• For the past five years, the Egan Office has supported the development of several initiatives at Ericson Scholastic Academy. In partnership with community organizations such as the Garderneers, BUILD Chicago, and Taproot,  and the faculty, staff, and parent community at Ericson, a school-community garden has continued to thrive as a positive and powerful space. An advisory commitee comprised of diverse stakeholders has been assembled to direct future

  

  development of the garden in terms of both its physical build out and the ways in which the garden can be further integrated into the Garfield Park community as a whole. From hands on learning about nutrition and sustainable produce to Halloween candy hunts, the garden has become a hub for Ericson's students to learn, play and grow.
• Egan student employees, Laylaa Carpenter and Anna Guitierrez, have done exceptional work providing academic support in literacy and mathematics to Ericson students. The relationships they have built and the academic results they have produced with the students they serve are a testament to the capacity of the Egan's programming to impact students in an immediate and positive way.
• The Chicago Debate Commission continues to do amazing work building the Ericson debate program. Coach Ard and faculty sponsor Miss Felton have built a rigorous program, characterized by high expectations and equally high levels of support. Ericson's student debaters have taken their talents on the road, successfully competing in the city's debate circuit throughout the year. 

• The Girls Writing Workshop is an after-school program that focuses on increasing reading comprehension, critical thinking and expository writing skills while discussing issues related to identity, culture and adolescent concerns. The girls in the Writing 

  

   Workshop produce original work which they share in with other Henderson students in school-wide projects such as the African-American History Month  activity in which they read original poems and performed dances and skits.
• Other Henderson students are currently participating in a cultural exchange program with students from Accra, Ghana. The students exchange correspondence and learn about each other's  cultures. Students are also participating in a “Little Entrepreneurs” program where they will receive raw materials from Ghana to create their own soaps, jewelry, clothing and more to sell at school functions. 
  
• Henderson is supported by tutors Yoann, Marcus and Angela. Tutors Marcus and Yoann have been at Henderson for over 2 years.  Yoann created and teaches a French language class in the after-school program. Marcus has played an important role in the school's technology access and usage. He has used his skills to upgrade the schools systems, he has taught both teachers and parents how to use technology to improve the students' learning. He has also shown the students how technology can be both fun and educational. A great example of Marcus' work was using Google Cardboard to teach students about virtual reality. This allowed the students to create their own virtual reality viewers. Angela is the newest member to the tutor group at Henderson. She works with 3rd graders focusing on 1 on 1 work with students who need a little extra help with any given subject. Angela has a group of three students that she works with cosistently but she also works with other students as needed.

• St. Sabina Academy, fulfills the educational ministry of the Faith Community of St. Sabina Church. The School serves 317 students from Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade. Founded in 1916 and located in Auburn Gresham, a Chicago south side predominantly African-American community, St. Sabina Academy incorporates a well-developed curriculum which highlights the cultural values of African

  

  Americans. Egan tutors have provided academic support and mentoring to St. Sabina students for over six years.
• The Egan Office has secured a grant to be used towards a School-wide Recycling Project at St. Sabina. Two DePaul graduate students and three teachers and staff members are collaborating to ensure that the project is student-led and integrated into the schools's curriculum. Students grades 6 through 8 are selected and trained to lead the project. This program is intended to enhance the STEM curriculum and promote interdisciplinary teaching and learning. The student leaders will also help develop home-based environmental education for parents and family members.

• St. Pius V School is located in the Pilsen community which has a rich history and a number of community based organizations. In her initial asset-mapping of Pilsen's community assets, SCO Caitlin has had the chance to meet with staff from Mujeres Latinas en Acción

  

  and El Valor. Egan School Community Organizers like Caitlin work to identify and connect potential resources and partners within the community and within the University.
  
• Caitlin supports two Egan tutors at St. PIus, Justine and Leonor. Justine Carlson is a senior and has been a tutor for Egan since she was a freshman. She currently works with the kindergarten and second grade classes, where she assists with reading, writing, and math. When asked why she tutors she replied, “I continue to tutor because I have seen students who start to believe in themselves and continue to succeed by creating and building those relationships one-on-one. As a future teacher, if I can plant those small seeds with one child, a chain reaction occurs and grows.”
  
• Leonor Guzman is also a senior and joined the Egan team as a tutor this past fall. Leonor is currently working with the 3rd and 5th graders on reading, writing, and math. When asked why she tutors she replied, “I tutor because I believe that all students deserve the opportunity to have a proper education. There are schools that lack funds and unable to provide students resources such as extra help due to budget cuts. I am a strong believer that if we all come together we can have a huge impact in this world. Even if we help one student, we are creating a trickle effect where this student may now seek to support others too. I tutor because I would like to be that positive role model for individuals who may not see any hope of success, but if I can do it, someone who is first generation and a student of color, I know that others can too.”

• St. Malachy found that their approaches to student discipline were not in alignment with their mission. The focus on student suspensions pointed to the need to change from a punitive to a restorative response. The objective was to find a response system that would allow the students to take responsibility for their actions, learn to manage their own behavior and develop a deeper sense of community and caring for each other. The administration of St. Malachy concluded that the

  

  Restorative Justice (RJ) model was the best alternative for their school and turned to Egan office for help. The implementation of restorative practices in schools required a total school approach and an immediate culture shift away from entrenched, punitive discipline. The Egan office found Alternatives for Youth, Inc., a community organization with a history of supporting restorative practices in schools, to provide training and consultation. The RJ model continues to be refined at St. Malachy and they have seen significant improvements in disciplinary actions throughout the school.
  
• The Egan office's presence at St. Malachy is supported by two tutors, Alexis Malinowski and Gabrielle Carpenter. Alexis has been with the Egan office for three years. Alexis tutored the kindergarten class for two years and followed the last kindergarten class into the first grade during this past year. Lexi’s knowledge of the students whom she met as kindergarteners proved to be invaluable.
  
• Gabriell joined the Egan office team at the beginning of the 2017-18 academic years and she has already made an impact at St. Malachy. Mrs. Nho the Assistant Principal and Ms. Kelly the second grade teacher rave about the connection Gabby has been able to make with the students. The class is split into small groups enabling Ms. Kelly and Gabby to focus more attention on the students that need it the most. There are different stations such as math, reading, and science that Gabby helps to facilitate and she use these times to make their activities both fun and engaging. Gabby also provides additional support to students who need a little more one-on-one assistance. When there is down time, Gabby is able to read with students and learn more about them, giving them both an opportunity to build on their relationship. Recently, Gabrielle has been joined by two new Egan tutors, Dagney Hill and Anthony Okocha.

• Nixon is a community school that aims to support the family and not just the student. They offer GED and ESL classes to parents during the school day. The principal has monthly coffee chats that are open to parents to come with questions and

  

  requests for support. In order to be more than a bilingual school and embrace culture as well, Nixon has Family Heritage Nights to celebrate the diverse backgrounds of the families of their population.
• Nixon has several after-school programs, including: homework help, band, yoga, dance, soccer, college readiness, and a daily program with Family Focus. Family Focus includes things like Spanish class, service learning, Lego builders, and science activities. Nixon is making strides with social emotional learning using a second step curriculum, a behavior health team and implementing restorative justice techniques. 
• Tutors from DePaul provide support throughout the day and during after school programming. Currently, they are in 2nd, 3rd, and 6th grade classrooms focusing on math and reading. After school, they help with band and Family Focus programming.
• In addition to the Partnership with the Egan Office, Nixon partners with DePaul in several ways. In collaboration with the Steans Center and the Egan Office, the School of Nursing places student nurses at Nixon. DePaul also provides mental health services at the school.  Nixon's community partners include Family Focus, Urban Initiatives, the Hermosa Neighborhood Association, and Communities in Schools. 

Lakeitta Harris

laharris09@gmail.com

School Community Organizer

Kevin Amaro

amarokevin@yahoo.com

School Community Organizer

Lexie Fisher

lexiefisher3@gmail.com

School Community Organizer

Paul Pearson

School Community Organizer