Community Focus
CCA ACADEMY BECOMES PART OF THE SOLUTION TO A NEIGHBORHOOD'S FOOD-ACCESS PROBLEM
In North Lawndale, students at CCA (Community Christian Alternative) Academy are learning that growing food can do more than put fresh produce on the table. It can help feed families, strengthen a neighborhood and introduce young people to new career possibilities.
Hope Chicago Announces Scholarship to 800+ South and West Side Families, Building on Five Years of Impact
Hope Chicago, the two-generation economic mobility initiative supporting thousands of families from Chicago’s South and West Sides, today announced a new wave of postsecondary scholarships and wraparound supports to families of the Class of 2027 for five partner Chicago public high schools: Benito Juárez Community Academy, Farragut Career Academy, Morgan Park High School, Al Raby School for Community and Environment, and Noble Johnson College Prep. The new investment extends Hope Chicago’s pioneering model to additional 800+ students and marks the organization’s continued commitment to support a sixth consecutive class of graduating families to access and complete a postsecondary or workforce opportunity after high school.
Clerk Monica Gordon Marks National Voter Registration Day with Push To Register, Engage Next Generation of Voters — and a New Rap Video
Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon is marking National Voter Registration Day today by encouraging eligible residents across Cook County to register to vote, with a special focus on engaging the next generation of voters in the democratic process.
FUTURE BUILDERS: RHYMEFEST, ELEVATE TO EDUCATE AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS BRING CHICAGO YOUTH TO YE’S SOLD-OUT SOLDIER FIELD CONCERTS
Cultural and educational experience will connect young people to the legacy of Dr. Donda West, the history of South Shore and the power of their own creative voices
UChicago Medicine invests in Southland physician pipeline with new residencies at Ingalls Memorial
The University of Chicago Medicine is undertaking a major investment in primary care physician training in Chicago’s Southland with the launch of two new medical residency programs at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey.
ALDERMAN STEPHANIE COLEMAN SET TO HOST SIXTH ANNUAL “ENGLEWOOD MUSIC FESTIVAL”
Stephanie Coleman, Alderman of the 16th Ward, will be joined by local Congressmen, State Senators, State Representatives, Chicago Aldermen, and Cook County Commissioners, kicking off the much-anticipated Sixth Annual Englewood Music Fest. (EMF) Over 5000 people are expected once again to partake in an evening full of love, stellar music performances, awesome food, and beautiful vibes. The event will feature live music, local vendors, back-to-school programming, prizes, and more!
The 27th Anniversary Englewood Jazz Festival Free Events To Be Held September 17-19, 2026 At Hamilton Park, Chicago
The 27th Annual Englewood Jazz Festival, presented by Live the Spirit Residency, returns to Chicago’s historic Hamilton Park, 513 W. 72nd Street on September 17–19, 2026. This year’s festival celebrates the next generation of creative musicians while honoring the centennial legacies of Oscar Brown Jr., John Coltrane, and Miles Davis. All music performed will be original compositions by the featured performers.
Bronzeville Festival Designed To Inspire & Equip South Side Youth To Pursue S.T.E.A.M. Careers
The sky is limitless for today’s youth when it comes to career paths. However proper choices, skill training, education and devoted mentorship are certainly a few of the proper tools needed to make a sound choice. Being able to integrate skills on all levels is important. Everything we do requires some form of Reading and Math. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (S.T.E.A.M) solidifies the skill set needed for our future leaders.
CHICAGO'S ENGLEWOOD COMMUNITY TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF ITS OLDEST PASTOR, 50-YEAR FAITH LEADER, CIVIC ANCHOR AND FATHER OF 16TH WARD ALDERWOMAN STEPHANIE D. COLEMAN
Hundreds of elected officials, faith leaders, community stakeholders, residents, and loved ones are expected to gather on Saturday, August 15, 2026, to celebrate the extraordinary life and legacy of Pastor David Coleman Sr., longtime pastor of New Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church and a towering spiritual and civic presence in Chicago's Englewood community. Among the prominent leaders set to attend the funeral services are Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, newly retired Englewood native Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, Interim Chicago Police Superintendent Fred Waller, and hundreds of local elected officials and community leaders who will join the Coleman family in honoring a man whose ministry and community service spanned generations.
Former Patient and Current College Basketball Athlete Hosts Basketball Camp for current La Rabida Patients
On Saturday, August 1st, former patient Cooper Farrall exemplified the future possibilities made possible by the best-in-class care he received at La Rabida Chicago Children’s Diabetes Center (CCDC).
Dyett High School Wins ‘The Support Group’s’ All-Star Game Championship During Its Annual Safe Summer Celebration
In 1988 Bennie Henry and NBA Hall of Famer Tim Hardaway Sr., formed ‘The Support Group’ organization with the mission in mind of shifting the narrative for young people in Chicago.
Local Tai Chi-Gong Practitioner Helps South Suburban Seniors Reclaim Their Balance
For twenty years, Brian Thompson has stood in senior centers and library meeting rooms across the South Suburbs — Park Forest, Lansing, Richton Park, Calumet City — leading residents through slow, deliberate movement many had never tried before. Tai Chi-Gong. And before every session, Brian begins each class the same way, asking participants a simple but profound question: “How do you want to feel?”
PsiQuantum Announces Major Investments in South Chicago Training, Education, and Quantum Workforce Development Programs
Recently, PsiQuantum announced a $250,000 philanthropic investment in local schools, higher education institutions, and STEM programs to advance the next generation of scientists, engineers, and quantum innovators in South Chicago. As the anchor tenant of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP), PsiQuantum is committed to ensuring young people in the communities surrounding the campus have access to educational opportunities and career pathways into the growing quantum workforce.
Illinois raises compensation for wrongfully incarcerated under landmark Sims law
Freed and exonerated Illinoisans joined State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. and State Representative Justin Slaughter at a press conference recently to celebrate a newly signed law creating a clearer path to financial relief for people who have been wrongfully incarcerated in Illinois.
