The SportsWise team discusses Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and his performance so far this season.
Cover Story: connecting to affordable housing
A proposed ordinance now before the Chicago City Council seeks to create a missing link between affordable housing and the nearly 120,000 Chicagoans who need it.
From the streets
Latin American migrants have overwhelmed city services, but Onward Neighborhood House shows a way forward.
Plus, the Chicago Teacher's Union advocates for more Sustainable Community Schools.
The Playground
THIS PAGE: Ald. Maria Hadden (49th Ward) speaks at a press conference about affordable housing (Suzanne Hanney photo). DISCLAIMER: The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of StreetWise.
Dave Hamilton, Creative Director/Publisher dhamilton@streetwise.org
Amanda Jones, Director of programs ajones@streetwise.org
Julie Youngquist, Executive director jyoungquist@streetwise.org
Ph: 773-334-6600
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
Compiled by Daria Hamelin
Dress to Impress!
'Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective'
The Chicago History Museum (1601 N. Clark St.) invites you to explore fascinating connections between garments within its remarkable costume collection that celebrates the diverse narratives of our city. "Dressed in History" showcases 70 of the museum’s rarely seen artifacts, ranging from elegant gowns and tailored suits to practical housedresses and stylish sneakers, highlighting how clothing reflects material culture while capturing the evolving social and cultural values of different eras. Marking a century of costume collecting, the exhibit pays tribute to the dedicated donors, curators, and staff who have shaped this extraordinary showcase. This is a temporary exhibition that opens on October 19. Museum hours are 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, Noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $17 students and age 65+, $19 general. www.chicagohistory.org
The Ghouls Come Out to Play!
Arts in the Dark Parade
Now in its 10th year, Arts in the Dark is a captivating evening parade that celebrates Halloween as the “artist’s holiday,” uniting world-renowned institutions, esteemed Chicago cultural organizations, vital youth programs, and aspiring artists from all fields. This dazzling spectacle takes place on October 19 from 6 - 8 p.m., attracting large audiences with its unique floats, stunning puppetry, and creative performances all set against the historic backdrop of the Chicago Loop. The route will begin on State Street and move south from Lake Street to Van Buren, and is scheduled rain or shine. For more information, visit artsinthedark.com. FREE.
Otherworldly Art!
'RURAL v. URBAN, Perception' by Ian Merrit
Step into the extraordinary world of Ian Merrit’s "RURAL v. URBAN, Perception," a mesmerizing collection of art built from both natural and man-made landscapes transformed into intricate, mirrored patterns that play with the audience’s perceptions of the world. Through simple techniques like rotating, flipping, and repeating a single image or video, Merrit creates endless, otherworldly landscapes inspired by the mind-bending visuals of science fiction and the natural beauty of the world. This event runs from October 4 - November 3 on the second floor of the the Evanston Art Center (1717 Central St.). For more information, visit www.evanstonartcenter.org
A Multi-talented Duo!
'Opening Week with Roger and James Deakins'
The Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture (2936 N. Southport Ave.) presents “Opening Week with Roger and James Deakins,” a week-long celebration of the duo and presentation of Roger Deakins’ new photography exhibition. This event runs from October 17 - 20, and includes film screenings, the photography exhibition, a book signing event, and Q & A’s with Team Deakins, showcasing his mastery of invoking centuries-old artistic traditions in a modern context. This is a unique opportunity to hear directly from cinema’s greats, explore the team’s approach to filmmaking, and experience art in a new light! For more information, athenaeumcenter.org
A Film Reimagined!
'Atonement'
Join the Joffrey Ballet at the Lyric Opera House (20 N. Wacker Drive) and step into the world of Cathy Marston’s "Atonement," debuting October 17-27. This reimagining of the 2001 award-winning film brings a heartfelt and powerful story to the stage in a new and exciting way. Set in 1935 England, the ballet reimagines Briony Tallis as a choreographer haunted by her past as she navigates the tragic love story of her sister, evoking themes of guilt, memory, and redemption. Tickets start at $38 at www.joffrey.org
Take A Peek Inside!
Open
House
Chicago 2024
Open House Chicago, hosted by the Chicago Architecture Center, is a public festival providing access to places of architectural, historical and cultural significance across the city. This celebration is part of Open House Worldwide, a network of over 60 organizations that work to inspire people to discover why architectural design matters. October 19 & 20. For more information and to see the participating architectural sites, visit www.architecture.org. FREE.
Bargains That Benefit!
Friends of the Logan Square Library Used Book Sale
The Friends of Logan Square Library is hosting their annual used book sale at the Logan Square Branch of the Chicago Public Library (3030 W. Fullerton Ave). Hardcover books will sell for $3 each, paperback for $1, and children’s books for 50 cents. All proceeds from this event support library materials, services and programming. The Logan Square Branch is also accepting book donations until the event takes place on October 19 from noon - 4 p.m. For more information, visit chipublib.org. FREE.
Weekly Variety!
'Tuesday Good Show'
Join The Gallery Cabaret in Bucktown (2020 N. Oakley Ave.) for a fun, mid-week performance showcasing some of the best performers in Chicago. The "Tuesday Good Show" is a weekly variety show that runs from 7 - 8:30 p.m., and is recurring indefinitely. For more information, and a schedule of performances, visit @tuesdaygoodshow on Instagram. FREE.
John Akomfrah: 'Four Nocturnes'
Art on Display!
Join Wrightwood 659 (659 W. Wrightwood Ave.) through February 15 as it presents John Akomfrah: "Four Nocturnes," a mesmerizing and haunting exhibition comprised of two installations by the London-based artist and filmmaker. Akomfrah’s works are characterized by their insights into the intersection of memory, post-colonialism, temporality, and aesthetics, often exploring the global experiences of migrant diasporas. Tickets start at $15 at www.wrightwood659.org
Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling!
'By The Way, Meet Vera Stark' from The Artistic Home
Experience the harrowing and hilarious stageplay "By The Way, Meet Vera Stark" at The Den Theatre (1331 N. Milwaukee Ave.), a smart satirical piece that investigates the damage done by early Hollywood representations of people of color. Written by Lynn Nottage and Rish Tenae, this play follows the career of young African-American actress Vera Stark as she navigates the stage and paves the way for future generations of Black actresses. This show runs from October 17 - November 17. Tickets start at $21 at www.theartistichome.org
Bears Rookie Caleb Williams
John: As of September 27, Bears rookie sensation quarterback Caleb Williams has played three games. He had 14 completions in week one, 23 in week two, 33 in week three. And yards: 93 in week one, 174 in week two and a whopping 363 in week three. We had two interceptions in week two and then week three and two touchdowns; the first touchdown he threw in week three against Indianapolis. He has 70 completions in three games, 113 attempts, 630 yards, two TDs and four interceptions.
As I see it, he's making progress in certain percentages, but he's also got a ways to go.
Allen: It's too early to tell, but he's just one player. He can't carry a whole team. As long as we see improvement each game. It's progress, not perfection.
William: I would agree with Allen. It’s still kind of early to tell. But right now, I'm really impressed. He's going up, nine or 10 more completions each week. And then, more yards,
97 starting out, 174 and then 363 – that more than doubled week two. And then the two touchdowns in the single game. This is pretty good for a rookie.
Yeah, he's not gonna be able to carry the whole team so that the Bears don't let that go to their heads, but he could be really good. This could be a shot at the Bears getting the postseason.
Russell: I'm not impressed right now, but I see him getting better. The first game he looked like sh.... The second game so-so. But last weekend, I think he showed a lot of improvement: 363 yards. No Bears rookie ever threw 363 yards in a game. But they need the offensive line, the guy has no time to throw the ball. He got sacked seven times in one game.
John: Okay, he improved every week. But I want to see games in late November or December. We can get cold
rain, sometimes snow, and below-zero weather. Passing in these conditions is not like in southern California. You’ve gotta run the football more. But if he keeps improving and cuts down his interceptions, then he can be in a conversation for Rookie of the Year.
Allen: I really like Caleb Williams, because the cumulative yardage that he's made is 630, and when you look at Patrick Mahomes – one of the best quarterbacks – he’s got 659. That’s only 29 yards difference. So we gotta give him a chance. You know, he is a Heisman Trophy winner and his college career was great with Oklahoma and USC. He threw only 14 interceptions in college. So give him time to adjust from college to pro. And for all those haters that don't like Black quarterbacks, they didn't like Justin Fields, but guess what? We got another Black quarterback. So, give the man a chance.
William: Yeah, the Bears most certainly do need to work on their offense. You'd be surprised how often the best defense is a good offense. And they need to make sure they're working together as a team and not just doing their own thing. If they can do that this year, with Caleb Williams on the team, they could get to the postseason without being one and done. Might even make it into the Super Bowl and maybe even win.
Russell: The man deserves a chance. Some of these teams take quarterbacks and stick with him, like the Giants. Daniel Jones, he's been there six years. He ain’t did Jack, but he's still there.
Any comments, suggestions or topic ideas for the SportsWise team? Email StreetWise Editor Suzanne Hanney at suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com
Vendors (clockwise) A. Allen, John Hagan, William Plowman and Russell Adams chat about the world of sports.
LINKING AFFORDABLE TO THOSE WHO NEED
The Accountable Housing and Anti-Discrimination Waitlist Act (AHAD) ordinance now before the Chicago City Council seeks to create a missing link between subsidized affordable housing and the nearly 120,000 Chicagoans who need it.
Sponsored by Ald. Maria Hadden (49th ward) and Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th ward), the ordinance would replace the current “obstacle course – disjointed, opaque and piecemeal” – with an online portal where all providers could list their vacant units, yet still control their waitlists and screening requirements.
During a September 23 City Hall press conference on the ordinance, Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Director of Equitable Community Development and Housing Director Emily Coffey said the AHAD wait list would “create a critical tool that every renter searching for affordable housing needs, a one-stop resource where they can find out where there is housing.”
Coffey and State Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago) said the list would help both for-profit and non-profit developers who have received city, state or federal subsidies to market their units. The AHAD wait list would be separate from both the Coordinated Entry System for people experiencing homelessness and the Chicago Housing Authority, which serves 135,000 people in all 77 Chicago neighborhoods and has a wait list of up to 25 years. However, the AHAD portal will link to the CHA wait list, which is governed by a federal consent decree.
“Because there is still room for discrimination in tenant selection,” Coffey said, providers would need to report on that selection criteria, along with people who were not served, and leasing requirements, every 120 days to the Chicago Department of Housing and the Chicago City Council Housing Committee. Compiling and tracking where money spent on affordable housing is going will bring Chicago into compliance with the Fair Housing Act, and would protect Chicago’s federal affordable housing funds.
The ordinance would allow alderpersons, other elected officials and housing advocates to create Certified Registration sites at their offices to connect people with housing.
Guzzardi, who represents parts of Logan Square, Hermosa, Belmont-Cragin and Avondale, said that the state legislature created a special incentive for developers of affordable units who have received public money to put their required setasides on-site instead of in distant neighborhoods, so that “now we have affordable units in communities that used to only belong to the wealthy.”
However, “non-traditional affordable housing developers may not know how to market [these units] so we are not getting the people who need them connected. Folks come into our office every day looking for an apartment they can afford. We call around and ask, but there is no central clearing house, no database. That’s what this ordinance will change. It will be this missing link, an incredibly important tool.”
As it stands now, advocates who want to help people are limited to a Google search, said the Rev. Shawna Bowman,
Story and photos by Suzanne Hanney
Ald. Maria Hadden
Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Director of Equitable Community Development and Housing Director Emily Coffey
State Rep. Will Guzzardi
AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEED IT
pastor of Friendship Presbyterian Church in Jefferson Park. “It’s such a deep source of frustration when someone sitting in front of you knows where they want to live and can’t find housing.”
Julia Mkrtychian of the office of State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe in Portage Park gave the example of an 80-year-old woman with mental health issues who navigated CHA wait lists for years. The woman was finally given an apartment in Lincoln Park, “an hourlong commute from the community she knows like the back of her hand. She packed her bags and left.
“Far too many people have two options: brave the elements or relocate miles away from the community they have lived in their entire life,” Mkrtychian said.
Simultaneously, the AHAD wait list could improve integration in Chicago because it would list housing all over the city, said Etta Davis of the Lugenia Burns Hope Center in Bronzeville. “The reason why we have clusters of people on the North Side or the South Side is because we hear about housing from friends. That’s all they know.”
Even if people get a listing from calling 311, they might not have the financial resources to travel to all the sites, Davis said. The centralized list would alleviate that concern.
It would also help people with mobility issues, said Access Living’s Housing Community Organizer and Disability Rights Action Coalition for Housing (DRACH) leader Iliana Haven.
Application and security fees are going up, making it a struggle to find affordable housing, said ordinance co-sponsor Hadden. Passing the ordinance would ensure that city officials can account for every affordable housing dollar and make it easier for people to get into a home.
Co-sponsor Villegas said that having spent his first eight years in the CHA’s Lathrop Homes, and having a father who was a Vietnam veteran, the ordinance is personal to him. “All across our city we hear stories from low-income residents, families, veterans. We owe it to them to make the process as effective and efficient as possible.”
Housing is one of the most critical issues immigrants and others face and giving people shelter reduces violence, said Chicago City Council Housing Committee Chair Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez (25th ward). However, Chicago has a shortage of nearly 120,000 affordable units across the city, he said, citing the city’s 2024 homeless report, released June 7.
Sigcho Lopez said he was proud to support the ordinance to ensure a more transparent system and promised to work with the City’s legal and budget departments.
Chicago Housing Initiative Director Don Washington said the ordinance, which is close to attaining majority support on the 50-member City Council, would cost $1.3 million to put together and $700,000 annually afterward.
Rev. Shawna Bowman
Etta Davis, Lugenia Burns Hope Center
Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez
WHAT WOULD A CENTRALIZED LIST OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN CHICAGO DO FOR YOU?
It would be a great tool or resource that we would share with our clients and our prospective clients.
-Lafayette Williams, housing and financial education and sustainability manager for YWCA Metropolitan Chicago
It would be more convenient for people looking for housing instead of trying to go all over the city.
-Vendor John Hagan
If they are saying anti-discrimination, which includes immigrants, that is still unfair, because Chicago has taxpayers and if one of them is homeless, no telling how many years they paid taxes, so they should be a priority for getting housing. -Vendor A. Allen
It sounds like it would help me because they are looking at who they are housing and who they didn’t house.
-Vendor Mitchell Lee
That’s a great opportunity for individuals like myself to look for housing. That should have been done. I look for that to come to fruition. Hopefully soon.
-Vendor Lee A. Holmes
I think that’s a great idea. I would love to get an apartment and come back and share my information.
-Vendor Paula Holmes
Onward neighborhood house welcomes chicago's newest arrivals
by Maya Liquigan
A little girl in a bright purple coat huddles between the legs of her family members, who block her from the harsh Chicago wind and rain. On the 5000 block of Diversey Avenue, they are part of a growing line of people, some with all their belongings in metal shopping carts. Every other Thursday, a line forms outside Onward Neighborhood House’s food pantry. On this particularly rainy Thursday, families are bundled in jackets and wool caps. Some talk to pass the time; others are glued to their phones or silently stare at the passing cars splashing through puddles.
Willie, the first person in line, leans against the windows of the food pantry. He and his wife have relied on the pantry for over a year.
“If it wasn’t for this, we won’t have nothing,” he says.
Lately, he and the others have been joined by a new group needing food: migrants who’ve been bused or flown to Chicago from Texas and who now live in shelters or in the streets—some in the Belmont-Cragin neighborhood, which Onward House serves. They are just one more group in its long history of serving waves of migrants.
Onward Neighborhood House (ONH) began as a church-run settlement house providing immigrants with social services and education in the 1920s. By the 1940s, it became a nonprofit with a mission “to maintain and conduct an organization to minister to the spiritual, moral, mental and physical needs of the community.” Over the years, it expanded its services, offering a Head Start program funded by the federal government in 1965, and a food pantry through partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository in 1979.
In 2008, Onward Neighborhood House moved from West Town, which was no longer a low-income community, to Belmont-Cragin, where the need was greater. To this day, it retains the core features of a settlement house: serving as a community hub and migrant assistance center, which includes providing basic needs like food and clothing as well as educational opportunities for children and adults.
Changing times, changing needs
ONH responds to changing needs as they arise. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, community members were restricted from receiving healthcare, and many were without insurance. In response, ONH opened a free telehealth program through a partnership with Community Health.
After COVID restrictions were lifted, people wanted to see physicians in person, so the telehealth program evolved over time into a full clinic with exam rooms. ONH worked with Community Health to arrange for physicians to volunteer at the clinic three days a week. This partnership allows ONH to provide care, free of charge for people without insurance. The physicians provide primary care visits, vaccinations, and prescription services.
People wait outside of Onward Neighborhood House’s food pantry (Zahra Sandhu photo).
The pandemic also highlighted the need for adult computer education classes, which ONH began offering along with other adult education classes. Most are taught in Spanish and offered in a hybrid format to accommodate people who work or lack childcare. In April, ONH celebrated 14 students who graduated from their Computer Skills for Business course.
ONH also offers English as a Second Language classes for adults in partnership with Wilbur Wright College, Northwest Community Church and St. Peter’s United Church of Christ. Partnerships like these enable ONH to offer services well beyond what it could with only its own space and staff. Sometimes, however, ONH isn’t able to sustain all the programs it once offered. The bilingual GED classes provided by Wilbur Wright Community College, for example, have been paused due to a lack of space and resources.
Today, ONH tackles a new challenge with this new wave of immigrants coming to Chicago.
The new arrivals
The most recent number of migrants coming from South and Latin America has increased tremendously since 2022, when Title 42, which suspended entry from designated places to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, ended. Between Aug. 31, 2022 and September 17, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas sent 48,756 asylum-seekers to Chicago by bus and plane, and overwhelmed city services.
Those who find themselves at the ONH Illinois Welcoming Center are greeted by social workers and case managers who provide information and referrals to resources for education, immigration and legal matters, housing, Medicaid applications and more. The lobby is often packed with people waiting for a meeting with a case worker. Classrooms have been rearranged to create private rooms for consultation. The center served just over 1,000 people in 2021; in 2023, it served almost five times that number.
Funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services, the Welcoming Center emphasizes the importance of showing hospitality. Staff are trained to connect with new arrivals as humans before treating them as clients: “Being able to bring you into a warm and welcoming environment, especially as you may have just gotten off the bus from Texas after traveling six months on foot,” says Emilio Araujo, the director of development and communications at ONH. “Being able to have somebody that actually respects [you], listens to you, and wants to see your humanity, I think, is really important. As that’s something that a lot of people have not had in a while.”
One thing that makes Onward more approachable to migrants is that all of the Welcoming Center staff are immigrants themselves. New arrivals can meet with case workers who speak their language and understand their situation and experiences.
Right now, the biggest challenge for ONH is finding stability for its clients: working through the legal processes and housing limitations. Facing complex U.S. policies and a 60day shelter residency limit, immigrants can’t settle down. They face major issues including finding permanent housing,
securing work permits and applying for asylum. Families at ONH also have a lack of access to education and childcare programs.
“How do we help new migrants find stability?” Araujo asks. “To be able to work, make money, to rent an apartment. To do these things that they need to do so they can have that stability and their children can go to school and learn.”
For now, ONH works to provide childcare opportunities to assist parents with daycare needs while they look for work. The bilingual Early Childhood Education at ONH, which is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and funded by Head Start and Early Start, offers care for children birth to age 5. The bilingual School Age Program supports children ages 5 to 12. Tutors from Glenbrook South High School come to ONH weekly. Both programs are active in the summer and on days Chicago Public Schools are closed.
“For me, education is the underpinning of everything we do here,” says Kimberly Their, director of special education and quality Assurance for ONH. “Whether it’s education directly with our small children, or it's an education for the parents, [it’s] an effort to open up doors, remove the barriers that others don’t have… and provide parents the support that they need, so that they can achieve.”
But government rules and restrictions require parents whose children participate in the Early Childhood Program to be in school or working a minimum of 25 hours per week. This means most of the new arrivals in Chicago are not eligible for the program.
ONH is seeking to help parents get jobs or enroll in school through several new, free educational workshops offered through collaborations with the Cicero Family Service and the Binational Institute of Human Development. These workshops cover migrants’ legal rights according to national and local laws, mental health resources, and basics like how to use the CTA. One of the newest workshops provides free asylum and work permit application assistance. But since none of the IWC staff members are lawyers, they can only inform and advise people when filling out asylum applications.
What’s next for Onward House
ONH is planning a $7 million grant-funded expansion to accommodate more clients and provide for the increasing number of migrants. The current layout of ONH is split between three buildings and the expansion would be a more cohesive community center in one building.
New plans envision relocating the IWC to the new building; adding exam rooms, a behavioral health specialist room and more lab spaces to the health center; providing more exam rooms for the pediatric clinic; and adding classrooms for the adult education program.
The food pantry would move to the basement of the new building and double its existing space. It would have new walk-in freezers and refrigerators, as well as a waiting area for participants. Willie and the others would no longer have to wait outside for their groceries.
According to the new plans, a rooftop farm would provide the Food Pantry with consistent access to fresh produce and new learning opportunities for the students. At full capacity, it is estimated to be able to grow 2,000 pounds of produce per year.
But there will still be some resources ONH can’t provide. There simply isn’t enough housing to refer newly arrived migrants to, and Chicago’s 60-day shelter limit still threatens to upend migrants’ lives just as they are settling into their new city.
“I think what’s really challenging for us are the larger scale, more bureaucratic and political issues that we’re facing,” Araujo says. “When new immigrants come and they aren’t able to get a work permit and they’re waiting to submit their asylum information, and their shelter is going to kick them out in 60 days, what’s the solution for that? That’s not something that we can do much about right away.”
Still, they will adapt. “With the expansion, we’re trying to meet the community where they’re at with the demand we’re seeing,” says Joel Stenftenagel, the grant writer at ONH. “We have this 31,000-square-foot building and all these possibilities on how to use the space. We just decided, ‘Where’s the demand and how can we use this efficiently?’”
Maya Liquigan and Zahra Sandhu are journalism majors at Columbia College Chicago. This story was written for a “Solutions Journalism” course at Columbia College taught by Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin. Liquigan is a staff reporter at The Columbia Chronicle. Sandhu has a focus in opinion writing and investigative reporting.
Top row, from left: The shelves at the ONH food pantry are stocked for distribution day; The ONH welcoming center's case managers and social workers take calls and appointments; The Childhood Education classroom at ONH is empty, waiting for the children to return from recess.
Bottom row, from left: The Early Childhood Education classroom has toys and art supplies; Willie shows off his groceries from the food pantry; The ONH Illinois Welcoming Center lobby. All photos by Zahra Sandhu.
Efforts to expand Sustainable Community Schools
by Suzanne Hanney
Sustainable Community Schools (SCS) are all about equity and undoing racist harm via more resources, Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates said at the CTU’s fourth public bargaining session on SCS with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) on September 24.
CPS invests $10 million annually to run 20 Sustainable Community Schools. CTU seeks to expand SCS to 65 schools by 2028 and to hire an executive director.
“Why does this matter?” Davis Gates asked. “Because we are in a district of Willis Wagons. [CPS] has a history of putting duct tape on systems,” she said, referring to trailers for Black students outside better-resourced buildings for white students in the early-1960s under Supt. Benjamin Willis.
CPS has promised no school closures until after the 202627 school year. However, Davis Gates said schools that are starved of resources – such as Percy Julian High School, 10330 S. Elizabeth, where seniors have been missing a math teacher since sophomore year – become ripe for closure in another term.
Latasha Geverola, former principal of Oscar DePriest Elementary School (139 S. Parkside), one of the first Sustainable Community Schools, said the goal was to bring students experiences they did not have – and to expose them to everything the city had to offer.
DePriest had a parent coordinator and a resources coordinator so that students would know what was in their Austin community, Geverola said. “We created a model where people started to talk to one another, to have conversations about the classroom, expectations for students and staff. We started to build a community where everyone cared. We started to create infrastructure where students believed they could do a lot more than they had before. How else can we expose students to really dig into their passions, become the people they wanted to become?”
Sustainable Community Schools become the hubs of their communities, led by neighborhood nonprofit partners: Blocks Together, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Family Focus, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, Enlace Chicago, Youth Guidance, Metropolitan Family Services, Northwest Side Housing Center and Puerto Rican Cultural Center.
Deeply rooted in the community and governed by it, SCS provide comprehensive wraparound support and whatever makes school attendance more possible and enjoyable – whether a journalism club or a basketball team, said Dr. Monique Redeaux-Smith, co-chair of the SCS task force. It could also be a med center in the building, GEDs for parents, an immigration clinic or mental health support.
“We understand children cannot be whole and well if their parents are not whole and well, if their community is not whole and well,” Dr. Redeaux-Smith said.
The Sustainable Community Schools (SCS) movement began with a 19-day hunger strike in 2001 when Little Village was denied a new high school and 15 years later, by a 34-day hunger strike over the proposed closure of Dyett High School in Bronzeville. The Chicago Board of Education built Little Village Social Justice High School and Dyett became one of the first 20 SCS secured by the CTU.
Oscar DePriest Elementary School (facebook photo).
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