Governor J.B. Pritzker Selects President & CEO Bela Moté to Chair Transition Committee for New Early Childhood State Agency | |
When Governor J.B. Pritzker was deciding where to announce his plans for a new state agency dedicated to early childhood programs, he thought of the Carole Robertson Center. The Governor, alongside several city and state leaders, shared this news at our North Lawndale flagship site—and selected President and CEO Bela Moté to chair the new agency’s transition advisory committee. During the press conference, Teacher Assistant Affoue Nguessan, a participant in the Center’s Grow Your Own teaching apprenticeship program, shared her story about the Center’s impact on her life, family, and career. | |
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (AGES 0-5) | |
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Center Staff Attend NAEYC Conference in Nashville
From engaging workshops on leadership to insightful conversations over dinner with industry leaders, our team soaked in inspiration at the 2023 National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) conference in Nashville, Tennessee, in November. Many thanks to the staff members who represented the Center at this conference—as we bond, strategize, and learn together at conferences like these, we strengthen our capacity to educate and inspire.
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OUT-OF-SCHOOL-TIME (AGES 5-17) | | |
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OST's Got Talent: Youth Share Unique Skills at Annual Talent Showcase
In late October, our Out-of-School-Time (OST) youth took the stage at Lawndale Community Academy for the Center’s annual talent showcase! Dancers, cheerleaders, gardeners, future doctors, and more demonstrated their diversity of talents. Congratulations to all who performed (and to the OST mentors who inspire our students to pursue their passions)!
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Center Brings Early Childhood Experts Together for “Pathways to Equity” Panel Discussion
In May 2023, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released the report Closing the Opportunity Gap for Young Children. President and CEO Bela Moté served as a co-author of the report, representing the early childhood education practitioner voice. To share information and diverse perspectives with the broader early learning community, the Carole Robertson Center hosted a panel discussion bringing together experts in policy, research, and practice to envision a more equitable social safety net and launching pad for our nation’s children.
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Youth Head to Springfield for #LightsOnAfterSchool Advocacy Day
In November, Carole Robertson Center youth participated in Lights on After School Advocacy Day in Springfield. State Senators Ram Villivalam and Celina Villanueva graciously met with our youth to hear about their experiences at the Center, showing their ongoing commitment to supporting Out-of-School Time programs.
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SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY | |
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'Tis the Season to Learn About Holidays Across Cultures
Thanks to our Social Justice & Equity Committee and our teachers, we are able to share literature highlighting a diversity of holidays, traditions, and celebrations. Providing accessible representation through children’s books at the Center supports children’s social and emotional development. More than 10,000 books are provided to families each year!
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Coming Soon: President & CEO Bela Moté on Lakeshore PBS's The Roundtable Perspective
Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at President and CEO Bela Moté’s visit to Purdue Northwest as a guest on Lakeshore PBS’s The Roundtable Perspective! Bela shared recommendations from the National Academies’ report, Closing the Opportunity Gap for Young Children. To transform early education, we need to bring this research off the page and into the communities—and we’re thrilled to share it on-air, too. Stay tuned for the episode to air and appear on YouTube within the next month.
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Senior Director of Community-Based Advocacy Julissa Cruz Featured in Early Learning Nation
In November, Senior Director of Community-Based Advocacy Julissa Cruz was spotlighted in the Early Learning Nation magazine. Julissa shared her appreciation for Illinois’ leadership in support of young children. We are incredibly proud of Julissa for her strong advocacy work on behalf of children and families!
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Holiday Gift-Giving Drive Spreads Cheer to Local Children and Families
This year, thanks to support from our community of donors, volunteers, staff, and champions, we were able to distribute more than 1,500 holiday gifts to families from the 27 communities we serve. We appreciate all of those who showed up to make this event a success: Center staff and board members, Lockton, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Midway Partners, Princeton Alumni Corp, and volunteers from throughout the community, including our 2024 E3 Gala keynote speaker Jonathan Eig, author of King: A Life, and his daughter.
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Save the Date: 2024 E3 Gala, May 16
The Carole Robertson Center for Learning’s annual E3 Gala is all about honoring our mission to educate, enrich, and empower children and families. On Thursday, May 16, 2024, this joyful, mission-driven evening will celebrate our impact, our workforce, and the children and families we serve.
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Give today, empower tomorrow!
For every dollar you invest in us, you will see the return on your investment in the stories and impact on our children, youth, and families.
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An Honor & Responsibility
Since its inception, the Center has worked to honor the life and memory of Carole Robertson who, together with her friends Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, and Denise McNair, was killed in the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.
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