Thursday, January 29, 2015

Coca-Cola's Pay It Forward Academy offers teens a chance to win a 3-day mentorship experience and a $5,000 scholarship

Coca-Cola's Pay It Forward Academy offers teens a chance to win 3 days of mentorship, leadership, and networking hosted by Steve Harvey at Coca-Cola’s Pay It Forward Academy in Atlanta. Winning teens will also be awarded a $5,000 scholarship.

For more information, see the following link: https://cocacola.promo.eprize.com/payitforward2015/

Chicago Department of Public Health issues RFP for Mental Health Community Services

Chicago Department of Public Health
Request for Proposal (RFP)

RFP -  Mental Health Community Services 
RFP# DA-41-1005-1-2015-001

 The purpose of this RFP is to identify community-based organizations to provide mental health services in order to achieve a stronger, more comprehensive mental health system for Chicago. RFP # DA-41-1005-1-2015-001 will fund successful respondents to provide services under the following categories:
  1. Engagement Services for Adults with Mental Illness being Released from Jail (one award);
  2. Psychiatry Services for Uninsured Residents (three to six awards); and
  3. Retention and Engagement Services for Vulnerable Populations (two awards).
The RFP will available online starting Monday, January 26, 2015 through Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at the following link:http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/obm/provdrs/FundingOpportunities.html.

IMPORTANT KEY DATES: 
Release Date:  Monday, January 26, 2015 
Pre-Proposal Conference:  Monday, February 2, 2015
Intent to Apply Form Due:  Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Application Due:  Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Contract Start Date:  Sunday, March 5, 2015

The pre-proposal conference for this RFP will be held on Monday, February 2, 2015.  The conference will be held at:

Chicago Department of Public Health
DePaul Center - Board Room
333 South State Street, 2nd Floor 
Chicago, Illinois 60604
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Applications are due no later than 5:00 pm CST on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 

*This is a competitive bid-all bidders must comply with the RFP guidelines.*

Mayoral Candidates Forum to be held at University Church on February 3, 2015

Social service, religious and community-based organizations are joining with University Church to sponsor a Mayoral Forum to ask candidates about their vision for the City of Chicago and issues facing Black and Latino communities. The forum will be held from 7pm - 9pm on Tuesday, February 3 at University Church (5655 S. University Avenue). 

For more information, click here

5th Ward Aldermanic Forum to be held Saturday, January 31

The Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference is hosting a forum for candidates running for the position of alderman of the 5th Ward. It will be held from 10:30am - 12:00pm on Saturday, January 31, 2015 at the Hyde Park Academy auditorium (6220 S. Stony Island Avenue). For more details, including a list of the candidates who will be attending, click here.

Free parent conference on Saturday, January 31

The #Team Parent! 2015 Conference is a parent-focused, interactive learning event for parents and caretakers designed to provide insight, resources, and expert information on how to support student achievement, social emotional development, as well as encourage healthy parent participation and engagement in the educational process. For more information, click here for the flyer; for a Spanish version, click here.

When: Saturday, January 31, from 8:30am - 3:00pm

Where: Blue 1647, 1647 S. Blue Island Avenue

Click here to register for this event.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Presentation on improving college completion rates: February 18

The Social Enterprise Initiative will host the event: Unlocking College Persistence: A Data-Driven Model That Works. Jeff Nelson, chief executive director of OneGoal, will discuss OneGoal's mission to transform college completion rates. The event will take place at the Gleacher Center. Doors open at 6:00 pm with the introduction starting at 6:15. Reception to follow. Please register here to reserve your seat.

New rating system for CPS to be discussed at January 28 CAC meeting

The new rating system which CPS is using to assess schools, School Quality Rating Policy (SQRP), will be on the agenda at the January 28 CAC meeting. Special attention will be given to the ratings of Hyde Park/Kenwood schools.

When: Wednesday, January 28, 6:00 pm (with 5:30 mixer)
Where: Kenwood Academy High School, 5015 S. Blackstone

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Final Fundraiser to Support Bret Harte 8th Graders' Trip to Washington, DC

First, THANK YOU to everyone in the community who has already supported the 8th graders at Bret Harte in some way.

Tickets are now being sold for the last big fundraiser for the Bret Harte 8th graders as they approach the final deadline for submitting the funds for their trip to Washington, DC. 

Tickets are being sold through January 31. Please spread the word! Kristy Ulrich Papczun is willing to deliver tickets to your door. 

Raffle Tickets: $2 each or 6 for $10.
You could win:
     $50 gift card to Hyde Park Produce (2 to give away!)
$25 gift certificate to Wesley’s Shoe 
$25 gift card to Cedar’s Restaurant
$15 Wendy’s gift card
One dozen homemade cookies 
One dozen pumpkin scones 
$25 gift certificate to Giordano’s (2 to give away!)
One pound English toffee
$20 gift card to Office Depot (2 to give away!)
and many more things!

Then...

Mark your calendar, folks! SAT, JAN 31, 4P-8P. Jimmy's on 55th (Woodlawn Tap). Come, have a drink, toast our fundraising efforts, and buy lots of raffle tickets for our 8th graders' DC trip!  We will be drawing the winners at the end of that evening. (You don't have to be present to win and you can win more than once if you buy more than one ticket!)
 
Contact for tickets: Kristy Ulrich Papczun, 8th grade teacher at Bret Harte
klulrich-pap@cps.edu
773-517-1628

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Upcoming discussions about the possible placement of the Obama Library and Museum in Jackson Park

There are a number of upcoming meetings in which proposed locations of the Obama Presidential Library will be discussed.

The Jackson Park Advisory Council meets January 12, Monday, 7 pm at the fieldhouse, 6401 S. Stony Island. University of Chicago and Park District representatives will present and answer questions on the Obama Presidential Library. Project 120 and design team will present on a framework vision and map for the park. Fran Vandervoort and Louise McCurry will talk on new Jackson Park nature and ecology education tours. Chicago Zoological Society will talk on education programs in Chicago parks and schools. Lauren Umek of Chicago Park District and steward Jerry Levy will give update on the ACE habitat.

Special meeting about Jackson Park. January 13, Tuesday, 6 pm. Community meeting convened by Alderman Hairston (5th) on the proposed Vision Framework for Jackson Park. At Booth School of Business, 5807 S. Woodlawn. Presenters include: Robert Karr, Project 120 Chicago; Patricia O’Donnell, Heritage Landscapes; Kulapat Yantrasast, whY. They will present a Jackson Park Framework plan.

January 13, Tuesday, 6 pm. Hearing on the Siting of the Obama Library, particularly the JACKSON PARK option of the UC bid, and of possibly transferring part of Jackson Park from the Park District to the city for purpose of the Library. Generalized site plans will be shared. Hyde Park Career Academy, 6220 S. Stony Island Ave.  

January 14, Wednesday, 12 pm. Hearing on the Siting of the Obama Library, particularly the WASHINGTON PARK option of the UC bid, and possibly transferring part of Washington Park from the Park District to the city for purpose of the Library. Generalized site plans will be shared. Washington Park fieldhouse, 5531 S. King Drive.

25th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration on January 15 at the University of Chicago

Join keynote speaker Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., and the University of Chicago community to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The celebration will be held at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel at 6 PM on January 15. It will be followed by a community reception at Ida Noyes Hall. Find out more about this free event here.

Free Logan Center matinee peformances for elementary and high school students

Visit the UChicagoARTS website for a list of free matinee performances for elementary and high school students. Upcoming events include Tsukasa Taiko, a dynamic performance using Japanese Taiko drums (January 14, 10:30-11:30 AM), and Christylez Bacon, a GRAMMY-nominated hip-hop artist, multi-instrumentalist and storyteller (February 5, 10:30-11:30 AM). All performances take place in the Logan Center Performance Hall. 

Chicago's School Closings: Film Screening and Discussion on January 22

The School Project presents a documentary screening, research presentation, and panel discussion about Chicago's recent school closings. The event will share new findings from the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research about where 10,000 affected students ended up and why. The screening and panel are free and will take place from 6:30-9:30pm on Thursday, January 22 in the Logan Center Performance Hall. For more information and to register, click here.