DEAR FRIENDS,
On May 14, Kids First Chicago partnered with the Austin Quality of Life Plan Education Task Force and By the Hand Club for Kids to participate in Chicago Community Trust's
On the Table event. This year's theme was "A Memo to the Mayor," encouraging participants to think about priorities for Mayor Lightfoot's new administration.
Our conversation focused specifically on community hubs. The idea of community hubs, or the Community Schools model, was underlined in Mayor Lightfoot's campaign
education plan and again in her
transition plan. This event brought together community members, nonprofits, parents, and school administrators to discuss the
potential for community hubs to transform education and social services on the West Side. The conversation was energizing and thoughtful, with 100 attendees considering the benefits and drawbacks of these community-school partnerships.
Our event highlighted the shared vision for education in our city:
stakeholders want a set of world-class schools for all kids -- on the West Side and across the district. Here at Kids First, we will continue working toward an equitable, transparent education system that works for all families, with community input every step of the way.
A
big thank you to the
Austin Quality of Life Plan Education Task Force and
By the Hand for partnering with K1C on this event, and to everyone who joined us to imagine what the school community hub concept could mean for West Side communities and families. We invite you to delve into attendee perspectives in the videos below!
