Christopher House Awarded Grant from Walgreens in Recognition of its Environmental Education Program for Children and Youth
-posted August 20, 2009

Walgreens awarded Christopher House a $5,000 grant at the recent grand opening of its first LEED-certified building.  The grant was given in recognition of Christopher House Environmental Education Club in the Logan Square community.  To see pictures of this club in action, click here.

Christopher House Recognized by the Alford-Axelson Center for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence 
-posted May 14, 2009

On May 13, Christopher House received honorable mention for the Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence.  The award recognizes organizations that excel in the following areas: 

• Clear mission and demonstrated impact of programs on target groups served;
• Creative strategies to generate revenue;
• Strong budget and financial policies;
• Evidence of strategic innovation;
• Attention to support for the growth and development of staff;
• A governing board that is demonstrably engaged with the organization, contributes financially to support the mission, and ensures organizational accountability; and
• Engagement with their community.

We are grateful to be honored and thank the Alford-Axelson Center for recognizing Christopher House's commitment to providing the highest quality services for Chicago's low-income children and families. 

Out of State College, Is it for Me? 
-posted April 17, 2009

Over spring break, fifteen youth in Christopher House's Youth Leadership Program traveled to the Univeristy of Michigan in Ann Arbor to learn about college life and explore their post-secondary options outside of Illionis.  For many students, this may be the only opportunity they have to visit an out-of-state school.  Here's what students had to say about the experience:

"College life isn’t scary at all when you actually get an up close and personal taste of what it’s really like.” Leslie Castillo

Voter Turnout up 25% in Early Childhood Classroom
-posted April 10, 2009

This week, as Chicago voters elected Congressman Mike Quigley to fill White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel's congressional seat, students at Christopher House exercised their political rights to elect Rat as president of the farm.

Using the book Duck for President as a guide, 3 to 5-year-olds in our early childhood education program hosted a mock election to see if Duck, Pig, Rat or Cow would become president of the farm.  As part of the mock election, children registered voters, campaigned for their animal of choice and assisted voters in casting their ballots. 

Compelling arguments were made for all candidates, but in the end Rat won the popular vote.  Pundits disagree on whether it was a result of the 25% increase in voter turnout or Rat's simple and direct campaign tactics.  When a Pig supporter was asked "Why should I vote for Rat?" his 4-year-old campaigner ardently responded, "Because he eats cheese."

First time voter at the polls!	Students hit the campaign trail to gather support for Pig.

To learn more about our Early Childhood Development Program, click here.

ESL Cafe Society highlighted in the Chicago Tribune
-posted April 10, 2009
In the fall of 2008, Christopher House and the Illinois Humanities Council began a partnership to provide a Cafe Society Discussion group for advanced English language learners.  The class is an opportunity for students to practice conversational English while exploring arts, culture, history, and politics with their classmates.  Cafes are offered throughout the Chicago area and are designed to promote discussion among diverse groups of people about topics affecting our lives and our society.  Christopher House was recently highlighted in a Chicago Tribune article about the cafes.

Learn more about our Literacy Services.

Omnibus Bill includes $237,000 for our Logan Square Family Resource Center
-posted March 12, 2009
Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced the Omnibus Appropriations Act that was approved today by Congress includes $229,727,154 in funding for Illinois projects.  Included in the bill is $237,000 for Christopher House's Logan Square Family Resource Center.  Read the full report here. 

Seeking Your Opinion on Philanthropy in a Crisis Economy
-posted January 15, 2009
Everyone has an opinion on the economy, but real insight is rare.  That is why we are asking our donors to participate in an important national research study on the impact of the economy on philanthropy.  Cygnus Applied Research, Inc., specialists in research on fundraising and philanthropy, is leading this project and covering its full cost.
 
This anonymous and confidential survey will take no more than ten minutes to complete.  Its findings will be important in navigating this challenging economy.  As well, the survey offers a powerful forum for donors to make their voices heard.

This survey is now closed.  Thank you for participating. 

Doula Work Praised for Its Contribution to Early Learning
-posted January 9, 2009
This week, Catalyst Chicago published an article featuring the work of Christopher House doula, Bridget Lally, and drawing connections between the critical bonding that happens during pregnancy and infancy and early learning. 

“When you bond with your baby, you want what’s best for them,” says Bridget Lally, Alarcon’s doula. Even in infancy, the interaction between parent and child sets the stage for school readiness, she adds. “You talk to them and play music and games with them. We know that from birth to 3, the brain is a sponge. It makes a huge impact.”

Read the full article here.

Students Get to Know Mother Nature
-posted October 31, 2008
Through a partnership with From the Ground Up, an environmental awareness and education agency, students at our Logan Square Center learned about their local environment, exploring different ecosystems and their relationship with nature and water.  Students took a canoe trip down the Chicago River, went fishing, and tested water samples from a local park. During the final week of the program, students took a trip to the Green Earth institute in Naperville. 

This collaboration was such a success, that we have decided to extend the partnership into the school year and expand it so that even more children can participate.  To learn more about our youth programs, click here.

Community mosaic featured in La Raza, the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun Times
-posted October 2nd, 2008
Over the summer, Logan Square residents along with Christopher House families and staff worked together to create a 200-ft community mosaic on the exterior of our family resource center.  The mural has been created to reflect the diversity and rich cultural history of the neighborhood.  Click on the following to see:  photos from the Tribune, photos from the Sun Times, article and photo in La Raza.

Polk Bros. announces $500,000 grant to Christopher House's Campaign for Thriving Families 
-posted October 2nd, 2008
On September 24th, the Polk Bros. Foundation announced its $500,000 pledge to bring Christopher House's integrated service model to the community of Logan Square.  This gift will make a significant impact on our ability to provide high quality early childhood education, youth development, teen parent programming, and a food pantry to low-income families.  Christopher House will honor this generous investment in the community of Logan Square and our mission at the upcoming Logan Square Family Resource Center on October 16th, 2008. 

For more information on the upcoming event, please click here.  To read the official press release announcing Polk Bros. Foundation's support, click here.


Christopher House Rogers Park location receives NAEYC accreditation
-posted September 16th, 2008
On August 31st, 2008, Christopher House's Rogers Park location received confirmation of their NAEYC accreditation status.  All 5 of Christopher House's centers now have this mark of distinction, bringing high quality early childhood education to over 400 children and families in low-income communities!  Not only did the site receive accreditation but it received a score of 94% in curriculum and 100% in the areas of teaching and relationships!

"The primary gauge of quality has been accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children… whose seal of approval is regarded as the gold standard by parents, educators and facilities."
- The Wall Street Journal, March 24, 2006


Uptown Site Launches New Fathers Group on Tuesday Nights
-posted July 25th, 2008
Chicago Youth Programs will offer the DADS Program at our Uptown Site on Tuesday nights starting July 15th.  The program is a 13-week fathering training course designed to teach parenting and nurturing skills to men.  The program also includes financial, educational and job counseling.  Each fathering class provides proven, effective skills for healthy family relationships and child development.

6 Students Receive Scholarship for Youth Film School
-posted July 25th, 2008
This summer, 6 children in our school age program received scholarships to attend a 2-week film school at Facets. Students wrote, directed, produced and started in their own 6-8 minutes feature films!  One of the attendees from Christopher House, Nelson Ogbuagu will travel to Italy to participate in a children's film festival!
"I'm so excited about Italy," Ogbuagu said. "It'll be fascinating to see these foreign films while living in another culture and seeing how young people from all over the world respond to these films."

Help Build a Mosaic Mural on the Logan Square Family Resource Center
-posted July 25th, 2008
Christopher House is working with Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education and the Logan Square community to build a mural on the exterior of our new center.  To prepare for the installation of the mural, CAPE will be providing community art workshops during the month of August.  Workshops are from 5:30-7:30p.m. on Tuesday evenings and are free and open to the public.  Please join us for one of the following workshops:
--8/5 Cutting mirrors/design/mosaic
--8/12 Breaking tiles/mosaic/casting
--8/19 Mosaic/Casting
To participate in a workshop or find out more, please contact Colleen Douglas.

18th Annual Gala Breaks All Fundraising Records!  Click here to find out more.
posted May 20, 2008

Israeli Visitors Learn About Christopher House's Early Childhood Development Programs
posted May 20, 2008

At the request of the Ounce of Prevention Fund, our Teen Parent and Infant Development Services (TPIDS) hosted 8 visitors from Israel who are exploring ways to develop community-based family support services in high-need areas of their country.The visitors were comprised of a variety of professionals:  Municipal and regional administrators, funders, a psychologist and social workers, and occupational therapists. 

We were delighted to talk with this passionate group about our comprehensive approach to family support and early childhood development.  Of particular interest was how our multi-disciplinary team works together for the benefit of teen moms and babies, and their extended families.  Our visitors were very impressed not only with TPIDS but with all of Christopher House’s programs and services, particularly our ability to serve populations with great needs and our ability to measure our impressive outcomes. 

Financial Literacy Workshops Result in Low-Income Families Opening Bank Accounts!
posted Friday, May 16, 2008

Two representatives from Washington Mutual presented a two-part Financial Literacy workshop series for to ESL classes at Logan Square during Money Smart week in Chicago: April 21-25th. Over 35 students attended the financial literacy workshops at Logan Square which focused on checking and savings accounts, budgeting and understanding credit.

When surveyed what they will do differently as a result of attending these workshops, one student responded that she plans to start creating a monthly household budget. Another student shared that she is planning to open an account to get a secured credit card and thus start building her own credit. Additionally at least five students opened bank accounts with Washington Mutual and get started on the path towards saving!!

Workshops will also be provided for additional ESL classes at other sites in the coming weeks.

A Holiday Success

With the help of donors and volunteers, the Thanksgiving Food Walk was extremely successful and every family who registered in the Thanksgiving program received food and a turkey.  381 families also received food and gifts for the holiday from 1,633 donors.

Christopher House Achieves High Scores

Two Christopher House sites, Lakeshore and Uptown were accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) under their rigorous standards.

Both sites met 100% of the criteria in these NAEYC categories: Relationships, Teaching, Assessment of Child Progress, Families, and Community Relationships.

Christopher House exceeded the national average on the Head Start National Reporting System Criteria.

• 71% of Christopher House children have Letter Recognition (above a 58% national average)
• 72% of Christopher House children have Early Math Skills (above a 67% national average)

The Teen Parent and Infant Development program (TPIDS) has exceeded statewide averages for the Ounce of Prevention’s Health Indicators.

• 97% of TPIDS infants are up to date with immunizations
• 98% receive well child visits
• 97% receive regular developmental screenings

Christopher House is an Asset to Chicago

18 Early Childhood Development staff presented learning panels about reading and early learning at the Chicago Metro Association for the Education of Young Children Conference in January 2008.

Commissioner Mary Ellen Caron from the Department of Children and Youth Services visited the Logan Square Family Resource Center to see the facility in use and read books to the children. She recognized the quality services that Christopher House provides to the Logan Square neighborhood.

The Gear Up college preparation program is involved in a 6-year study by the Center for Prevention Research Department at University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana to assess its effectiveness in getting students into college.

Christopher House in the News

Christopher House’s Teen Parent program and Doula Bridget Lally was featured in American Prospect, a nationally circulated magazine for spearheading a Peer Breast-Feeding Group at the Arts of Living Program at Clemente High School. Their hard work was also recognized locally by the Chicago Health Connection.

Reaching Towards Our Vision

The Christopher House Greenview, Uptown, and Logan Square sites participated in a national event, “Lights On After School”, which highlights the importance of after-school programs. The event was part of an initiative originally spearheaded by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The new environmentally “green” Logan Square site was featured in the National Association for the Education of Young Children Chicago Tour and the Green Build National Convention, both in November, as an example of leadership in Early Childcare and environmental conservation.