West Chicago Dist. 33 celebrates new family center
West Chicago Elementary District 33 Superintendent Charles Johns thinks of the "community school" model as a three-legged stool.
"When we bring together our families, our schools and our community partners, that puts together the foundation that we need for healthy families, a healthy community and success for all," he says.
On Wednesday evening, people representing those three legs came together at Currier Elementary School to celebrate the conversion of a classroom into a new family center.
"We see this as a way to bring people into the school, to have them be comfortable here at school, to understand that schools are as much theirs as their children's, and to feel that they are co-participants in their children's education," said community school coordinator Alexandra Cowal.
When parents and families visit the room - which is open 10 a.m. to noon Monday and Wednesday and 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday - they'll have access to a variety of services and resources that local nonprofits and community groups have been working together for years to offer West Chicago residents.
For example, fitness and nutrition classes that include 30 minutes of physical activity and a hands-on cooking demonstration are part of the community school offerings.
Cowal said it's an example of how the community is working together to make families healthier. The Northern Illinois Food Bank provides the food, interns from Benedictine University lead the cooking demonstration and the West Chicago Park District sends a trainer who leads the exercise.
There are also opportunities for families to get help with their education, finances and career or learn more about medical and mental health resources available to them.
Parents coming in for English as a second language courses, for example, can rest easy knowing their children will have a chance to play and learn in another part of the room with a child development specialist.
"It can be something as simple as 'I need a computer,' or 'I need help writing a resume,' or 'how do I get my GED?'" Cowal said of the reasons people will come into the center.
"Or it just could be like, 'I need to just come and relax for an hour and get away from the noise.'"
Community school coordinator Ciara Burns described the new space as a resourceful "living room," where families can spend some time together - playing games, reading books or learning something new - or parents can get some time alone.
"They can work on whatever they feel is needed for them," she said.