Monday, March 28, 2016

Opportunities for CPS middle school and high school students at the Chicago Botanic Garden this summer

The Chicago Botanic Garden offers some wonderful opportunities for CPS students to learn more about science and ecology this summer.

There is a Science Enrichment Program as well as a paid internship program.

1. Science First is a great learning opportunity for students currently in grades 7, 8, and 9. It offers a chance to see the Garden's 385 acres of plants and nature and is a great way to meet other science-curious students. Each summer, approximately 40 students from Chicago Public Schools travel to the Garden by school bus from designated stops to spend four weeks being immersed in a free, nature-based science enrichment program that engages students in a unique hands-on experience.
http://www.chicagobotanic.org/sciencefirst

The deadline to apply for the Science First program is April 15, 2016.



2. College First is a dynamic paid internship program for eligible Chicago Public High School students consisting of career mentorship, field ecology and conservation science, and college prep and assistance. Each summer, approximately 20 students from Chicago Public Schools travel to the Chicago Botanic Garden by school bus from designated stops to spend eight weeks in the Garden's beautiful setting. They explore a vast array of potential science careers and use the Garden's 385 acres and resources to learn about native ecosystems and plants. During the summer, as well as at monthly meetings over the school year, emphasis is also placed on college as a pathway to careers and guidance is given to the students, who are often the first in their families to attend college.
Click here to learn more.

The deadline to apply for the paid internship is April 8, 2016.



A listing of all job and internship opening at the Chicago Botanic Garden can be found at: http://www.chicagobotanic.org/jobs 



Wednesday, March 16, 2016

No March HPKCAC meeting; next meeting is Tuesday, April 26

The Hyde Park-Kenwood CAC will not meet this month; our next meeting will be Tuesday, April 26 at 6pm. The location will be announced shortly.

Thank you!

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

7th annual Woodlawn Community Summit to take place on Saturday, March 19

The School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago (969 E. 60th Street) will host the 7th annual Woodlawn Community Summit on Saturday, March 19 from 8am - 12:30pm. 
Neighbors and key stakeholders will focus and set in action a plan for civic engagement and neighborhood transformation. Join us for an energetic morning, designed to shape the future of our community. Registration opens at 7:45 am with a fantastic networking continental breakfast to start the day. Planning sessions will be held discussing safety and security, economic development, education, youth engagement, and more! To register and for more information, visit their website.

Free online class on the topic of critical issues in urban education (March 14-May 30)

The Urban Education Institute at the University of Chicago is offering an online class on the topic of issues in urban education. The deadline to register for the class in March 19. This course explores a set of critical issues in education and the much-talked-about education reform, with a focus on aspects of the field that have sparked controversy and polarized views. The debates will be contextualized within the larger history of public education and school reform, and students will consider the viewpoints, the evidence, and the translation of these issues into educational policy. This course is free and open to anyone with a free Coursera account. The course is available on-demand—students can register at any time (through March 19th) and self-pace their learning. Students can also earn continuing education credits by purchasing and earning the Course Certificate, which they can then submit to the credit-issuing agency in their state.

Community discussion on standardized testing and opting out on Monday, March 14

More Than a Score is holding a meeting to discuss standardized testing (PARCC), opt-out, and ESSA on Monday, March 14 at 5:30pm at Blackstone Library, with additional meetings throughout the Chicago area beginning as soon as March 9th. More details can be found on their Facebook page and specifically on this post. They will also be hosting a webinar on March 13th on PARCC and how to opt out. More Than a Score is a group of parents, students, teachers, and community members who are frustrated with the scale, expense, and consequences of standardized testing at CPS.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Deadline for applications to run for a position on a Local School Council is March 18, 2016

The 2016 Local School Council Election Deadline has been extended to Friday, March 18, 2016. Please submit your candidate application at your respective school(s) if you are planning to run for your LSC. Further information on LSCs and the applications (English and Spanish) can be found on the CPS website here:


          and here:


Also, the Office of LSC Relations is recruiting election judges for April 13 (Elementary Schools) and April 14 (High Schools). 

If you have questions, please feel free to contact the Office of LSC Relations at 773-553-1400.

Talk by author Jessica Lahey on resilience and learning at 8:45am on March 8

NYT best-selling author/journalist/educator Jessica Lahey will speak at the Lab School on Tuesday, March 8, at 8:45 a.m., in the Parks Assembly Hall (1362 E. 59th Street)

Jess Lahey, noted author of author of the NYT bestseller, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed, "The Parent-Teacher Conference” column at The New York Times, writer for the Atlantic, commentator for Vermont Public Radio, and middle school teacher is excited to meet and talk with the community about resilience and learning in our kids.

This event is open to the public, but you must RSVP.

This event is sponsored by the Laboratory Schools Parents' Association.