The School Project: "Testing Season" Film and Panel Discussion on March 31

The School Project: Testing Season

This 10-minute film explores the hot topic of high stakes school testing from the boycotts of 2013 to the implementation of the PARCC test rolling out this spring, and the grassroots movement to end "teaching to the test" in Illinois and around the country. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with community leaders, educators, and education experts, moderated by Linda Lenz of Catalyst Chicago.

When: Tuesday, March 31, 2015, 5:00pm - 6:30pm (doors open at 4:30pm)

Where: Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph Street

You can watch the film's trailer here: http://youtu.be/JM1ddULfdhU

This event is free and open to the public; RSVP required.

To register, click here.

Chicago Theological Seminary Conference: "Selma at 50: Still Marching" on April 24-25

To be held on the CTS campus, "Selma at 50: Still Marching" will trace a thread through the legacy of civil rights activism to emerging contemporary activist movements focused on issues at the intersection of public theology, grassroots organizing, and serious scholarship. Participants will examine critical social issues (e.g. the systemic causes of oppression and violence, the prison industrial complex, immigration reform, living wage issues, militarized policing, etc.) and their effects on human society, and strategize on action that will inspire and engage the next generation of leaders.

The conference will include 2 keynote addresses, 2 themed-based panel discussions, and training as a tool for organizing in our communities. The training will be followed by topic-based working sessions pushing beyond analysis and digging deeper to create applicable solutions to the issues. Inclusive, structured dialogues will expand upon and clarify definitions of "civil rights" in our current climate, and unstructured social time will allow people to process and reflect on what they've heard and experienced during the event.

When: April 24-25, 2015
Where: Chicago Theological Seminary campus, 1407 E. 60th Street

For more information see: http://selma.ctschicago.edu/

Click here to register. (If high school students register in advance, they are admitted for free with valid student i.d.)

Dyett High Global Leadership and Green Technology High School Town Hall on March 24

Come participate in the continued development of the community's plan for the future of Dyett High School as an open-enrollment, CPS-operated school: The Dyett Global Leadership and Green Technology High School Plan.

Where: Kennicott Park, 4434 S. Lake Park Avenue
When: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 from 6pm-8pm

Click here for the flyer with more information.

Sponsored by the Coalition to Revitalize Dyett High School. Call (773) 548-7500 for more information or to RSVP.

The Campaign for Equitable Policing Presents An Open Forum on the Obama Presidential Library on March 18

The Campaign for Equitable Policing presents an open forum on the Obama Presidential Library and South Side Policing on Wednesday, March 18, 2015 from 6:30-8:00pm at the McCormick Tribune Lounge in the Reynolds Club (5706 S. University Avenue).

The focus of the forum is how the Obama Presidential Library would impact the behavior of the University of Chicago Police Department, a full-power force with jurisdiction over 6 square miles of the South Side, yet which falls short of typical standards of accountability. Come to learn more about the UCPD's history of jurisdiction expansion, the recent legislative work at the state level to bring it under public standards of transparency, and to discuss the ramifications of all this for the South Side. Light refreshments will be served.

If you have any questions, including accessibility questions and concerns, please contact Sofia Butnaru, at 786-216-2200 or sbutnaru@uchicago.edu 

Diversity Symposium at The Ancona School on Saturday, April 18

The Ancona School is thrilled to partner with the Center on Halsted and Gerber Hart Library for its 3rd annual Diversity Symposium on Saturday, April 18, 2015 from 8am - 3pm. This year's program will explore gender fluidity within the context of parenting and teaching. Workshops will challenge misconceptions, provide interpretations and offer practical context for participants surrounding work with gender conforming and non-conforming students.  

After a welcome coffee reception, the day will include a keynote, breakout sessions and lunch followed by a theatrical performance by About Face Theatre with a Q&A. Breakout sessions will include: 

• An Ally in the Classroom
• (Re)Claiming Our Gender Narrative
• Using Reader's Workshop to Explore Gender Construct
• Custom You, Custom Gender Identity
• Honest Conversation, a Parent Conversation Roundtable

Tickets may be purchased for $30 (general admission) or for $20 (students and educators) through the school's website, http://anconaschool.org/diversity-symposium/.

Please feel free to contact humanities teacher and Diversity Symposium Coordinator, Bill Singerman, at bsingerman@anconaschool.org with any questions. 

Last-minute call for volunteers at Kozminski today -- Friday, March 13

Chicago Cares will be building bookcases and painting, among other things, at Kozminski Community Academy (936 E. 54th Street) TODAY, March 13 from 9am - 2pm.

If you have some time today, please come on out!

Oppportunity to Present at UChicago Summer Teaching Institute

The 2015 UChicago Summer Teaching Institute (June 29 - July 3) requests submissions for curriculum presentations from K-12 educators. The topic is Inequality: Conditions, Consequences, Solutions, and possible presentation topics include (but are not limited to) hunger and food security, racism and other forms of discrimination, and the global economy. To apply, fill out the application form and send to oi-education@uchicago.edu by April 15.