2024: The Biggest Summer Program Ever!

The GECRC Summer Program ran four days per week, for six weeks between June 24 and July 31, and was open to all elementary and junior high students in D41 and D89 who meet eligibility requirements. This year saw a record registration of 182 students from both districts! Students from grades 1 through 8 worked on problem-based learning (PBL) projects on a variety of age-appropriate topics. Pictured here are rising first graders who created a "flower shop" that allowed them to work on their math skills along with exploring their creativity by making flowers for the "shop!"

A tremendous thank you to our entire 2024 summer program staff and interns, many of whom are pictured below the list:

Brynn Pfannenstiel -classroom aide intern

Cameron Johnson -classroom aide intern

Sam Ford -classroom aide intern

Skylar Oh -classroom aide intern

River Manov -classroom aide intern

Ian Dimler -classroom aide intern

Emma Pekkarinen -program aide

Nathan Janninck -program aide/substitute classroom instructor

Hamna Khan -program aide substitute

Erica Loftus -substitute classroom instructor

Jaclyn Dougherty -classroom instructor

Karla Kampen -classroom instructor

Isabelle Hornig -classroom instructor

Gillian Wang -classroom instructor

Stephanie Chavez -classroom instructor

Mike Zeboski -classroom instructor

Lizzy Doty -site lead/associate program director

Lisa Hepner -director program and volunteers

Polly Cooper -volunteer coordinator

Program Highlights

Before school let out for the summer, we were thrilled to announce the winners of this year's GECRC senior scholarships at the Glenbard West Local Scholarship Award Night in May.

The Glen Ellyn Children's Resource Center Alumni Scholarship was awarded to Isabela Gallegos (second from right), and the GECRC Tutor Scholarship was awarded to Angy Lopez (second from left). Awards were presented by GECRC Board President Celia Rodee (far left) and Director of Program and Volunteers Lisa Hepner (far right). Congratulations to Isabela and Angy!

Hadley students stopped to take a selfie with GECRC teacher liaison Katie Reed on the last day of program before school let out for the summer.

The Summer Program students enjoyed "Community Heroes Week" with a visit from Glen Ellyn Police Officer Alisson Ramirez. Ofc. Ramirez is the Department's Community Education and D.A.R.E. Officer. She signed police badge stickers for the students and showed them her squad car. Thank you to Ofc. Ramirez and to the Glen Ellyn Police Department!

Thank you so much to the Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Company for visiting Summer Program as part of Community Heroes Week. The firefighters taught our students how to put on their special gear, gave tours of their fire truck, and answered questions about what it’s like to be a firefighter.

"Who you are is an asset to the world."

These were the profound and inspiring words U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL, 3) said to the GECRC junior high students this summer during a visit to Summer Program.

Congresswoman Delia Ramirez shared her personal migration story with the students, explaining that she is the daughter of working-class Guatemalan immigrants who came to the United States when Rep. Ramirez's mother was pregnant with her. Her parents settled in the Belmont Cragin community in Chicago where she was born and raised.

"If someone had told my mother that her daughter, her first born, after struggling so much in school, would become a Congresswoman, the very first Latina in the entire Midwest in Congress, it would have been unimaginable," Rep. Ramirez said.

Now Rep. Ramirez represents almost 1 million constituents in Illinois' third Congressional District.

Many of the students at GECRC are children of immigrants, or born in another country themselves; perhaps one or more of them listening to Rep. Ramirez's motivating talk will someday follow in her incredible footsteps! Thank you, Rep. Ramirez, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to speak to our students!

Volunteer Spotlight

We had a terrific team of Summer Program volunteers this year! Here are some of those volunteers on our field trip to Morton Arboretum. A lot of high school and college students like to volunteer in the summer when they have time off from their sports, jobs and other obligations. Of course we appreciate volunteers of all ages! If you are interested in volunteering this school year, please complete a volunteer application.

Three Amazing Women Roll Off the GECRC Board

We would like to thank Judy Cheney for her incredible service; she has served on the GECRC board for a decade, rolling on in 2014.

Judy was extraordinarily instrumental in chairing the Churchill expansion committee, bringing the GECRC program to Churchill, which is the program's largest site today.

Judy also chaired the literary fundraising event for five years and was the head of the finance committee during her time at GECRC.

"With many volunteer opportunities, you don’t get to see the fruits of your labor," says Judy. "However in the last ten years, I have watched GECRC grow from a one site operation to multiple sites in several different districts. This has been a very rewarding experience. I have learned much more from my experiences with GECRC than I have given. We are leaving the organization with a very strong board, a wonderful director and staff and great leadership. I can’t wait to see what happens next."

Thank you, so much, Judy, for the incredible legacy you have left behind during your tenure on our Board of Directors!

We would like to thank Cleo Burtis for her incredible service; she is the longest serving member of the GECRC Board.

In her words:

"I joined the board in 2006 at the invitation of Kasey O'Connell and first served as faith-based outreach coordinator, then as co-secretary, then secretary. It's been quite a ride as a witness to the evolution of GECRC from a one-room after-school program for fewer than 30 Lincoln children held at Faith Lutheran Church to the five-site, two-school district, professionally-staffed organization it is today.

I believe GECRC was the brain-child of Ellen Dagger, a social worker and parent of Lincoln students. Sadly, Ellen passed away too many years ago, but how proud and thrilled she would be to see her dream in action today!

A highlight of this time for me has been sharing in the company of so many amazing, devoted board members over the years. Three cheers to GECRC and all of you who continue the work to help our kids succeed in school and life!"

THANK YOU, Cleo, for everything you have done for GECRC. Your efforts have made such a difference!

We celebrate the incredible 13+ years of GECRC board service from our outgoing board president Celia Rodee!

Celia joined the board in April 2011, and after spending a short time as board secretary, moved on to co-chairing the SpElLaPaLoOzA fundraiser for five years.

"It was a fun community-wide spelling bee featuring the Chief of Police, Phil Norton as our MC and involving the Glen Ellyn Fire Department, the GE Public Library, local business owners and students and teachers from D41 and D87 on spelling bee teams. "Celia says. "We raised funds and awareness of the GECRC while we promoted literacy! Over my tenure as board president, I am proud of helping evolve the GECRC strategically, creating a structure of active Board committees including Finance, Fundraising, Human Resources and Governance, and Nominating. I am delighted that once I retired from JPMorgan Chase, I freed up time to become a weekly tutor along with my husband Peter Cooper at Lincoln Elementary School. Being part of the GECRC has been energizing and fun. I loved when Leah Harding suggested tapping into my passion for baking (and PIE) to bake and deliver pies for Pi Day. I am eternally grateful for the chance to be part of such an incredible organization that helps our students achieve."

WE are eternally grateful for your many years of creative, dedicated and heart-felt service, Celia! Thank you so much for everything you have given to GECRC!

Thank You, GECRC Community!

An enormous thank you to State Rep. Terra Costa Howard and her office for bringing Brookfield Zoo Chicago ambassadors to GECRC Summer Program! We are so lucky to have such incredible community partners. The students had a great time meeting snakes, spiders, and turtles.

Rising 5th through 8th graders enjoyed back-to-back days at the Morton Arboretum, playing in the Children’s Garden, exploring the maze, learning about the different types of cicadas and creating their own cicada art projects. What a fun-filled couple of days! Thank you so much to Ms. Laura and the Morton Arboretum for your generous hospitality!!

Thank you to Glenbard West Girls Field Hockey and to all of the volunteers who have shared time with us this summer!

A heartfelt thank you to our incredible community partners The Bookstore of Glen Ellyn for gifting each of our 5th graders with a book as they move on to middle school. Churchill students were so excited for their new reads!!

Events

Picklepalooza 2024

Team "Wolfie," winners of intermediate/advanced bracket, Sue Kamphuis and Barb Iverson

What an amazing time we all had in August at Pickled Wheaton for our second annual sold-out Picklepalooza! fundraiser! Congratulations to our Intermediate/Advanced bracket winners Team "Wolfie," Sue Kamphuis and Barb Iverson (pictured two photos above), and to our Beginning/Intermediate bracket winners Team "Shorty," Kristen Short and Lisa Leuer (pictured directly above with their final opponents and second place finishers, Kirsten Schiff and Heidi King) !! Thank you so much to all of our sponsors, players, attendees, volunteers and the Picklepalooza committee for all of your hard work on this incredibly fun event that raised more than $9000 for GECRC and had 50 pickleballers and fans attend!

Save the Date: Rock the Block 2024

Mark your calendars for Rock the Block 2024! It will be held on Saturday, Sept. 7 in various neighborhoods around town! If you are interested in hosting a Rock the Block party on this date or any other dates, please contact GECRC Board Member Karen Winter at karenwinter6@mac.com.

Additional Thank Yous!

Thank you to the following organizations who recently donated to support our five after school programs, either financially through grants or donations, or through in-kind donations, specifically for our Picklepalooza fundraiser. We are very appreciative of your support of GECRC!

Grants:

Glen Ellyn Infant Welfare Society

Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital Community Benefit Grant Program

Arboit Trust

Picklepalooza Event Sponsors and Donors:

Foundation Wealth Strategies

Glen Ellyn Bank & Trust

Mulcare Insurance Company

Centerpoint Properties

Davey Tree Experts

Laubinger & Associates, LLC

J. Umlauf Design

Rakuten

Berkshire Hathaway - Daniel Maurer

Compass Real Estate - Griffin Harvey Group

In-Kind Donations

Culligan Water

Custom Direct Integrated Marketing Solutions

Identity Graphics

Community members who donated snacks to Summer Program

Get Involved!

Want to Give Back?

Our volunteer tutors are so invaluable to the mission of GECRC. Volunteering is a mutually beneficial experience where volunteers engage with students, staff and their fellow volunteers in meaningful and purpose-driven ways. Some wonderful and long-lasting mentoring relationships develop between tutors and students!

If you or your high school student or perhaps even retired parents or neighbors would be interested in becoming a volunteer tutor this school year, please complete a volunteer application to join us! If you've tutored in the past, please send an email to volunteer@gecrc.com.

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346 Taft Avenue, Suite 205

Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

Office: 630 479-9920