Education & Families News
The McKinley Park Civic Association and Illinois 1st District State Senator Tony Muñoz are sponsoring a student essay contest, with winners featured at the association's annual banquet.
- The McKinley Park Civic Association and Illinois 1st District State Senator Tony Muñoz ask local students to share their heroes.
- Winners get feted at the association's annual banquet on March 8.
- The contest is open to neighborhood students ages 3 through high school.
Read more: Essay Contest Solicits Hero Picks from Local Young Writers
Aquinas Literacy Center, a McKinley Park neighborhood-based non-profit offering free English training to local language learners, added to its ever-expanding corps of volunteers at its November 2019 training seminar. Fourteen new volunteers completed the two-day course on Friday, November 15, and Saturday, November 16, readying themselves to tutor students as part of this popular program.
"Without the support of many volunteers, Aquinas would not be able to carry out its mission of empowering adults to learn English and become more engaged in their community," said Volunteer Coordinator Sabrina Poulin.
The training involved a Friday night and Saturday daytime session, and volunteers needed to also complete three hours of solo instruction. Once finished, the volunteers received a certification and membership to ProLiteracy and were ready to work one-on-one with a local language learner.
Read more: Aquinas Grows Volunteers Brigade with Latest Batch of Trained Tutors
Montesssori Foundations of Chicago has moved into its new home in the McKinley Park neighborhood, expanding its curriculum and scope of student services, and settling into a permanent location for the school. Located at 2239 W. 35th St., Chicago, the new facility updates the abandoned, former Titan Ornamental Ironworks property with a complete gut rehabilitation and expansion of the building and grounds.
"It was important that the school remain in the community," said Principal Beata Skorusa. "McKinley Park reflects a lot of our school values, including diversity: not only racial, but ethnic and socio-economic."
Read more: Montessori School Settles Into New McKinley Park Home, Advocates for Funding Fix
Aquinas Literacy Center, a McKinley Park neighborhood-based non-profit organization, shepherded 16 new volunteers through its two-day literacy tutor training on Friday and Saturday, October 18 and 19. The training, taking place at the center at 1751 W. 35th St., Chicago, prepped the volunteers to provide one-on-one literacy training to local residents.
"Without the support of many volunteers, Aquinas would not be able to carry out its mission of empowering adults to learn English and become more engaged in their community," said Sabrina Poulin, volunteer coordinator at Aquinas. "Aquinas knows the value that volunteer tutors bring to our organization."
The training process focuses on giving volunteers the skills needed to tutor English as a second language. Once trained, tutors receive a certification from Proliteracy and are ready to begin working with an individual adult learner for about 90 minutes per week.
Read more: Aquinas Adds 16 Volunteers To Literacy Tutor Brigade
As reported by numerous media outlets, including a detailed report from WBBM-TV/CBS 2 Chicago, activities at Horizon Science Academy - McKinley Park are the subject of a federal lawsuit alleging mistreatment of 8-year-old student Zacharion Townsend. On September 30, his father, Anthony Townsend, filed Townsend v. Concept Schools NFP et al naming defendants at Horizon Science Academy, including teacher Sarah Krippinger and gym instructor Kale Graham.
Read more: Horizon Science Academy Subject of Federal Lawsuit
