AustinTalks (http://austintalks.org/tag/education/)
Austin families uttered a sign of relief Thursday with the news that the Chicago Teachers Union had suspended its 11 day-strike and that classes for about 300,000 Chicago Public Schools students will resume Friday. Earlier this week, union delegates voted 364 to 242 to approve the 41-page, five-year agreement.
By The Hand Club For Kids broke ground over the weekend on a new $8 million, 30,000-square-foot addition to its 416 N. Laramie Avenue location. The expansion will allow Moving Everest Charter School, who leases the facility during the day, to serve another 270 students in sixth through eighth grade starting in August 2020.
The schools – Oscar DePriest Elementary, Edward K. Duke Ellington Elementary, Howe School of Excellence, Lewis School of Excellence and Sayre Language Academy – now offer a total of 140 full-day seats. In total, all of Austin’s elementary schools have 660 full-day seats and 120 half-day seats available to West Side children.
De’Andre Wilborn, Austin resident and George Westinghouse College Prep senior, was one of eight Chicago high school students to receive the $20,000 scholarship award as part of the Cubs Charities Cubs Scholars Program. He was honored at a Cubs home game last month.
Alexis Mendoza is one of the five young people in the Chicago area selected to be part of the 2019 Bank of America Student Leader program. This summer she had an internship at Working in The Schools (WITS), Chicago-based non-profit that focuses on increasing childhood literacy – an opportunity she received through the Bank of America award.
Women of Self Love Inc. and Kids First Chicago are sponsoring the event being held from 5:45 to 7 p.m. Aug. 21 at Austin Coming Together, 5049 W. Harrison St. Parents and students will learn about how to navigate the process for selecting an elementary and high school.
West Side residents now can apply to take a 32-week college-credit program at Austin Town Hall starting this fall. Students in the Odyssey Project study with professors from local universities and can earn up to six transferable college credits from Bard College. The application deadline to apply for the free program is Aug. 15.
Marchanelle Flowers, who teaches at Spencer Elementary Technology Academy, and Samiena Singleton, who teaches at Howe Elementary School, were honored earlier this year during CPS’ teacher appreciation week.
Longtime West Sider Dwayne Truss joined six other new board members at their first meeting, held June 26th. Mayor Lori Lightfoot appointed all seven earlier this month.
Divvy donated 70 bikes to seniors of Michele Clark Academic Prep Magnet High School for their second annual ride to eight nearby elementary schools.