Blog
“Were it not for the Community School programs at Bowen, some of our students wouldn’t be here and we know for a fact, some of our graduates, wouldn’t have graduated, were it not for the Community School Programs at Bowen.” – Bowen High School Principal Priscilla Horton
Vanessa Schwartz was born and raised in Southeast Chicago. “I love that community,” she says. “That community has been my home forever, it’s always been my heart and soul.” Learn more about Vanessa and the 30th Anniversary celebration she’s planning for Metropolitan Southeast.
Welcome to Good News! In this space we feature positive stories of community impact and development, relevant to the areas Metropolitan serves or the programs we offer.
On Thursday June 14th, the Metropolitan Family Services Calumet Center celebrated its “Miracle on 103rd Street” Investment Appeal by hearing from Executive Director Audrena Spence, board members, and youth.
The graduates of Metropolitan’s Parenting Fundamentals program devoted two hours each week for 10 weeks to learning positive parenting skills. See the smiling faces of our most recent cohort of parent graduates.
Welcome to Good News! In this space we feature positive stories of community impact and development, relevant to the areas Metropolitan serves or the programs we offer.
Our Parenting Fundamentals program hosted an appreciation event at the Midway Learning & Wellness Center to celebrate the conclusion of the most recent session of its Parent Leadership Program.
Our Message was loud and clear!
Our Motives were effective!
Our Mission was accomplished!
We are Metro!
Twenty-four of Chicago’s top street outreach experts – those specializing in diffusing street violence – were the first to graduate from the Metropolitan Peace Academy, June 27th at Soldier Field’s United Club.
Welcome to Good News! In this space we feature positive stories of community impact and development, relevant to the areas Metropolitan serves or the programs we offer.
Happy end of the school year from Midway Children’s Center! Our staff organized a celebration with games galore for our littlest learners.
After a successful Day to Celebrate Moms, our Midway Learning & Wellness Center spread the love among the dads involved at the center!
Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P) Director Vaughn Bryant and Institute for Nonviolence Chicago‘s Chris Patterson discuss our Metropolitan Peace Academy’s work in professionalizing street outreach for Crain’s Chicago Business’s series on approaches to reducing gun violence.
On Wednesday, June 20th ACT Now hosted a panel discussing the importance of STEM programming in the afterschool space. Attendees included representatives from the STEM industry, afterschool programming and much more.
Our Midway Learning & Wellness Center recently hosted Celebrate Mom Day!
At the 4th annual awards, Program Director Doug Brown and Case Managers Nathan Wright and Edgar Barba were joined by Metropolitan CEO Ric Estrada and Young Fathers program benefactor Gary Gerst to present awards for three standout fathers and two community partners.
Emily Hendricks, Resource Coordinator for Kennedy High School, shares a few photos of the students and families involved with our Kennedy Community School programs in action.
As the needs of our children and families we serve grow more complex, Metropolitan is evolving to meet those needs; we’re working with more community partners, opening more classrooms, and adding more home visiting services.
We explore Metropolitan’s Community Schools program at Hernandez Middle School through the eyes of Jose Gutierrez, Resource Coordinator at Hernandez.
Welcome to Good News! In this space we feature positive stories of community impact and development, relevant to the areas Metropolitan serves or the programs we offer.
Father involvement STEM-med from a recent Science Night at our Midway Learning & Wellness Center!
Staff from West Monroe Partners, including Metro Board member Patrick Peterson, spent an afternoon beautifying our Midway and Midway Children’s Center as part of the business and technology consulting firm’s National Day of Change.
Welcome to Good News! In this space we feature positive stories of community impact and development, relevant to the areas Metropolitan serves or the programs we offer.
Metropolitan recently honored our employees across programs and centers at the annual Employee Award Luncheon. Congratulations to all our awardees and nominees, as well as our Service Award recipients, for your hard work on behalf of Metropolitan Family Services!
Our DuPage Center recently cut the ribbon on its new Bensenville Early Childhood Center!
Welcome to Good News! In this space we feature positive stories of community impact and development, relevant to the areas Metropolitan serves or the programs we offer.
The children and parents at our Addison Children’s Center were recently treated to a visit by the Northern Illinois University Harmelodics!
Our North Center’s Substance Abuse & Prevention Program recognized National Prevention Week by engaging youth in the community around drug abuse prevention!
Welcome to Good News! In this space we feature positive stories of community impact and development, relevant to the areas Metropolitan serves or the programs we offer.
Students from our North Center’s Community Schools partner Reinberg Elementary spent an afternoon writing Mother’s Day cards for their moms – but they didn’t stop there. The students also wrote empowering notes for mothers in our community.
Welcome to Good News! In this space we feature positive stories of community impact and development, relevant to the areas Metropolitan serves or the programs we offer.
“Ana” used to be embarrassed at sign-in time when she took her daughter, “Yara,” to preschool at one of Metropolitan DuPage’s Early Head Start programs. She had trouble with writing and English, and took a long time to write her name on the sign-in sheet.
After its re-opening was threatened due to delayed site inspections of the state’s facilities, our Community Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA) site is furnished and ready!
Ahead of our DuPage Gala, Kim shares her thoughts on the importance of community involvement and why she supports Metropolitan.
Welcome to Good News! In this space we feature positive stories of community impact and development, relevant to the areas Metropolitan serves or the programs we offer.
Members of our DuPage Center’s Head Start and Early Head Start program had the opportunity to attend the National Head Start Association Conference in sunny Anaheim California!
There’s no energy like that of student potential, and the students of Belmont-Cragin School proved it, scientifically! Belmont-Cragin School, our North Center’s Community Schools partner, hosted a science fair through Energizing Student Potential, a hands-on, STEM-focused energy program.
Our DuPage Center’s Wheaton/Warrenville and Addison Early Childhood Collaboratives brought educators together for its annual Early Childhood Symposium, a morning of learning and discussion.
Our North Center’s Substance Abuse Prevention Program participated in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this Saturday at the Walgreens in the Belmont Cragin community this past weekend.
Welcome to Good News! In this space we feature positive stories of community impact and development, relevant to the areas Metropolitan serves or the programs we offer.
Last week, our DuPage early childhood programs participated with several local and national programs, including our Early Childhood Education partners in the city, in celebration of the Week of the Young Child!
Members of the Altgeld 10, a group of students in our Calumet Center’s Youth Leadership Program, took part recently in the WE Movement’s WE Day, a celebration of kids across Illinois committed to giving back to their communities!
Congratulations to Metropolitan’s own Andrea Belard, an attorney with our Legal Aid Society (LAS), who recently received the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois’ (HLIA) annual Community Service Award, for her work in public interest law!
As part of our Midway Learning & Wellness Center’s Week of the Young Child activities, families learned about their health and the various services available in their community.
Last week we celebrated our youngest learners during Week of the Young Child at our Midway Learning & Wellness Center, Midway Children’s Center, and North Children’s Center!
On Wednesday, April 18, our agency took 101 staff, clients, and community partners to Springfield for a successful, empowering Advocacy Day.
Welcome to Good News! In this space we feature positive stories of community impact and development, relevant to the areas Metropolitan serves or the programs we offer.
We talked to Michael about his work with Metropolitan, the planning of Spring Fever, and what Mpowers him to support Evanston/Skokie children and families.
Congratulations to our North Children’s Center, which recently received the prestigious Gold Circle of Quality designation from ExceleRate Illinois!
Congratulations to Stacy Stewart, Principal at one of our North Center’s Community Schools partners, Belmont-Cragin School, on winning Golden Apple’s Stanley C. Golder Leadership Award!