in the Hood, a partnership of LISC/Chicago and organizations in 11 neighborhoods to offer summer sports programs focused on building youth engagement, leadership and co... more

From Learn and Earn to Slam and Jam

Friday, November 11, 2011 John McCarron “There’s no time to get in trouble.” If the Near North Unity Project needed a motto this summer, Shelby Tharpe surely nailed it. It was a sticky-hot Friday afternoon and the 13-year-old was conferring with his buddy, Leon Wilbut, near basketb... more

Sacred Conversations: A Time to Tell the Stories about Immigration

Gamaliel of Metro Chicago, (along with over 17 cities across the US) from the Gamaliel Network will have a church basement hearing as part of Gamaliel’s “Dream for All” campaign for a comprehensive immigration reform. The campaign works to uphold the dignity of individuals, guide ... more

"La música en la esquina": Entrevista con el conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto

¿Cómo fue que un ingeniero y administrador de empresas se convirtió en violinista y conductor de orquesta? La realidad es que yo crecí en una familia musical, tocando música de cámara. De joven decidí estudiar ingeniera en un sitio que tenía u... more

The Art of Futbol

The beautiful game, the worlds game, is an art unto itself. For the worlds best soccer players, the pitch is a blank canvas where works of art are created game by game through skill and athleticism. For artists, soccer is the inspiration for their art. The Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer brings... more

YOUmedia student of the Month: May

Student of the month in May is Hugo! Lanterns Hugo Huitron Hugo Huitron is a middle school student from UNO Bartolome de las Casas school in Pilsen. Hugo has been a YOUmedia student for a little over a year. He has always displayed a positive attitude and excitable nature. Hugo is an active pa... more

7 Benefits Of A Spicy Diet

If there’s any stereotype that Latinos can live up to, it’s that we love spicy food. More than other nationalities, one can say that Mexicans grow up with salsa at the table, eventually adding it to everything from eggs to soups. From homemade salsas, to the spicy sauces you buy in bott... more

Greater West Town: Connecting Successfully with the Woodworking Industry

Everyone knows, our community needs jobs. Many organizations and government offices have a mission to get people working. What does it take to be successful? Number 1. Real opportunity - agencies and their job developers must identify industries and jobs which are growing and hiring, are located... more

Year Up Chicago Recognizes Talent Among Urban Young Adults in Chicago

Despite talent and motivation, 6.7 million young adults in this country lack access to higher education and careers that provide them with a living wage. At the same time, our economy needs help. U.S. businesses are calling for more and better-trained talent to compete on the global stage, but ther... more

Registration Now Open for Chicago Teens Seeking Paid Summer Jobs Through After School Matters®

After School Matters is now accepting applications for its Summer apprenticeship and internship programs, most of which begin July 1 or July 8. Programs in the arts, communications, science, sports and technology will be offered at 30 Chicago Public Schools high schools and at more than 120 communit... more

The Adler School wants to hear from people about employment, arrest records,and well being.

The Adler School wants to hear from people abut employment, arrest records, and well-being. If you are interested in participating in a survey on these topics, contact us today! Eligibility: Must have at least one arrest, but no convictions. Must be currently seeking employment. Must be over 18 y... more

FREE HEALTH INSURANCE WITH COUNTYCARE / Cobertura médica gratis con CountyCare

No-Cost Health Insurance Coverage Now Available for Eligible Cook County Residents through CountyCare Cook County Residents are Urged to Call and Apply Now CHICAGO – Nearly 250,000 low-income, uninsured and underinsured adults in Cook County are now eligible to receive health insurance cover... more

NeighborWorks 2013 Volunteers Needed!

Auburn-Gresham/Englewood Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) is looking for volunteers for the annual NeighborWorks event, on June 1st, from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Sign up and come join us! NeighborWorks works to provide decent homes and safe healthy communities for low- and moderate- income reside... more

Youth Organizations Rally For Peace in Chicago

The evening of May 21, 2013, at 5:00pm sharp, Auburn Gresham high school youth, including Perspectives Leadership Academy and High School of Technology, St. Leo, and Robinson (Englewood), sited sporting their respective school uniforms and carrying colorful signs marched from their schools, convene... more

Health Fair "on the block" Auburn Gresham 2013

Come Out and Join Us at the: Auburn-Gresham Health Fair 2013 DATE: May 30, 2013 TIME: 10am - 2pm WHERE: Along the Block of 79th Street ... more

Greater West Town: Connecting Successfully with the Woodworking Industry

Everyone knows, our community needs jobs. Many organizations and government offices have a mission to get people working. What does it take to be successful? Number 1. Real opportunity - agencies and their job developers must identify industries and jobs which are growing and hiring, are located... more

Collins' Proposes Law to Protect Student Privacy

Colleges may not ask for Facebook passwords, access accounts without cause SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16th) is sponsoring a measure to protect the privacy of students who use social media such as Twitter and Facebook. House Bill 64, approved today by the Senate Educa... more

Alderman Roderick T. Sawyer's Open Letter on School Closings

To Whom It May Concern, My hope is to lower the volume on the arguments just a little bit. As we approach the final school board meeting where the fate of up to 53 public schools with be in the hands of the school board, I want to be sure that my position on the issue is clear. I think that this ... more

JRT Tech Assessment

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Funeral Services for Ronald Baskin

Funeral Services for Ronald L. Baskin, 21 year old grand nephew of long time community and anti violence activist Hal Baskin will be held Saturday, May 25, 2013 at St. Stephens Lutheran Church located 6458 S. Peoria St. Chicago, IL 60621. The wake will be from 11:00am – 12:00 pm with the funer... more

This Tragedy Will Not Get Pimped!

THIS TRAGEDY WILL NOT BE PIMPED! Baskin family will not allow their tragedy to be used for personal gain! In response to the meeting held in the name of their family member and an article written on DNAinfo.com, http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20130514/engle... more

Year Up Chicago Recognizes Talent Among Urban Young Adults in Chicago

Despite talent and motivation, 6.7 million young adults in this country lack access to higher education and careers that provide them with a living wage. At the same time, our economy needs help. U.S. businesses are calling for more and better-trained talent to compete on the global stage, but ther... more

Are you drinking enough water?

From the Mayo Clinic How much water should you drink each day? Its a simple question with no easy answers. Studies have produced varying recommendations over the years, but in truth, your water needs depend on many factors, including your health, how active you are and where you live. Although no... more

Alderman Moreno Supports Community Plan To Save Von Humboldt & Duprey while Alderman Maldonado Ignores Public Support for Lafayette

For several months now Humboldt Park parents, teachers and many other community leaders have not been fooled by the mayorally sponsored CPS plan to rush into the largest public school closure in U.S. history. The closing of over 50 public elementary schools would work to "destroy the futures of low-... more

You've heard about an apple a day, but do you know about bananas?

During times of intense stress most of our bodies react in particularly troubling ways. For me, its random eye twitching. After two weeks of watching me hold my eye, a friend suggested that much like the cause of any muscle spasm, I might be lacking potassium and should try eating bananas. Despera... more

Piccolo Elementary Specialty School

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!! WWP Partners with Piccolo School to host Script Writing Competition The Westside Writing Project (WWP) recently partnered with Brian Piccolo Elementary School in West Humboldt Park in hosting its first Script Writing Competition. The competition challenged students in gr... more

Roberto Clemente Community Academy is a candidate school for the Diploma Programme and Middle Years Programme

We are pleased to inform you that our applications for candidacy for the Diploma Programme *and* Middle Years Programme at Roberto Clemente Community Academy have been accepted. Roberto Clemente Community Academy is recognized as an IB candidate school for the Diploma Programme and Middle Years Pr... more

Three more portals for Smart Communities

The three Southwest neighborhoods in Chicagos Smart Communities program launched their portals yesterday, creating a wide new avenue for interaction among residents, businesses and organizations.They are works in progress, with some empty spaces yet to fill, but already the portals offer new stories... more

Peirce on Daley

Syndicated state and local government columnist Neal Peirces recent summary of Mayor Daleys legacy on the Citistates site will seem fawning to Daleys critics. There is only a brief mention at the end about patronage and corruption, and no mention at all about the privatization controversies that hav... more

Preview: Humboldt Park Launches Its Portal

Its still a work in progress, according to the team that made it happen, but the Humboldt Park Portal, a day after its "soft" launch, looks pretty good to me. It features a nice selection of stories from various contributors and organizations, a packed calendar (Movies in the Park, Jens Jensen birth... more

Take a Tour of Pilsen - by Video or Phone

Weve written here before about how neighborhoods are using multimedia tools to promote their work and their neighborhoods, but couldnt have imagined, even six months ago, how far the groups would come, and how fast.Audio slideshows are now available for 10 neighborhoods as part of the Chicago Commun... more

Front-Yard Signs Call Out Banks on Foreclosures

Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) is "naming names" of banks that are foreclosing on properties on Chicagos Southwest Side, where 7,300 foreclosures have been filed over two years in four area ZIP Codes. The bank names are prominently featured on yard signs that say "Deutsch Bank (or Citibank or J... more

ISU Teacher Pipeline Brings Gusher of Talent to CPS

Improving urban education means attracting and keeping the best and brightest teachers in urban schools. That’s one of the few truisms about education on which people from virtually any point on the political spectrum can agree. The College of Education at Illinois State University has one of ... more

Quad at 10, Looking Forward and Back

Time flies when you’re trying to re-develop a neighborhood, even when it seems to take forever to get anything done. Ten years ago, the Quad Communities Development Corporation (QCDC) was formed to enlist residents, businesses, elected officials and other people and institutions in North Ken... more

Worth the Wait: Hispanic Housing’s North & Talman

Twelve years. Seems like a long time to complete an affordable housing project – even one with 110 apartments spanning an entire city block – but consider what else was happening the day Paul Roldan first inspected the vacant buildings on the 2600 block of West North Avenue. It was Sep... more

Crowdfunding for Community Development? Yes Indeed

Editors note: Five of LISCs partners had successfully funded their Seed Chicago Kickstarter campaigns as they approached their funding deadlines on May 16, raising more than $48,900 for community improvement projects. View the results. When World Business Chicago launched its Seed Chicago campaign ... more

Neighborhood Network Eyes Health Insurance Push

LISC Chicago’s Neighborhood Network is gearing up for a tidal wave of change around health care as implementation begins this year on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). At a “Healthy Wednesday” session on April 3, more than 65 organizers, financial counselors and health care practitio... more

Fracking opponents occupy governor’s office

With the State Senate set to vote on a bill regulating fracking tomorrow, opponents say theyll continue an occupation of Governor Quinns office into a third day, demanding he meet with residents of areas that would be affected and back a moratorium.

After the school closing vote

With the school board voting to close 50 neighborhood schools -- to nobodys surprise -- the movement that sprang up in opposition moves to a new phase.

Low-wage worker speak out

McDonalds workers are speaking out at the annual shareholders meeting, demanding a living wage, and temporary staffing workers and calling for industry standards.

Common sense on school closings

The school board would do well to consider the common sense offered by Chicagoans at community hearings on school utilization, performance, safety, and finances; to fix Chicagos schools, we need collaboration, not policies that foment division.

Planning lags for homeless students

If plans for transitioning homeless students are any indication, CPS preparations for school closings are far behind where theyve been at this point in previous years.

Rip the runway with Dime Child Foundation

Warnita Taylor uses the fashion runway to raise money for college students. Taylor started the Dime Child Foundation 12 years ago when she was a student at DePaul University. She gathered some of her friends together and coordinated a fashion show fundraiser and awarded scholarships to students. Aft... more

Mercy AfterCare program focuses on helping homeless youth

Nora Bondi, therapeutic supervisor in the AfterCare program at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls is just one of the many staff members at Mercy Home, a non-profit organization that helps at risk youth in the city of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Their goal is to help youth succeed in life.  Bondi... more

Laugh out loud improv at the Laugh Out Loud Theatre

Warning: preg_replace() [function.preg-replace]: Unknown modifier t in /home1/chicagw6/public_html/wp-content/plugins/jetpack/class.photon.php on line 287 The audience wasn’t large, but the laughter was non stop at the Laugh Out Loud Theatre as four amateur comedians took center stage for the week... more

As roller derby evolves, sport leaders look to improve safety

Four years after the Drew Barrymore film Whip It and the new wave of derby girls the movie brought to the rink, changes in flat track roller derby are aimed at improving skater safety as the sport evolves. Once a month at U.I.C. Pavilion, people can experience a bout of hard-hitting action from the ... more

Beverly residents want to see more police on the street

In light of a recent increase in neighborhood theft, Beverly residents are wondering where the police are. A number of residents have expressed concern about what they see as a lack of presence of Chicago police in the neighborhood. The Chicago Police Department reported a decrease in overall crime,... more

In the News: Lewis says she's not stepping down

Karen Lewis, president of the Chicago Teachers Union, says she isn’t stepping down over an “inappropriate joke she made about Education Secretary Arne Duncan. While her remarks were insensitive, they were just 120 seconds of her 35-minute speech at a social justice event in Seattle last month, Lewi... more

CPS moves forward on principal prep program, single hs application

At a low-key board meeting, district officials told members they are formally looking for partners to better prepare principals. Also, board members approved a contract for the development of a singular application for high schools to take the place of the hodge podge of applications that parents mu... more

No time to waste on longer day

 Chicago’s children deserve better. The majority of the city’s public school students today are not being prepared for success in this increasingly competitive global economy. Without dramatic change, it is unlikely that Chicago students living in poverty today will even have the chance to live a mi... more

In the News: Groups ready to battle over closings

Community groups around Chicago have begun revving up for what likely will be a fierce battle to keep neighborhood schools open as CPS prepares to announce this years list of school closings and consolidations. (Tribune) All prospective Chicago Public Schools students would have to go through an ap... more

In the News: City schools face Common Core struggle

Some of the best Chicago public schools are struggling to measure up to the recently adopted tougher Common Core curriculum, according to the Tribune. Also, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CPS CEO Jean-Claude Brizard announced Monday a new online tool that will allow the public to read school reports for ea... more

Dozens of schools meet closings criteria

About 140 schools, most on the South Side, meet all the key components of the district’s draft criteria to be eligible for closing. This week, the district is holding community forums on the proposed criteria. Sometime after Nov. 21, CEO Jean-Claude Brizard will issue final guidelines. A week and a... more

Spring Field Day at our Marseilles farm

  If you’ve never ventured out to our farm in Marseilles, IL – the Les Brown Memorial Farm – now is a great time to come and check it out. There will be lots to eat and see. Email us at info@growinghomeinc.org or call 773.549.1336 if you have any questions.

GH is hiring a new Development Associate

If you have skills in grant writing, development, public relations, and office administration, check out our opening for a Development Associate. You can download the full Job Description here.

Mayor Emanuel visits Growing Home

We were honored to welcome Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to our Wood Street Urban Farm! He came out to see the great work we’re doing in Englewood, meet our staff and interns, and to check out the site for our new hoophouse, which will be bringing even more local produce and job training opportun... more

Growing Home Kickstarter selected to Seed Chicago!

Great news! Growing Home’s Kickstarter project – Harvesting Hope – has been selected to Seed Chicago, the city’s new curated Kickstarter page for projects specifically focusing on job creation and growth in Chicago’s neighborhoods. A major benefit to being selected to S... more

Wood Street Season Kick-off Open House Celebration

Growing Home’s Wood Street Urban Farm presents its: Season Kick-off Open House Celebration Wednesday, April 24th from 1pm – 4pm Soul Food Junkies starts at 4pm Including: An Organic Farm Stand Farm Tours Healthy Cooking Demonstrations Garden Workshops for Children and Adults Information ... more

CTA financial statements reflect positive steps in efficiency and emissions

A push to lower emissions and some smart commodity buying led the CTA to a drastic reduction in operating costs.

A raw idea: Owners changing up pets' diets

Before dogs were domesticated, they ate what they killed -- and they certainly didnt cook it. Now, a new diet designed with that simple philosophy in mind is picking up steam in the pet industry. Some dog owners say it makes their pups healthier and happier, but others say its just not worth the... more

Cancer survivor’s difficult road to hit smooth pavement across America

Evan Bartlett’s life began with a huge challenge. At four months old, he was diagnosed with a life-threatening form of cancer and given a 65 percent chance of surviving.

Color Jam brings back vinyl

Have you noticed the pop of color in Chicagos Loop? You may have touched it and not even realized. Color Jam, an art installation by multimedia artist Jessica Stockholder, blankets the corner of State and Adams.

Last chance to see Venus phenomenon, in this lifetime

Last chance to see Venus phenomenon, in this lifetime venuschicago Venus Transit Venussplash Transit of Venus dazzles thousands at Adler Planetarium Venus trek across the sun tracked by thousands at the Adler

"The tactical thing wasn't working"

When Sam DeMaio, a 25-year law enforcement veteran, was tapped to be Newark’s Police Director in 2011, he was hailed by the New Jersey Star-Ledger as the “the toughest cop in America.” He needed to be. The year before, deep budget cuts forced the department to lay off 162 officers... more

Philly stake

Stand on the trolley tracks in the center of East Girard Avenue and you can see the Philadelphia skyline. That’s how close this stretch of the Fishtown neighborhood is to the gleaming city center. Fishtown is just over two miles northeast of where tourists admire the Liberty Bell and politic... more

Fishtown on the rise

East Girard Avenue, a commercial corridor in Philadelphia’s Fishtown community, is part of LISC MetroEdge’s Corridors of Retail Excellence program. To read more about how a model block and other projects will have an impact on East Girard, click here. Catherine Jennings recently opened... more

Lawrenceville’s big day

It was a sunny and balmy 53 degrees on the Saturday of the Joy of Cookie Tour—not typical Pittsburgh weather for the first day of December. But the spirit of the holidays was on vivid display as visitors bustled through Lawrenceville’s Butler Street. Families, couples and groups of gir... more

Response teamwork

When a disaster visits a community, every neighborhood can benefit from an engaged, capable local organization to help guide the recovery. For low-income communities, the need can be even greater. In a poor neighborhood, deferred maintenance often leaves homes more vulnerable to damage. Lack of i... more

In Logan Square and Hermosa, home buyers on the hunt

Vanessa Valentin and James Rudyk aren’t exactly salesmen – they’re respectively a community organizer and executive director for the Northwest Side Housing Center – but they recently demonstrated the art of persuasion while leading a trolley-full of potential home buyers thro... more

NSP: Where it's been, where it's going

Katie Ludwig discussing the Neighborhood Stabilization Program at a public meeting on Chicagos South Side. Gordon Walek Writer Bill Healy recently spoke with Katie Ludwig, an assistant commissioner dealing with foreclosure mitigation in the Chicago’s Department of Housing and Economic Deve... more

Mayor hails first fruit of foreclosure fight

Alicia Ivy is fed up with the foreclosure blight dragging down her block in West Humboldt Park and was only too happy, on the sunny first Friday of 2012, to give Mayor Rahm Emanuel a walking tour of the lowlights. “This is what we’re up against,” Ivy said, waving at a boarded-up, g... more

Chicago NSP helps fill demand for affordable rental housing

When Chicago first applied for Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds to help stabilize neighborhoods hit hard by foreclosures in 2008, it imagined that most of that money would go toward buying and rehabbing foreclosed single-family houses and getting them into the hands of homeowners. City offic... more

Moving Forward Together

The one-two punch of the foreclosure epidemic and Great Recession is teaching community development practitioners to build more effective partnerships, get closer to local conditions … and maybe even redefine what’s possible. There’s a new reality out there and its lessons are c... more

CPS votes to close 50 schools, four in Austin

Mayor Rahm Emanuels hand-picked Board of Education "applied the last favorable roll call" during Wednesdays meeting, which will affect over 27,000 students. The post CPS votes to close 50 schools, four in Austin appeared first on AustinTalks.

Chicago Board of Education expected to vote to close up to 54 schools

The fate of 53 elementary schools will be decided; over 3,800 students from five Austin buildings could be affected The post Chicago Board of Education expected to vote to close up to 54 schools appeared first on AustinTalks.

A call for black representation

Austin resident, parent and teacher Brandon Johnson says that despite community objections to school closings, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett have made up their minds. The post A call for black representation appeared first on AustinTalks.

Local agency receives grant

A West Side prevention organization was recognized by the Illinois Department of Transportation for its work on traffic safety. The post Local agency receives grant appeared first on AustinTalks.

Crime Scene Chicago comes to West Side

A sequel to the popular Collaboraction Theatre Chicago performance on violence in the city tours to Austin Town Hall Park. The post Crime Scene Chicago comes to West Side appeared first on AustinTalks.

Measuring an Era

Demond Drummer wasn’t at all shocked to get such a heartfelt endorsement of the impact of what he teaches as the tech organizer at Teamwork Englewood. But how it was delivered was a bit of a surprise. One afternoon, while walking down the street in Englewood, one of his former students from a... more

Job Search 2.0

A hard-working student at Kennedy-King College in Englewood, Gabrielle Thompkins has turned to the Smart Communities program in a lot of ways. Help finding a job is just the most recent example. Thompkins is one of thousands of residents in the five Smart Communities who’ve taken computer tra... more

Report: Web Use Way Up in Smart Communities

Residents participating in LISC Chicagos Smart Communities program are using high-speed Internet more frequently, but greater access to affordable broadband at home remains an issue for at-risk communities, according to new research released by Broadband Illinois. The "Measuring Change in Internet ... more

Small, Smart and Ready

At Reciclarte Studio, Leticia Rodarte’s art gallery on Ashland Avenue, almost everything for sale is made from recycled materials, much of it by Rodarte herself. It’s a fun, funky kind of store—the type of place that brings in visitors from across Chicago to Pilsen. But Rodarte k... more

Lessons for Life

It’s yet another mercilessly hot July day in Chicago—the temperature hovers at 94 degrees outside—yet class is in session. More than a dozen local residents are sitting at computer workstations in Englewood’s FamilyNet Center at Kennedy-King College for a free, 90-minute co... more