Thanks to donors like you, the Oak Park Education Foundation had a fabulously successful 2010-2011, and we're bringing even more inspiring, hands-on projects and experts into more Oak Park Kindergarten through 8th grade classrooms this year! Check it out online (PDF) or contact us if you'd like a hard copy.

Thank you so much for your support of OPEF and exciting learning experiences for public school kids.



 

As part of their study of changing weather, light, sky, and seasons this year, all the Holmes 1st graders learned to observe closely like artists during their Art Start drawing and painting workshops with artist and author Sallie Wolf.

Ms. Wolf conducted 6 workshops with each of the first grade classes -- Ms. Collela's, Ms. Merz's and Ms. Yigzaw's. In these photos by Dana Nitzoy from Ms. Yigzaw's 1st grade class, students painted with watercolors, using artist quality paint. They also had graphite sticks and waxed paper, and experimented with drawing over the waxed paper onto the dry watercolor paper to create white lines that showed up once painted was washed over.

Students drew beautiful and interesting "sky portraits" from memory as well as from direct observation.

Thanks to Chicago photographer Dana Nitzoy for this slideshow of photos from the workshops.



 

The Oak Park Education Foundation's 7th annual Vex Robotics competition between Julian & Brooks students on January 28 was an amazing display of middle school engineering talent. More than 80 sixth-eight graders worked with teachers, volunteer engineers, and high school mentors after school for months to design, build and program inventive robots that showed their stuff on a playing field at the Julian gym in front of a packed house of cheering fans, friends and family.

This year Julian took back the trophy from Brooks in a 319-95 win. But they're not finished -- five teams from each middle school are still preparing for a regional competition in Batavia on February 11 to compete against area teams, most of them high schoolers.

During the Robotics competition, OPEF also held our first Open House showcasing all our programs: Architecture Adventure, Art Start, Science Alliance, Geared Up, Vex Robotics and BASE Camp. The Julian Commons was full of parents and kids, ages 5-12, trying their hands at challenging, educational and fun activities. Kids operated Vex Robots, build pocket totem sculptures, designed LEGO machines and created innovative buildings of LEGOs, experimented with water, rocks and electricity with EPA scientists, and created Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired window designs.

Thanks to all who participated, supported, attended, or followed us on Twitter, including our event sponsors: Aria Group Architects, Forest Park National Bank, Hoy Landscaping, It's A Sign, and Starship Restaurant & Catering.

Make sure to check out our slideshow of photos from the Vex Competition and Open House from photographers Maria Soderberg and Paul Goyette. And watch this video of our Vex Robotics teams getting ready for the big competition.



 

The Oak Park Education Foundation's (OPEF's) 7th annual Vex Robotics competition between Julian & Brooks students, who have been designing, building and programming their robots since October, will take place at 9:00 am on Saturday, January 28 in the Julian gym, 416 S. Ridgeland in Oak Park.

During the Robotics competition, OPEF is also holding an Open House showcasing its art, science, architecture and engineering programs in the Julian Commons from 10-noon. It's free and features hands-on projects for kids ages 5-12.

The Vex Robotics competition involves more than 80 middle school students, who work with teachers, volunteer engineers, and high school mentors after school for months to build and program robots that will score points on a playing field in the gym on January 28. The most successful teams will advance to a regional competition and compete against other teams, most of them high schoolers.

The Open House in the Julian Commons is a great place for young Robotics fans to take a break and try their hand at some challenging, educational and fun activities. They can design and build with LEGOs, experiment with EPA scientists, build a pocket totem sculpture, create Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired window designs, and operate a Vex Robot.

The gym will be filled with cheering onlookers. OPEF will have a projection screen for great viewing, an emcee and DJ, food for sale, and hands-on projects for kids at the Open House. Thanks to our event sponsors: Aria Group Architects, Forest Park National Bank, Hoy Landscaping, It's A Sign, and Starship Restaurant & Catering.

Follow the competition on Twitter.



 

OPEF Open House
Saturday, January 28th
10 am - noon
Julian middle school Commons
416 S. Ridgeland, Oak Park
For children ages 5-12, and it's free

Get the kids out of the house and enjoy some hands-on fun! The Oak Park Education Foundation is showing off its programs and inviting you to take part.

Here's your chance to:

• Design and build with LEGOs
• Create Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired window designs
• Build a pocket totem sculpture
• Operate a Vex Robot
• Experiment with water chemistry and geomorphology with EPA scientists
• Watch the middle school Vex Robotics competition in the gym

 

Students in Mrs. McDaniel's 4/5 multi-age class at Whittier have been studying magnetism and electricity. Working with their Science Alliance scientist Dave Kupperman, a retired Argonne Laboratory scientist, they conducted a number of experiments demonstrating the properties of magnetism and electricity and how they are interrelated.

Dr. Kupperman told the students "the earth is a magnet" as they experimented with a battery to show how the magnetic north and south poles of the earth pull a compass needle. The students also learned how a manual flashlight works: spinning a magnet inside by squeezing the handle creates electricity. As a final experiment, Dr. Kupperman asked the students to stand in a circle around the room. Each student held an end of a copper tube with her neighbor, so that there was a complete circuit around the circle which then powered a small light bulb. In this way, the students act as electrical conductors because of the water inside their bodies.

Be sure to check out this slideshow of photos by Patti Quilling.