$3.9 Million Awarded to Orozco and TRP for Integrated Services in School
From left to right: TRP's CEO Raul Raymundo, The Atlantic Philanthropies President & CEO Gara LaMarche, Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan and John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation's President Jonathan Fanton
On Thursday, March 26th a press conference was held at Pilsen’s Orozco Community Academy to announce an $18 million dollar investment on what could be considered the most important education initiative to be ever implemented in Chicago’s communities. The Integrated Services in Schools initiative (ISS) is a crucial move towards increasing the success of middle-school students and augment their chances of graduating high school. The initiative is focused on building school based networks, which in turn would seek to increase parental involvement and develop paths to higher education.
Alderman Solis highlighted the importance of Integrated Services in Schools for the 25th Ward
Local leaders such as 25th Ward Alderman Danny Solis, 17th Ward Alderman Latasha Thomas and Chief Executive Officer for Chicago Public Schools Arne Duncan were there, stressing the importance of such influx of capital into their communities and the positive change it would bring to children and families living in the NCP participating communities. They also gratefully facilitated introductions to the different philanthropic entities present, among them The Atlantic Philanthropies (an international foundation with a focus on children and youth) who awarded this major grant to support this five-school effort over four years. Key players in the conception of ISS, such as its fiscal agent Chicago Community Trust, along with Polk Bros Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, were there also to celebrate such commitment as both foundations help jumpstart ISS by providing those early grants supporting such planning efforts.
Finally the press conference closed with an address on implementation by The Resurrection Project’s CEO Raul Raymundo (TRP is Pilsen’s NCP lead agency). In his discourse Raymundo urged the communities to work together as “such investment would not go very far if we do not plan comprehensively and take ownership [of the project]” since “learning goes beyond the 4 walls of school and should consider other resources to close the gaps working class families might encounter in their children’s development”.
5 Chicago public schools will benefit from Integrated Services in Schools
Overall, this project seeks to transform 5 local schools through the provision of family oriented services in the fields of health, education, social services and economic support. Such initiative is part of a national demonstration that has already rolled out in five New Mexico schools. Locally, five communities and their schools began planning nearly a year ago by using start-up grants from Atlantic and Chicago Community Trust, with this the NCP communities were able assemble around 300 representatives from the schools, communities and health institutions to discuss the project’s implementation. Other local schools to benefit from ISS are: Ames Middle School (Logan Square), Marquette Elementary (Chicago Lawn), Perspectives-Calumet Middle School (Auburn Gresham), and Reavis Elementary (Grand Boulevard and Kenwood).
ISS is focused on middle school children – along with their families and surrounding communities – because around this age is when young people face life-changing choices about joining gangs, using drugs or becoming sexually active. By providing an intensive array of school and community supports, the ISS program will help these students stay healthy and pursue academic and creative interests for the long run.
As the Principal of Orozco Community Academy, Coralia Barraza stated: "ISS has already made a difference for us” and so far such words are evident in the efforts of all the students, parents, community leaders, and faculty who are fully engaged in its planning process.
The Resurrection Project, as the lead agency in Pilsen for Local Initiatives Support Corporation’s New Communities Program, is very excited about securing the allocation of approximately $3.8 million dollars ($900,000 annually) for Orozco to start implementation of ISS. As TRP and its partners Instituto Del Progreso Latino, Alivio Medical Center and Pilsen’s Neighbors move forward to implement and establish ISS as the tool to accomplish such holistic children development agenda for Pilsen, we would keep you informed on any significant progress as it develops.