Local News
UrbanGeekz Inks Groundbreaking Content Syndication Deal with Black-Owned Ridesharing App Moovn
Award-winning digital news brand UrbanGeekz has teamed up with Black-owned ride-hailing app Moovn to share its content with passengers on the move.
Prudential Financial empowers young changemakers with $15,000 each at Emerging Visionaries Summit
Twenty-five outstanding young people were honored by the Prudential Emerging Visionaries program for their initiatives to address pressing financial and societal issues.
New Report Reveals Safety Challenges Black Girls Face in Schools
the National Women's Law Center (NWLC) and Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) released a report that examines the experiences Black girls have with school safety and school policing.
3 North Lawndale Schools Partner with Community to Launch STEAM Programming in SY 2024-2025
Chicago Public Schools (CPS), in collaboration with many community partners, is honored to announce the creation of a science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) programming in North Lawndale for the 2024-25 School Year. The partnership involves three current CPS schools; Chalmers School of Excellence, Johnson School of Excellence, and The Collins Academy High School, and promises to provide students with a well-balanced education that deepens their knowledge in STEAM subjects, starting in elementary school and continuing through high school – yielding more graduates prepared for in-demand STEAM careers.
Farragut Career Academy IB World School Renaming Gymnasium After Former Teacher/Basketball Coach William “Wolf” Nelson
Farragut Career Academy IB World School honored a beloved coach and teacher with a ceremony to name its gym the “William “Wolf” Nelson Gymnasium.” Nelson, a Farragut alumnus, has taught math for 33 years and was the varsity and junior varsity boys’ basketball coach for 40 years, respectively. He retired following the 2022-23 school year.
Chicago Public Schools Hosts Annual Mental Health Summit
More than 200 students and staff from across Chicago Public Schools convened at Malcolm X College to break the stigma around mental health through workshops, wellness activities, music and more. CPS Chief Health Officer Dr. Sofia Adawy Akintunde served as a keynote speaker and participant along with other CPS team members. Saturday’s summit is the second annual event and represents an early start to Mental Health Awareness Month in May.
Assessor Hosts 2024 Market Investor Day
The Cook County Assessor’s Office (CCAO) hosted its annual Market Investor Day on Wednesday, April 24. The event featured conversations between CCAO executive staff, industry leaders, and attendees about how property values are modeled and the state of commercial real estate in Chicago.
Center for Effective Government, Chicago Public Schools Announce Second Cohort of Executive Leadership Seminar Series Staff Participants
The University of Chicago Center for Effective Government (CEG) recently welcomed a cohort of 25 senior leaders from Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to the University’s Harris School of Public Policy for the second year of its Executive Leadership Seminar Series — an innovative partnership between CEG and CPS that provides immersive, multi-disciplinary leadership training to senior-level staff at CPS.
MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON, MAYOR’S OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, ADA S. MCKINLEY COMMUNITY SERVICES LAUNCH DIVERSE LEARNERS RECOVERY FUND FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Mayor Brandon Johnson, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities and Ada S. McKinley Community Services – one of Chicago’s largest and oldest human services organizations – has announced a new grant program aimed at providing financial assistance to families of children with disabilities, a population that was disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The $5 million Diverse Learners Recovery Fund will provide one-time grants of $500 to up to 8,000 eligible K-12 students through a lottery.
SOUTHLAND COLLEGE PREP CLASS OF 2024 ACCEPTED TO COLLEGE; OFFERED $50 MILLION AND COUNTING IN MERIT AND NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS
Southland College Prep Charter High School in Richton Park, Illinois celebrated for the eleventh consecutive year that all members of the senior class have been accepted to college.
Governor Pritzker Launches $30 Million Grant Opportunity for Community Revitalization
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) launched $30 million in funding for the Rebuild Illinois Downtowns and Main Streets Capital (RDMS, $20 million) and Research in Illinois to Spur Economic Recovery (RISE, $10 million) programs to revitalize commercial corridors and downtown areas throughout the state and accelerate local economic recovery initiatives. Grantees will be selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process.
HYDE PARK ART CENTER BECOMES THE NATION’S FIRST 100% CONTRIBUTE-WHAT-YOU-CAN ART EDUCATION PROGRAM
Hyde Park Art Center, the renowned non-profit hub for contemporary art located on Chicago’s vibrant South Side, announces that it has completed the transition to a contribution-based model for 100% of its art classes. The initiative, Open Arts, launched in spring 2022 with 70% of the courses on a contribute-what-you-can basis. The completion of this pioneering initiative makes the Art Center’s Oakman Clinton School + Studio the nation’s first fully contribute-what-you-can visual art school for all ages. The successful model, dedicated to ensuring more equitable access to artmaking, education, and community engagement, demonstrates the Art Center’s commitment to the South Side and the broader Chicago art ecosystem for the years to come.
MOODY’S OUTLINES BENEFITS OF MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON’S PLAN UNDERLYING THE ISSUANCE OF $1.25 BILLION IN BONDS
Moody’s Investors Service released research highlighting the benefits of Mayor Johnson’s strategy to fund vital housing and economic development. Moody’s notes that this new framework supports stability and increases budgetary flexibility.
Choosing Love Over Fear: Embracing Foster Care as a Cool and Compassionate Choice
As we enter National Foster Care Awareness Month, it's essential to shed light on the transformative power of fostering and adoption. While many of us are familiar with the concept of foster care, there's often a lingering stigma or misconception surrounding it. Some may view foster care as a last resort or a daunting responsibility, overshadowed by fear and uncertainty. However, I'm here to challenge that narrative and urge us all to choose love over fear when it comes to fostering a child.
