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Lucky Llamas Take Top Honors at Battle of the Bots
It took a lot more than luck for the “Lucky Llamas” to take home the top honor at the Battle of the Bots middle school robotics competition this weekend. For this all-girl team of 7th graders from Julian Middle School, winning the VEX Robotics Excellence Award...
BASE Camp 2020
Mark your Calendar! Registration for BASE Camp 2020 opens February 5th at noon. Our full list of 2020 camps can be seen here. Camp runs June 15th to July 10th. What is BASE Camp? OPEF’s summer BASE Camp offers a wide variety of STEAM-focused camps with topics such as...
Now Offering Partial Scholarships for BASE Camp
NEW! Partial Scholarships Available For the first time, thanks to our generous donors, we are offering PARTIAL scholarships to D97 families with campers going into grades 1-8 in the fall. If you don't qualify for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program, but still find it a...
2018-2019 Annual Report
In the summer of 2019, we made a lasting mark outside four elementary schools, installing vibrant mosaic murals of a blooming tree. Those trees also remind us of our reinvention as an organization—branching out towards a new future while firmly rooted by our 30-year...
Holmes Class of 1975 Unveils Teacher Innovation Fund
Dave Smith, left, and Tom Korinek, right Back in the 1970s, Tom Korinek and Dave Smith were young, innovative and on the cutting edge of teaching in a way that touched the lives of many students. Now, it’s our turn to thank them. On Friday, Oct. 25, 2019, both...
Creative Collaboration With Spoken Word
Brooks Middle School 7th graders are being encouraged to write poems about what’s important to them in their daily lives. Spoken Word teaching artist Mo Santiago, one of our latest Oak Park Education Foundation additions to the team, led last week's class...
New Mosaics Grace D97 Walls
NEW MOSAICS GRACE THE WALLS OUTSIDE FOUR D97 SCHOOLS It's always inspiring to see creative ideas burst into fruition for all to enjoy. This school year you will find original mosaics by renown artist Tracy Van Duinen gracing prominent exterior walls of...
Teacher Spotlight: Guillermo Delgado
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...
Recreating History with Harmonicas
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...
Voices Shake the House at School of Rock
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...