Now entering its third year of implementation, the Altgeld-Riverdale Early Learning Initiative’s Pre-K to Kindergarten Transitions Program is designed to help young children in the Altgeld-Riverdale community acquire the academic and social/emotional skills necessary to enter kindergarten feeling confident and…
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As the new school year gets underway, the Altgeld-Riverdale Early Learning Coalition will be taking a closer look at how traumatic experiences affect children, and what it means to become “trauma-informed.” Exposure to just a single incident of trauma can…
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Each month, first, second, and third graders from Aldridge Elementary in the Altgeld-Riverdale community board a bus bound for Kids Science Labs in the South Loop for an hour of discovery and fun. This science enrichment program is just one…
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The Altgeld-Riverdale Early Childhood Innovation Zone, a partnership between BPI and a community-wide coalition, received accolades at a statewide conference earlier this month for successfully increasing preschool enrollment at the schools and centers within its borders. “This Innovation Zone developed…
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BPI Executive Director Hoy McConnell was quoted earlier this week in a Cook County Record article about the new Illinois School Funding Reform Commission, saying it was encouraging news. From the article: BPI has represented plaintiffs in lawsuits challenging the state’s…
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In 2012, BPI launched an early childhood learning initiative in Chicago’s Altgeld Gardens/Riverdale community in partnership with a coalition of some 30 diverse organizations, including schools, churches, community organizations, community residents, and others. Our goal is to ensure that all…
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Enjoy the latest from our blog series highlighting former BPI staff, fellows, interns, and directors. Today we’re profiling Sam Heidorn. Affiliation with BPI 2015 Summer Intern for Early Education Current Position Rising senior majoring in history at Wabash College Fun fact about yourself…
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This is a good-news post—a progress report on the impressive accomplishments of an extraordinary community coalition in the Altgeld-Riverdale community in which BPI has been deeply engaged over the past two years. A little back story is in order: After…
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BPI is proud to announce that Kim Zalent has been named Co-Chair of The University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research (UChicago CCSR) Steering Committee. “Like BPI, the Consortium grabs onto an issue and doesn’t let it go –…
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Each month we’re reporting out on our Knowledge Exchanges, held as part of our Visiting Fellowship in Urban Poverty with Loyola University of Chicago’s Center on Urban Research and Learning (CURL). In April we had two discussions, the first of…
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