by Laura Garcia | Jul 11, 2019 | Art Start, BASE Camp, D97 Schools, Featured, News, OPEF Programs
Folk Art fun with BASE Camp’s Guillermo Delgado Guillermo Delgado is the kind of OPEF instructor that makes campers feel instantly at ease. When visiting his BASE Camp Folk Art classroom, Delgado had familiar classical soundtracks from top movies like Harry... 
by Laura Garcia | May 29, 2019 | Art Start, D97 Schools, Featured, Longfellow, News, OPEF Programs
Children from Mr. Podlasek’s second-grade performed at Oak Park’s Belmont Village last week, sparking smiles and warming hearts for the residents. The students have been working with OPEF’s Art Start artist John Milan, who taught them songs to sing and perform on... 
by Laura Garcia | May 17, 2019 | Brooks, D97 Schools, Julian, News, Poetry Slam, Spoken Word
OPEF Spoken Word students shook the house at the School of Rock with their raw honesty and powerful words last week. The poetry slam, titled Respect the Mic, fostered creativity and self-expression while giving kids the opportunity to speak about their lives in a... 
by Laura Garcia | May 10, 2019 | Geared Up, Julian, News, Vex Media, VEX Robotics
Six teams of VEX Robotics students at Julian Middle School designed robots, then built and battled each other in a Robot Rumble, exploring the various aspects of technology in competitive fun. The hands-on projects were organized in small groups, and kids... 
by Tracy DellAngelaBarber | Feb 21, 2019 | Fundraising Events, Julian, News, Spoken Word
‘Allowing teachers to see students for who they really are’ Buying a ticket to OPEF’s re-invented fundraiser not only allows you to support amazing enrichment programs in Oak Park schools, it also gives you a chance to celebrate an influential teacher who does... 
by Marta Segal Block | Feb 11, 2019 | Events, Fundraising Events, News
What does it take to pull off a bingo-themed party for 200 people and make sure your guests can win great prizes, enjoy yummy food and drinks, and support a great cause while having fun with friends and neighbors? The first, most important step is to deploy an...