As Ms. Marion called the after school meeting to order the young women began by grabbing an affirmation from the jar and then reading them outloud, “I don’t give up.” And the group answered, “Ashay.” “I stand strong.” And the group answered, “Ashay.” “I’m a boss.” And the group answered, “Ashay.” “I love myself.” And the […]
The students gathered outside of an Econo Supermarket just outside of San Juan on a Saturday morning with pencils in hand ready to work in teams to plan a meal within their designated budget. Mr. Erick Rios is the kind of teacher that draws his students in, as the students arrive they high five and hug him and […]
This October I attended the first ever Joy & Justice Conference at the historical Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago. The year was chosen to reflect on 400 years of the Black experience in America. The location was carefully selected too not for it’s design but for it’s history and legacy. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahalia Jackson […]
“A makerspace is a place where students can gather to create, invent, tinker, explore and discover using a variety of tools,” Mrs. Johnson shared the vision of the Makerspace at J.T. Manning Elementary School surrounded by a green screen, bins of blocks, large wooden tools, and Ipads that are all part of the space. She […]
“What does it really mean to be kind anyway?” This question was part of a read aloud from the book Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller during Creating a Compassionate Community Day (C3 Day) at J.T. Manning Elementary School February 5,2020. In the book when a classmate; Tanisha, felt embarrassed the author’s voice asks us this […]
Friends came together to celebrate the ribbon cutting and grand opening of Ibtisam’s Tailor Shop in Lombard. As many small business openings there is a long story of the dreams, passion, and hard work that have lead up to and will; God willing, continue to sustain this business. Ibtisam Younis came to the U.S. in […]
“I’ve always believed that education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to help the world,” Bilel Dekhili is a talented and passionate leader who believes that education will change the future. He has built his company Engineering DN@ from the ground up and loves helpings children learn through a stimulating play focused environment. “Teaching […]
Nazish welcomes me to her apartment with a kind smile, a quiet voice, and welcoming hospitality. Within minutes we are talking about things that really matter in life; culture, education, faith, politics, trauma, and family. Her reserved and calm demeanor remains even as she shares deeply personal stories from her life and it is clear that her wisdom […]
Styles for Kidz hosted their annual Gala Making a Difference ’19 on Saturday November 2nd in Oak Park. There were more guests this year than any previous year as the organization celebrated so much this year; more hair care workshops, a new salon location that is constantly busy, more families and children served, & nationwide […]
