Hold Hands Chicago Executive Summary

HOLD HANDS CHICAGOA Community Driven Campaign To Build Careers and End Student ViolenceExecutive Summary lefttopHold Hands Chicago quot;
Somehow, many of our young people have lost faith in the future,quot;
Arne Duncan, October 2009 The highly publicized increase in violence in Chicago neighborhoods has generated a coalition of companies, agencies and community organizations who are responding through a new program, Hold Hands Chicago. While increased security, gun control and a variety of quot;
prescriptivequot;
solutions are reviewed; Hold Hands Chicago delivers an educational program that can have the greatest impact on the crisis we face in Chicago, violence. We deliver hope and a new vision for the future for our inner city youth. Hold Hands Chicago recognizes the boundaries and limitations that have prevented many Chicago teenagers from aspiring to be productive citizens. Life on the streets has become the norm as a result of the disconnect between school and any career aspirations. The mission of Hold Hands Chicago is to engage students in learning that will ultimately leads to higher aspirations and productive careers in the 21st century. Start the Change “Our education systems are one of the great, enduring achievements of the 19th century. They were designed to prepare children for success in a burgeoning industrial economy, and they did their job well. But a 21st century services-and-knowledge-based economy has altered the landscape, and it requires different skills and ways of learning. If we hope to help our children achieve their potential —and realize the potential of a smarter planet — then school itself will have to get a lot smarter.” Smarter Planet, IBM Amplify this call for change as we address violence in our Chicago neighborhoods. By being quot;
smarterquot;
we can create experiences for students that open their eyes to a future beyond the neighborhood and the streets. Hold Hands Chicago will deliver these experiences through visits to the work place, adaptations to curriculum and connections between adults and students supported through technology. By positioning education throughout society, the positive impact will be felt far beyond. How Will We Do This? Experiences for students through visits to companies and agencies throughout Chicago. Hold Hands Chicago coordinates visits for students to companies, agencies, and institutions that represent a wide variety of potential careers. The coalition of companies is rapidly growing. Their commitment to hosting a visit for 25-30 students for the day represents an important first step in engaging and creating connections between academics and a student's future. Students will participate in structured visits to banks, restaurants, corporations, and a variety of settings that can open their eyes to a world they never knew existed. More affluent families and students connect with many of these places almost on a daily basis while many inner city youth rarely leave their neighborhoods. rightbottomHold Hands Chicago will quot;
level the playing fieldquot;
for our Chicago youth by insuring selected students are offered a highly organized, structured and informative experience, connecting to careers and adults in the work place. Connections between academic preparation and careers online. For the first time in history we have a generation of digital natives – these students of the Internet generation have grown up immersed in the use of information technologies. Unlike generations past, these students are at ease with technology and easily adapt and integrate new functionality from smart phones, laptop computers, mp3 players, game stations, and virtual reality worlds. They arrive at school expecting to leverage technology in the learning environment just as they do in their personal lives. The Hold Hands Chicago website will deliver student activities and projects, aligned with CPS Academic Standards that prepare students for each visit. The curriculum team, directed by Dr. Anna Sanford, delivers relevant content that creates experiential learning while building important skills for students. Student-centered projects are a component of the follow-up activities for each visit. Adult role models mentor and stay connected to students during the school day through our Hold Hands Chicago website. This website will adhere to all CPS guidelines related to on-line access and communications and can be hosted by either the Hold Hands Chicago technology team or the district. On-line Mentoring between adults in the workplace and CPS Students Personal connections between adults in the workplace and CPS students will be supported through the on-line mentoring program on the Hold Hands Chicago website. This highly monitored program uses the tools and resources our youth access as a part of today's digital generation. Encouragement, sharing of ideas, support and knowledge are enhanced during the school day through Web 2.0 tools. rightcenter By being quot;
smarterquot;
, education now delivers new experiences, establishes new connections and enhances the impact of these for students through the use of technology. Hold Hand Chicago aligns to the 21st Century Employment Skills Initiative. By quot;
connecting education to the workforcequot;
, the 21st Century initiative outlines the need to emphasize skills and knowledge that students must master to compete globally and become successful citizens. Hold Hands Chicago creates a coalition of companies, agencies and educators who strive to offer this make a change for our inner city youth. Through the advancement of relevant education, real world work place experiences and support, we adhere to the 21st Century guidelines while offering new opportunities that create hope for our disadvantaged youth. Illinois 21st Century Skills initiative urges business leaders to partner with local school districts to quot;
help create an education system that better prepares student for tomorrow’s workplace by ,[object Object]

Providing students with authentic learning opportunities in their local communities The mission of Hold Hands Chicago is to deliver experiences, mentoring and student-centered projects that engage students and create career awareness aligned with 21st Century guidelines. While these guidelines are important for all students, they are a critical component of any solution for decreasing violence in our neighborhoods. righttop As educators, the Hold Hands Chicago team recognizes the long-term solution to violence in our neighborhoods involves everyone. Community, faith-based organizations, companies, and schools are all striving to stop the violence through a wide range of important initiatives. Hold Hands Chicago welcomes and appreciates the opportunity to collaborate and work together so our students experience a new world beyond the streets. Hold Hands Chicago Hold Hands Chicago Companies and Partners Kinney & Associates has created a partnership between dozens of Illinois businesses, governmental agencies, sports teams and institutions to deliver Hold Hands Chicago. As School Improvement Specialists, Kinney & Associates has served Illinois educators since 1994. The company track record of delivering quot;
educational solutions with results' has created a client base in Chicago of over 100 schools. Professional development, assessment programs and interventions for students all utilize a quot;
data-drivenquot;
approach and promote a high level of accountability. The Hold Hands Chicago curriculum team, professional development staff, technology group and project members are highly qualified consultants. quot;
Customizing solutionsquot;
for educators while delivering strong support has created the longevity and success for Kinney and Associates. Kinney & Associates has participated in numerous projects with CPS and delivered on a variety of programs approved by board reports since 1994. Our Holds Hand Chicago partners grow everyday as companies sign on to participate. Chase Bank, Boeing, CBOE, and Elmhurst College are among an extensive list of partners that can be reviewed weekly on the Hold Hands Chicago website to be officially launched soon. Go to www.kinneyandassociates.com for more information on Kinney & Associates.

Hold Hands Chicago Executive Summary

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