We are thrilled to announce that the the Whole Foods in River Forest will be donating 5% of their profits on October 18 to the Oak Park Education Foundation. All Whole Foods in the Midwest are participating in Community Giving Days, each one choosing a different educational organization. You can learn more about the initiative […]
Both new and long-time supporters stopped by the historic home of Mary Jo & Stephen Schuler last Friday night to celebrate the end of summer and support scholarships for BASE Camp. Thanks to our hosts and fabulous chefs Kim Wojak, Alice Ireland, and Wayne Juhnke, over $10,000 was raised to support scholarships. So while this […]
Over the years the VEX Robotics program has continued to grow, helping Oak Park middle school students gain valuable problem solving, communication, and engineering skills. Our program became a model for middle schools statewide because OPEF invested in cutting-edge technology and top-notch coaching, and we are committed to enhancing our program quality for the […]
The following is a transcription of the remarks Faith Julian made at the dedication ceremony for the BASE Camp mural in honor of her father, Dr. Percy Julian. A video of her speech is below. I’m so happy to be here. You have no idea. I spent four months in the hospital and rehab. My […]
Last week we were thrilled to be asked to stop by Holmes’ STEM night. It gave us a chance to visit the amazing replicas of Chicago buildings created by Holmes students in Architecture Adventure. We also got to see all the creative ways students found to play with the Ozobots! Thanks to Holmes for hosting […]
Yarn, cardboard boxes, two-liter bottles, toy cars … whatever you’ve got lying around your house, we can use for BASE Camp. Our staff and campers will take your trash and turn it into exciting STEAM education projects! Contact Amy Struckmeyer to arrange for pick up. Complete list: Visit our BASE Camp pages to learn how […]
This month District 97 students have been hard at play and work, both of which mean they’ve been learning! Students in Ms. Schweigerts class at Beye Elementary School have been working with theater director LeKeya Shearrill to create a video that shares their knowledge about the life cycle of the butterfly. Students started out as […]
Around here, April showers don’t just bring flowers, they bring scientists! On April 3, Dr. Elizabeth Goodman visited Ms. Baker’s class at Beye. Dr. Goodman spoke with students about geology and passed around samples of different types of rocks, such as obsidian and basalt. She talked about how these rocks might have been used in […]
We have some special guest bloggers in March and April as Ms. Nelson’s third graders (Longfellow) have agreed to share their thoughts on the Geared Up program with us. Geared Up is an excellent introduction to engineering, using LEGOs. The program was first proposed by Gretchen Junker during our last Call for Ideas. Ms. Junker […]
We have some special guest bloggers in March and April as Ms. Nelson’s third graders (Longfellow) have agreed to share their thoughts on the Geared Up program with us. Geared Up is an excellent introduction to engineering, using LEGOs. The program was first proposed by Gretchen Junker during our last Call for Ideas. Ms. Junker […]
We have some special guest bloggers in March and April as Ms. Nelson’s third graders (Longfellow) have agreed to share their thoughts on the Geared Up program with us. Geared Up is an excellent introduction to engineering, using LEGOs. The program was first proposed by Gretchen Junker during our last Call for Ideas. Ms. Junker […]
Thanks to Camille Wilson White, art from OPEF’s Art Start program is now hanging in the Oak Park Area Arts Council Hall Gallery at Village Hall. Artful Portraits (Brooks), Why Triangles? (Irving), Who Are the Peacemakers? (Lincoln) and Meditation, Yoga & Creative Practices (Beye) represent just the beginning of the wonderful and thoughtful work from […]