StreetWise announces their ’20 most inspiring Chicagoans’ 2019 honorees

By WLS

“StreetWise has announced their picks for this year’s list of the “20 most inspiring Chicagoans”. Some big names made the list this year, including Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Wilco front man Jeffy Tweedy, R&B singer and activist Jamila Woods and Second City alum Heather Whinna. StreetWise said the list is meant to represent Chicagoans who celebrate and empower their communities every day. “The 20 Most Inspiring Chicagoans Award celebrates those who champion and empower our neighbors each day, many of whom are disenfranchised and without hope,” said Julie Youngquist, Chief Executive Officer of Streetwise. “We received hundreds of nominations from the public, which demonstrate the enduring spirit of philanthropy and empowerment baked into the culture of Chicago. Our 20 honorees represent a wide variety of courageous people who inspire all of us at StreetWise and our great city,” said StreetWise Board Chair, Ben Swartz. Check out the 2019 honoree profiles below: Constance Jones-CEO, Noble Network of Schools. Jones oversees Illinois’ largest charter school network and is the first African American and first female to hold that position. Connected through community groups and board positions across Chicago, she quickly became a widely influential and trusted voice within the nation’s third largest school district.”

Personalized Learning Room Unveiled At South Side Charter School

By Katherine Newman for the Chicago Citizen

“Perspectives/IIT Math and Science Academy (MSA) in Bronzeville recently celebrated the unveiling of its new Personalized Learning Room which is a new place inside the school for students, teachers, administrators, and mentors to engage with each other and build relationships. The Personalized Learning Room, made possible by Horizon Therapeutics and the Heart of America Foundation, includes new tables and chairs, inspiring words and phrases on the walls, murals, and all of the work was completed by volunteers in just one day.”

No worksheets here: This Chicago kindergarten teacher wants to bring play back to classrooms

By Cassie Walker Burke for Chalkbeat

“Here, in a feature we call How I Teach, Chalkbeat asks educators who’ve been recognized for their work how they approach their jobs. You can see other pieces in the series here….“Research shows that children learn best from play,” said Cannady, a Teach for America veteran who has taught in China and in the United States and worked in Chicago charters since 2015. “A lot of times when people think about early childhood, they have this idea that kids are playing and teachers are sitting back with their feet up. But that’s not at all what happens, and play is actually this really amazing thing that kids use to take what they understand in the world and build on it.” …As part of our How I Teach series, Chalkbeat asked Cannady, a kindergarten teacher at Acero Brighton Park, about other ways she disguises learning as play, what captivates her about teaching, and another favorite lesson that involves a monster named “Blue.”

City Workers Clean Up Safe Passage Areas Before CPS Students Go Back To School

By Rob Hart for WBBM

“City crews are sprucing up the areas around some Chicago Public Schools before classes resume next month. On Monday, a small army of workers descended on a West Side elementary school for some late summer cleaning. Workers from several City of Chicago departments and workers from the Cook County Sheriff’s Work Alternatives Program arrived at Melody Elementary School in the Garfield Park neighborhood to clear litter from nearby vacant lots, trim trees, repaint crosswalks, and install new street signs. “Street sweeping, tree trimming, graffiti removal, rodent abatement, block cleaning…we also have CDOT out here making sure potholes are filled and crosswalks are striped,” said Ann Sheehan, Deputy Mayor of Infrastructure and Services.”