WHAT'S NEW
THE LATEST INFO ON OUR PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
Monica Collins, Winner of 2021 Staszak Outstanding Educator Award
We are thrilled to announce that Monica Collins is the winner of this year’s Staszak Outstanding Educator Award. Congratulations to Ms. Collins, a beloved District 97 social worker and OPEF partner. Ms. Collins demonstrates a deep commitment to expanding summer...
Magical Prizes for a Magical Night!
By this point in the Pandemic, we're all about ready to get away, one way or another. That's why we're so excited about the raffle prizes for our upcoming Evening of Magic. We'll help you get out of town, out of the house, or maybe a little bit out of your mind!...
Spoken Word Club Is Back!
We are thrilled to announce that nearly a year after we had to put our in-person Spoken Word club on hold, we can now invite students back for a spring season of creativity and self-expression. WHAT: Spoken Word Club WHO: Students from both Brooks and Julian Middle...
BASE Camp 2021, What We Know Now
Just like you, we really miss BASE Camp. We recently asked you to tell us what was most important to you about BASE Camp, and what you needed from us this coming summer. Based on the survey, we know that you love BASE Camp because: 1) Camps include a wide variety of...
Exploding Pumpkins and Our New Summer Programs Director
As the weather gets colder, we know you're looking for new ways to keep busy inside the house. Our new Director of Summer Programs has some ideas. Check out her amazing pumpkin explosion! How many rubber bands do you think it will take for Lindsey to make the pumpkin...
Public Health Expert Visits Virtually with Mann Students
Science Alliance, one of our flagship programs has entered the Covid age. Last week, Dr. Noel Chavez, a public health expert and Oak Park resident met with students from Tye Johnson's 4th grade class at Mann via Zoom. The kids and Dr. Chavez had a spirited and...
2020 Virtual Poetry Slam
How do you have a poetry slam when you can't gather? You do it virtually! Just like the rest of the world, our Spoken Word program had some unexpected challenges this year. But, our poets prevailed. For the first time, we had a combined Brooks/Julian club. The poets...
Good-Beye to Mr. Ellwanger
One of the things that made us saddest about canceling this year's Bingo Bash was that we were losing the chance to give Mr. Ellwanger, also known as Mr. E, the 2020 Staszak Educator Award. Mr. Ellwanger started his Oak Park career as a music teacher at Beye, and...
BASE Camp Cancelled for Summer 2020, Seeking New Ideas
It is with great sadness that we have decided to cancel our four weeks of in-person BASE (Build A Summer Education) Camp. We’ve consulted with our board, staff, D97 leaders and other community partners, and it has become clear that there will be no way to safely run...
BASE Camp Update and Response to Pandemic
The following is the most recent communication around the planning and status of BASE Camp. This letter was sent to our community April 17 after the governor's announcement about the closure of school buildings and extension of remote learning through the end of the...