Woodlawn New Communities Program - Latest news

Woodlawn Rolls Out Network of Woodlawn's Education Strategy to Community Residents

10/17/2012, 1:53 PM

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Woodlawn residents, stakeholders invited to participate in community meeting to guide the future of local schools

Network of Woodlawn and Woodlawn Children’s Promise Community to host 10/27 meeting, the first in the Future of Woodlawn series

(Chicago) … The Network of Woodlawn (NOW) and Woodlawn Children’s Promise Community (WCPC) invite Woodlawn residents and stakeholders to help guide the future of Woodlawn’s schools by attending a public meeting on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012, from 9 a.m. to noon, at the Apostolic Church of God, 6320 S. Dorchester Ave., Chicago.

“We invite residents and stakeholders to join us for the Future of Woodlawn community meetings, to plan our collective future,” said Nicole Woodard-Iliev, WCPC. “These meetings are an important opportunity to weigh in and have a voice.”

The Oct. 27 meeting on education is the first in a series of community meetings on the Future of Woodlawn, hosted by NOW and WCPC. Meetings in the winter and spring of 2013 will address the topics of economic and community development; safety; and health and human services.

Residents can stay up to date on the Future of Woodlawn meetings on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/NetworkofWoodlawn

What:

Future of Woodlawn, Part 1: Education

When:

Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012, 9 a.m. to noon

Where:

Apostolic Church of God, 6320 S. Dorchester Ave.

Media may RSVP to Nicole Woodard-Iliev at WCPC,

773.535.6876

or email

info@woodlawnpromise.org

Woodlawn Public Safety Alliance Continues to Organize and Pray to Stop the Violence

10/16/2012, 5:27 PM

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

W.Walker

The Woodlawn Public Safety Alliance will be leading a prayer vigil and march around the 6300 block of S. Rhodes on Thursday, October 18th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The vigil and march is part of a response strategy to call attention to the escalation of youth violence that has claimed the lives of many youth in the Woodlawn community.

Residents and supporters are welcome to attend and join the WPSA. Participants will meet at 6300 S. Rhodes. For more information contact Ryan Priester at 773 256-6848

State of Illinois Invests $2 million towards Decreasing the Digital Divide in South Side Communities

10/16/2012, 4:43 PM

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Governor Quinn Announces First Winner of Illinois Gigabit Communities Challenge

State’s $2 Million Seed Investment Will Jumpstart Fiber Optic and Wireless Network in Mid-South Side Chicago Neighborhoods; Help Create Over 50 Jobs

CHICAGO – October 16, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced that four Chicago Neighborhoods are the first beneficiaries of the Illinois Gigabit Communities Challenge, a statewide competition to establish ultra-high speed broadband networks across Illinois. The state is awarding $2 million in Illinois Jobs Now! capital funding to Gigabit Squared, which in partnership with Cook County, the City of Chicago and the University of Chicago, will deploy gigabit fiber and wireless in nine neighborhoods on Chicago’s mid-south side.

“To win in the information economy, we need information infrastructure that is second to none. Through the Gigabit Communities Challenge, Illinois will build stronger, smarter communities with internet connections more than 100 times faster than they are today,” Governor Quinn said. “Smart communities will foster the job engines of the future.”

Announced during Governor Quinn’s 2012 State of the State Address, the Illinois Gigabit Communities Challenge continues the Governor’s efforts to encourage world-class broadband infrastructure in every area of Illinois. Gigabit Squared is the first in a series of award recipients that will be announced in the coming weeks. The state’s investment will help support Gigabit Squared’s Gigabit Neighborhood Gateway Program (GNGP) to create jobs, improve neighborhood safety, enhance education and improve health care services.

Administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), the $2 million award represents a seed investment for Gigabit Squared’s pilot project. In addition, the University of Chicago is providing $1 million and committing to work with various organizations - community-based and philanthropic - to raise an additional $1million for this effort, which leverages a $5 million private commitment from Gigabit Squared’s Gigabit Neighborhood Gateway Program and its investors. In its first phase, the project will bring world-class gigabit speed fiber to over 4,825 residents, businesses, schools, and healthcare institutions and will create more than 50 new jobs.

“When we developed the Gigabit Neighborhood Gateway Program, it was exactly this type of community partnership we envisioned,” said Mark Ansboury, president of Gigabit Squared. “Bringing the University of Chicago, the State of Illinois, the City of Chicago and individual neighborhoods, as well as Cook County together, we’re able to do what none of us could do individually – build a platform for economic development and business creation to the Mid-South side of Chicago.”

During the next year, the Gigabit Neighborhood Gateway Program will first bring fiber and wireless broadband capacity to the neighborhoods of Hyde Park, Kenwood, Woodlawn and Washington Park as well as serve community anchor institutions including schools, libraries and health care institutions. Over time, the South Shore, Greater Grand Crossing, Grand Boulevard, Douglas, and Oakland will be served by gigabit speed wireless. In addition to its initial $5 million investment, Gigabit Squared will reinvestment in the network growth that provides citizens and businesses with Internet connectivity to create jobs through digital economic development, improve educational opportunities, improve health care, increase safety and implement smart energy solutions as the neighborhoods adopt the new program as their own.

“This private investment in public infrastructure will promote economic development and engender a smarter, safer, and digitally empowered community surrounding the University of Chicago,” said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “I commend Gigabit Squared for its efforts on behalf of the neighborhood. This project is a great first step toward realizing the goal of the Chicago Broadband Challenge: an open, next-generation network for the entire city.”

“High-speed Internet infrastructure is an important foundation for innovation, research, economic growth, and job creation,” said Robert J. Zimmer, President of the University of Chicago.

“We intend our investment in the first phase of the project to serve as a catalyst for future efforts to build out the broadband network, furthering economic growth for the development of vibrant, healthy, and safe communities across the mid-South Side.”

“There is nothing more important for our neighborhood’s growth and vitality than the ability to compete and thrive in today’s global economy right here in Woodlawn. Our neighborhood business owners and entrepreneurs – as well as students – are looking for chances to grow and expand their businesses and educational opportunities,” said Dr. Byron Brazier, president of the Network of Woodlawn, Inc. who will bring community resources to the project. “This initiative helps bring and create small businesses, opportunities and jobs to make Woodlawn a destination community of choice.”

Gigabit Squared is a digital economic development corporation specializing in the planning, implementation and roll-out of IT-enabled infrastructure. The company helps communities and network providers across the globe develop, capitalize, implement and leverage sustainable infrastructure investments for civic and economic transformation. Public-private partnerships (P3), collaboration and co-investment in large-scale infrastructure programs drive remarkable results and financial returns. The Gigabit Squared team has been responsible for developing and acquiring billions of dollars in infrastructure funding through government, quasi-government, private, and non-profit sources.

As part of the comprehensive, multi-year Illinois Jobs Now! economic development program, the Illinois Gigabit Communities Challenge sought proposals from private and public organizations to encourage promising ultra high-speed broadband deployment projects throughout Illinois. Applicants were required to provide a viable plan to connect at least 1,000 end users to an ultra high-speed broadband network. Award recipients will receive seed funding to help build or expand world-class broadband networks in Illinois.

Governor Quinn will announce a second Gigabit Communities Challenge recipient during an awards ceremony being held later today in Aurora.

For more information on the Illinois Gigabit Communities Challenge, visit www.Gigabit.Illinois.Gov. A longtime advocate for improving our technology infrastructure, Governor Quinn has been a strong voice for broadband deployment in all areas of Illinois. As part of the Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program, the Broadband Deployment Fund was used in 2010 and 2011 to jumpstart more than 4,000 miles of new fiber optic cable construction and more than $300 million in private and federal investment Illinois.

Parkway Gardens goes to the Chicago Children's Museum

9/9/2011, 9:48 AM

Friday, July 1, 2011

Ryan K. Priester

Saturday June 11^thwas a day of firsts.

For many of the children gathered together by Officer Jennifer Maddox, the day would be the first trip to downtown Chicago, the Chicago Children’s museum, or, perhaps most urgently, the first time many of the children had seen a bridge drawn to full mast.

“We are going to fall in!” was the excited cry of Parkway Gardens children as the van stopped on Lake Shore Drive just south of Navy Pier.

Officer Maddox seized the moment.

She allowed the children to get out of the stopped van to engage their imaginations and behold the site of road opening into the mist filled sky to allow boats pass beneath their feet.

This was another first.

NCP Woodlawn collaborated with the chair of the Early Childhood Committee of Woodlawn, Mrs. Joyce Nimocks, to arrange a trip for 25 children and 4 parents from the Parkway Gardens housing project to attend the Chicago Children’s’ Museum.

The Chicago Children’s Museum graciously provided tickets and a day of wonderful memories for the children of Parkway Gardens.

Children from Parkway Gardens enjoyed the hands on nature of the museum and made excellent use of the interactive play space at the museum.

The children were so filled with excitement and glee they were noticed by the musuem staff and selected to become active participants in the final show.

Parkway Children leapt at the chance to join and were all smiles as they stole the show at the museum.

Parkway Gardens Residents move toward GED

7/20/2011, 11:21 AM

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Candice Collins

On April 26, 2011 Parkway Gardens Apartment implemented its first GED (General Education Development) program through Literacy Chicago. Jennifer Maddox, the resident service coordinator in Parkway Gardens has been a driving force behind the program. She was responsible for recruiting residents to participate in the program. NCP Woodlawn was very instrumental with this project by securing the funding from Woodlawn Children's Promise Community for the site.

One ultimate goal is to improve literacy through exceptional learning opportunities, thereby allowing students to enhance their knowledge and understanding, which will allow students to achieve not only academic success, but personal success.

This class was offered as part of WCPC's continued efforts provide quality programming aimed at assisting parents in the Woodlawn community with personal development.

The program serviced fifteen dedicated and committed adults ages 18-45. Students attend class every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00 to 4:00 pm.

Students are instructed in Reading, Writing, Math, Social Studies, Science, and the Constitution Test. Currently, 65% of the students have taken and passed the State Constitution Test after seven weeks of instruction. One of our goals for September 2011 is that all of our current students will return and 25% of them will take the GED Exam in December 2011.

Hyde Park Players Return to Experimental Station

5/17/2011, 2:58 PM

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Connie Spreen

It is time, once again, to join us at the Experimental Station for a civic act of cultural independence. Friday thru Sunday, May 20-22, the Hyde Park Community Players will be performing Picasso at the Lapin Agile, written by performer and comedian Steve Martin.

In Picasso, Martin imagines the possibilities of an evening where Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein happen to show up at the same bar. These visionary figures show the rest of us—some of you already know—what it is like to be extraordinary amongst the ordinary.

Picasso at the Lapin Agile by Steve Martin runs from May 20-22 at the following times:

Friday, May 20 at 7:30pm
Saturday, May 21 at 3:30pm and 7:30pm
Sunday, May 22 at 3:30pm.

Advance tickets are $10 and are available at 57th Street Bookstore and Chaturanga Fitness. Tickets at the door are $12, $10 for students and seniors. Experimental Station is located at 6100 S. Blackstone Avenue and is wheelchair accessible.

We look forward to seeing you there!

61st Market Opens for 2011 year

5/9/2011, 1:03 PM

Monday, May 9, 2011

Connie Spreen

Your 61st Street Farmers Market will be opening for its fourth season this Saturday, May 14, from 9am-2pm! We are very pleased to say that you will find the farmers and vendors that you have come to know and love, as well as some new ones. We do accept LINK and will continue to match LINK purchases up to $25 per card holder per market day, as long as funding lasts.

As always, the growth and success of the 61st Street Farmers Market will depend upon our much-appreciated and growing customer base. Not only do we want to ensure that you have the best meats, fruits, vegetables, bakery items, cheeses, etc. available in the region, we also need to ensure that our farmers and vendors have customers to purchase them, rain or shine. We ask you to tell your friends, family members, neighbors, colleagues, audiences, patients, students, employees—and anyone else you can think of—about all that the 61st Street Farmers Market has to offer them.

We look forward to another fun and food-filled season, and will be looking for you at the Market this Saturday and every Saturday until sometime late December!

Woodlawn Community Summit a Rousing Success

4/21/2011, 4:26 PM

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Arvin Strange

On Saturday March 26, 2011 the Woodlawn Neighbors Association, Kenwood Pointe Homeowners Association, and the South East Chicago Commission jointly sponsored the 2^nd annual Woodlawn Community Summit at the University of Chicago.

The meeting’s theme was “Building the Blueprint: One Block Club at a Time”.

The event drew a vibrant, diverse group of neighbors and proved to be an excellent venue to network, share ways of improving the community, while meeting and greeting neighbors.

The following roundtable topics relative to Woodlawn were discussed:

Education:

Chicago Public Schools and the Woodlawn Children’s Promise Community

Reducing Crime and Improving Safety in Your Community

Community Revitalization: Commercial and Residential Development

Urban Agriculture/Sustainability

Neighborhood Beautification

Faith-Based Community Support

Neighbors heard from the education community ways Woodlawn will substantially improve academic standards in the schools.

In the safety session neighbors heard plans and strategies to increase police presence in the community.

In the community revitalization breakout participants learned of new residential and commercial developments like Preservation of Affordable Housing development on Cottage Grove and their plans to build new mixed income housing.

In one session residents shared neighborhood beautification ideas while another session expounded on cutting edge urban agriculture ideas and techniques for the 21^st century.

In the faith-based community support session ministers and neighbors discussed how faith-based community partnerships will play an important role in the development of Woodlawn.

The event was an excellent opportunity for residents to express their views on a variety of issues.

Indeed the 2^nd Annual Woodlawn Summit was an inspiring display of neighborhood camaraderie.

Participants were pleasantly surprised at Woodlawn’s progress and strongly encouraged more planning and organizing efforts over the coming year.

To view clips from the event go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x_9NtE1HSw

Woodlawn's Blackstone Bikes Selected For Seattle's Best Brew-lanthropy Film

3/31/2011, 11:42 AM

Connie Spreen

We are very excited that Blackstone Bicycle Works, our bike shop and youth education program, was selected by Seattle's Best Coffee as the first recipient of its Brew-lanthropy initiative! What that means for us—besides drinking more coffee than we used to—is that three weeks ago, we spent the better part of a fun and fatiguing week with a crew of 8-40 filmmakers who filmed us at work and at play, and learned about what we do at Blackstone Bikes and about the neighborhood we live and work in. From that, director Matt Ogens and producer Kelly Christensen (Los Angeles) have created a beautiful and powerful 3.5 minute documentary film that was just released today. We invite you to take a look

here

Blackstone Bicycle Works is a youth education program of the Experimental Station. In the context of a full-service bike shop dedicated to promoting ecological practices and empowering youth, Blackstone teaches mechanical skills, job skills, and business literacy to boys and girls from the underserved Woodlawn neighborhood and Chicago's broader south side.

The Experimental Stationbelieves in creating programs, like Blackstone Bicycle Works, that are real and meaningful. We are also working hard to make our operation sustainable. We ask you to please consider donating to the Experimental Station. It is easy—just click on the

'Make A Donation' button on our website. Your

support truly makes a difference.

6l't St. farmers Market Expands Services and Education

2/28/2011, 3:22 PM

The 6I't Street Farmers Market is wrapping up its third year and has seen exciting new developments. Four new vendors, Tempel Farms Organics, Brown Sugar Bakery, and B'Gabs Goodies, joined the Market this year, expanding the variety of
local and healthy food available. The Market has also been busy bringing knowledge about healthyfoods to children and adults. As in the past, the Market
featured Chef Demos where area chefs cooked dishes using seasonal ingredients from the Market, and the Market School, which engaged kids and families in learning more about their food, where it comes from, and how to grow your own
food in a garden. Attendance and City Market LINK Pilot Program a Success
For the first time, LINK ("food stamps") beneficiaries are able to use their EBT cards at City-run farmers markets, and they shopped in record volumes.
The five markets that launched the service this summer brought in
nearly $30,000 in LINK sales, triple the total amount for the entire
state of lllinois in 2009. This pilot program, a partnership between the
Experimental Station and several City of Chicago departments, exceeded
expectations and was the most successful program of its kind in the
country.
The City of Chicago operates twenty farmers markets, but was not previously able to accept LINK cards. About 28 independent farmers markets also operate in the city, but sales also continued to grow this year. LINK card purchases are on target to reach $ 10,000 for the season, doubling from 2009. During the schoolyear, Market Manager Dennis Ryan travels to local schools with interactive games and activities to get students excited about eating healthy. This
year, the Healthy Farmers Market Eating Workshops visited hundreds
of children at Carnegie, Fiske, and Fermi Elementary Schools. High-schoolers can get involved with the South Shore Chef Apprenticeship Program, a partnership with the Careers. Through Culinary Arts Program. This semester, over 300 students applied for 30 positions in the ten week course. For three days per week, students meet after school for lectures and cooking practice. For adults looking to cook on a budget, the Experimental Station offers free cooking classes
that focus on local and seasonal produce and using the whole product to reduce waste. Weekly classes of 10 to 15 students allowed one-on-one learning from Chef Gabrielle Darvassy. The Market is also developing a program to foster healthy eating by working with local health professionals to prescribe fruits
and vegetables sold at our Market to patients with diet-related illnesses, drawing upon successful models piloted this past summer at two markets in Boston and Maine.

NCP Woodlawn Supporting Parkway Gardens

2/28/2011, 3:01 PM

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Ryan K. Priester

As Woodlawn grows in solidarity, NCP Woodlawn has increased its efforts to outreach families west of Cottage Grove Ave. Parkway Gardens, the largest section 8 project based housing in Woodlawn, has become a critical outreach point for NCP Woodlawn. Increasingly, NCP Woodlawn has become more involved with increasing the quality of life for Parkway Gardens’ residents. Initial outreach effort included addressing the needs of the residents during the increased financial strains caused by winter utility bills. Collaborating with the housing resource center at WECAN, CEDA/LIHEAP services were brought into the Parkway Gardens Community Room for three weeks.

Recently, NCP Woodlawn organizers coordinated with the Woodlawn Children’s Promise Community to transport Parkway Gardens youth from the complex to various cultural activities throughout the city. The latest venture was transportation to see a Black History Documentary entitled: “A War for Your Soul.” The documentary was held at Orr High School on Chicago’s West side. This video was created to inspire young at-risk African-Americans not to fall prey to some of the problems they face in society. The filmed gained fame on the internet for encapsulating in a tangible way the problems facing African-American youth. Officer Jennifer Maddox was able to gather almost 30 eight-grade students from Parkway Gardens to see the film.

NCP Woodlawn looks forward to continuing its support of the Parkway Gardens Community. An NCP sponsored nutrition class scheduled to start in Parkway Gardens on March 8, 2011. Completely free to residents, this program will offer 6 classes and cooking demonstrations in healthy eating, which upon completion will result in a certificate in Nutrition from the University of Illinois Extension that can be used for resume building and towards a food sanitation work. This program is collaboration between NCP Woodlawn, the University of Illinois Extension Program, and Lutheran Child and Family Services. The residents are provided free food from the food pantry at LCFS to create the meals that they have been taught in class.

For more information please contact NCP Woodlawn at 773-363-4300.

NCP Woodlawn rebuilding the Village, one neighbor at a time.

POAH honors Bishop Brazier at the opening of Woodlawn Park

2/28/2011, 12:29 PM

Monday, February 28, 2011

Maria Plati

Chicago community leaders and elected officials joined the leadership of the
national nonprofit, Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH,) to ‘raise-a-wall’ marking the construction of the first phase of Woodlawn Park, a development that will revitalize a long troubled neighborhood on the south side.

The project represents an innovative approach to urban revitalization that will create attractive housing for all income levels, a walkable streetscape, urban recreation opportunities for children and support services for residents including job training summer youth nutrition and safety programs.
Woodlawn Park also aligns with HUD Choice Neighborhoods initiative by linking housing improvements to appropriate services, schools, transit, stores and access to jobs. One block of the 504-unit Grove Parc Plaza development at 63rd and Cottage Grove Avenue has been demolished and construction has begun that will create 67 market rate and affordable transit oriented apartments along Cottage Grove Avenue. When complete, Woodlawn Park will include 420 residential units on the Grove Parc site and 65,000 square feet of retail and commercial space. The project will provide more than 100 full-time construction-related jobs during the four year development period, as well as creating permanent jobs in the neighborhood.
In addition, POAH will purchase and rehab approximately 300 existing apartments in the community as it reconfigures Grove Parc’s affordable housing, shifting the existing Section 8 subsidy in healthier configurations both on and off the current Grove Parc footprint. About 210 property based Section 8 units will be preserved on-site in addition to market rate and affordable units.
77 W. Washington Blvd., Suite 1005, Chicago, IL 60602, 312 283 0032, www.poah.org
“Today’s wall raising is a symbolic step towards the progress of this redevelopment,” said Amy Anthony, President of POAH. “There will be more phases to celebrate over the next few years which will ultimately produce a bustling community that embraces social and economic diversity for the entire neighborhood.”
There was a moment of reflection during the ceremony to honor the contributions of Bishop Arthur M. Brazier, who was critical to the planning and implementation of the project. Congressman Bobby L. Rush (1st CD), an ordained minister, delivered an invocation in memory of Bishop Brazier.
“There is no way that we can replace the gentle heart and boundless determination that Bishop Brazier brought to some of the most pressing challenges facing Chicago,” said Anthony. “With the passing of Bishop Brazier, this celebration takes on even greater meaning for us as he was an
early and consistent supporter of POAH’s efforts to revitalize Grove Parc Plaza Apartments.
“Our investment in Woodlawn Park is intended to create an environment that surrounds residents with the resources and support they need to maintain stable housing and to achieve their goals and aspirations,” said Anthony.
This neighborhood revitalization effort is made possible through key contributions from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), and the City of Chicago.
Highlights of the first phase of Woodlawn Center South:
• 67 new affordable and market rental units in Phase 1 with an eventual total of 420 mixedincome
units and 80,000 square feet of retail, youth center and community space
• All phases will be green and LEED-certified; Phase 1 will be LEED Gold and will
include solar thermal hot water system, extensive stormwater retention and landscaping
to replace paved lots
• Innovative urban revitalization approach, deconcentrating poverty on-site while
achieving full preservation of affordable units through reinvestment in distressed housing
stock in surrounding neighborhood;
• Community benefits include local hiring commitments, community and youth recreation spaces, new retail amenities, and new resources for community-wide investments POAH is an Illinois-incorporated, mission-driven housing nonprofit with offices in Chicago and Boston that specializes in the preservation of at-risk subsidized multifamily housing. POAH owns and operates more than 6,600 affordable housing units in nine states and the District

Woodlawn Mourns the Passing Of Bishop Arthur M. Brazier

10/27/2010, 12:52 PM

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

L. Lane

Bishop Arthur M. Brazier laid his hands on the community of Woodlawn. You would be hard pressed to find one complete block in Woodlawn that has not been touched by Bishop Brazier. Whether it be affordable housing that he enabled, a block club that he met with, a church that he prayed with, or a school that has more hope, Bishop Brazier's lifetime of service to the Woodlawn community in unparalleled.

In addition to the members of his church, The Apostolic Church of God, Bishop Brazier loved no one more than the perennial youth of Woodlawn. Bishop's hope for the children of Woodlawn is that they grow up feeling safe and have the opportunity for a well-rounded education. In his pursuit of this vision, that these children would live in a community of choice, Bishop was persistent and focused. Bishop practiced place-based community development from the time he helped to found The Woodlawn Organization until he relinquished the chairmanship of the Woodlawn Children's Promise Community in mid-October. While TWO and its development arm WCDC would grow to serve the greater south side, Bishop kept creating entities that could focus on another aspect of Woodlawn's development.

Bishop created the Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corporation to preserve the affordability of the Woodlawn Garden apartments and restart the building of market based homes in Woodlawn. The Fund for Community Redevelopment and Revitalization partnered on new home development and acquired vacant lots in Woodlawn for redevelopment. When one of his longstanding partners, the Local Initiative Support Corporation, developed its New Community Initiative as a new collaborative approach to community development, Bishop took stock of what had been achieved thus far and agreed to forge ahead with this new model of community change.

The New Communities Program-Woodlawn in its current formation is the beneficiary of Bishops thoughtful leadership. The Woodlawn community is highly organized and has strong, long-term leaders and could not move forward with just one lead organization as is the genesis of the NCP model. Bishop Brazier set a table where the long-term leaders and emerging leaders of Woodlawn could break bread every two weeks and develop strategies to address all of the emerging issues facing Woodlawn. Out of that fellowship has emerged a group of leaders who may disagree on approach, but have learned to work together for the common goals of the community. They (we) have learned to leverage resources and partnerships and the importance of relationships. Together they (we) have created some ground breaking initiatives, from the Music is MAGIC program to the Woodlawn Children's Promise Community.

The leaders of NCP-Woodlawn and the Woodlawn Children's Promise Community are committed to the vision that Bishop led us to see. They (we) understand why they (we) have been asked to a seat at this collective table. And they (we) are clear on what they (we) have been called to do. As their (our) humble leader and founder Bishop Arthur M. Brazier did for all of his life, serve the children and families of Woodlawn.

POAH, Alderman host meeting about neighborhood's future

10/20/2010, 3:54 PM

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) and 20th Ward Alderman Willie B. Cochran will host a meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 21, 2010 at First Presbyterian Church, 6400 S. Kimbark Ave., to discuss how they, and the City of Chicago, are trying to direct federal Choice Neighborhoods funds to the Woodlawn neighborhood.

The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative is a new federal grant program in which neighborhoods will compete for funds to support revitalization through education programs, job training and the construction of affordable housing and community buildings. For more information, call 312-283-0030. Click here to see an event flyer.

1000 Man March A Success

8/9/2010, 5:28 PM

Laura Elberly

An estimated 2000 Woodlawn residents, including more than 750 African-American men, joined hands with Mayor Daley, local elected officials and community leaders on a hot July Saturday to showcase a coordinated push for linking together community services and residents in need in Woodlawn.

Post March Rally

The 1000-man March, organized by the New Communities Program's NCP Woodlawn affiliate and the Woodlawn Children's Promise Community, which is bringing comprehensive programs to 10

Woodlawn schools

, focused on spotlighting community agencies and services and connecting with residents in need of assistance. More than 40 agencies, churches and community groups participated in the march, according to Terrance Miller, co-organizer of the march along with Ryan Priester of NCP Woodlawn and Joe Brown (a Woodlawn community advocate)

Mayor Daley stressed, “That everything is not negative in Woodlawn.There are good families, good churches.There are wonderful students right here in Woodlawn.This is an inspiration.I hope the press asks the people why the people march and what they are saying”.

Arvin Strange (NCP Woodlawn Program Director) noted that “the march was a powerful demonstration by the community to improve its quality of life and highlighted not only the issue of safety but the need to organize the community, improve schools, preserve affordable housing, create jobs, and reduce healthcare disparities in Woodlawn.”

Whole Foods Supports 61st Street Market

6/9/2010, 1:02 PM

C. Spreen

We are very excited to announce that Whole Foods Markets, with which we had partnered last fall to bring our farmers market to their door, has identified Experimental Station as a recipient of a Whole Foods 5% Day! This means that Experimental Station will receive 5% of Whole Foods' sales from a single day at five of their Chicago locations. Our 5% day is Wednesday June 23. We are hoping that you will help support Experimental Station by encouraging friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, and anyone else who eats to do their store shopping at one or more of the following Whole Foods locations on Wednesday June 23:

Halsted and Waveland, 3640 N. Halsted
South Loop, 1101 S. Canal (Roosevelt)
Lincoln Park, 1550 N Kingsbury
Lakeview, 3300 N. Ashland
Gold Coast, 30 W. Huron.

If you are not a Whole Foods shopper and would like to support Experimental Station activities, or if you would like to support the Experimental Station more directly, you may donate by visiting our website and clicking on the 'Make A Donation' button. If you would like to make sure that we get every single penny that you donate, please send a check payable to Experimental Station, to 6100 S. Blackstone Avenue, Chicago IL 60637. Don't forget to send us your address, so that we may thank you.

Please find attached to this email our Spring newsletter describing some of our most recent events and activities. As you can see, much is happening. And we are glad to have you be a part of it!

NCP Woodlawn Welcomes New Housing Development

5/26/2010, 4:40 PM

Woodlawn Center South is a 67-unit affordable housing development for low and moderate income families and individuals and is the first phase of the larger redevelopment of the existing Grove Parc Plaza, a distressed 504-unit Section 8 complex being demolished and rebuilt as a mixed-income community named Woodlawn Park. The developer and sponsor is Preservation of Affordable Housing Inc. (POAH), a national affordable housing nonprofit with a local office in Chicago.

Woodlawn Park will be an environmentally sustainable, transit-oriented development. About 40% of the existing project-based Section 8 subsidized units will be preserved onsite within a mixed-income, mixed-use community providing approximately 65,000 ft. of commercial and retail space in later phases.

The first phase, Woodlawn Center South, is located at the terminus of the CTA Green Line el, and will be a sustainable, transit-oriented development. It will consist of two LEED-rated 33-unit and 34-unit 3-story walkup buildings constructed mainly of brick masonry veneer on opposite sides of Cottage Grove Avenue between 62nd and 63rd Streets. Amenities will include private rear yards for all three-bedroom family nits, a tot lot play area, and extensive green building enhancements. POAH has also obtained funding for solar thermal hot water.

The plan for the site begins with the demolition

of eight existing, “project”-style buildings, all of which are vacant. Demolition began in early April with construction scheduled to begin in June.

Funding partners for the project include Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) including tax credits, stimulus funding and a loan from the State Low Income Housing Trust Fund, an equity investment from JPMorgan Capital, construction financing from JP Morgan Chase Bank, HOME funding from the City of Chicago and bridge loan funding from The Preservation Loan Fund administered by LISC.

The project has received the strong support of Alderman Willie B. Cochran (20th Ward), State Senators Kwame Raoul, Mattie Hunter and Jacqueline Collins, and State Representatives Will Burns and Ken Dunkin.

NCP Housing/WECAN Opens Doors For Section 8 Lottery

5/21/2010, 5:20 PM

The CHA Family Wait List Lottery will begin on June 14 and will be open through July 9, 2010.

The registration process is free and is simple.It is made increasingly more so by the assistance of NCP Woodlawn Housing/WECAN.40,000 families will be added to the CHA Family Wait List. In an ongoing effort to maintain affordable housing options for the Woodlawn community, WECAN will be opening its doors to Woodlawn residents to provide computer access and assistance from the WECAN Housing Resource Center staff.For more information please visit CHAwaitlist.org or call 311.To reach WECAN directly please call 773-288-3000.

NCP Woodlawn Organizes A March Against Violence

5/21/2010, 5:13 PM

Terrance Miller (photos by Lonnie Richardson)

CAPS, NCP Members, and Commander Flectcher of 003rd District

Woodlawn’s March against Violence

On Saturday May 1, 2010 men women and children assembled at Apostolic Church of God to march against violence in Woodlawn.

The driving forces behind this event were members of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the University of Chicago Office of Civic Engagement, CAPS (Ms. Faye Paterson) and the Woodlawn Public Safety Initiative (NCP Woodlawn).

The march kicked off with an inspirational prayer from Reverend Dr. Byron Brazier Pastor of Apostolic church. The prayer was followed by words of encouragement from Alderman Willie Cochran of the 20^th Ward,

Commander Fletcher of the 003 District Police Department and Mr. Rudy Nimocks of the University of Chicago’s Office of Civic-Engagement.

Jared White, a student at the University of Chicago made this a reality.

Jared rallied his Alpha brothers and they came out in big numbers to support this march.Marching to the cadence and chant of “stop the Violence save our children, stop the violence save our family” the marchers were the envy of neighborhood onlookers and supporters.The march was well organized and as the march proceeded many neighbors joined.The growing energy and camaraderie proved to be powerful and encouraging.

The marchers traveled west one block to 63^rd St^, and Kimbark, south to 62^nd,St.,and then proceeded west to Evans. At Evans the marchers went south to 63^rd and Evans. At 63^rd and Evans the marchers headed back east on 63^rd St.

In a surprise move the marchers stopped between Cottage Grove and Maryland a designated hot spot, where the marchers continued to chant, with a loud unified voice “stop the violence save our children, stop the violence save our family.”

The on lookers and local merchants stopped with amazement as the marchers showed a powerful show of support for peace in the community.The march concluded at Apostolic Church of God.

Woodlawn Youth Connect to Success: “Show Me Your Friends and I’ll show You Your future”

9/11/2009, 4:07 PM

Friday, September 11, 2009

On Friday, July 24, 2009 thirty boys from various parts of Woodlawn were temporarily escorted by Officer Charles O’Connor, Officer Smith and other police officers of the 3^rd district Police Department (not to jail) but to a part of Woodlawn that none of the boys had ever dreamed or considered— the University of Chicago campus.

The program known as the Chicago Youth Leadership Academy will encourage the young men to change their “mindset” with respect to their behavior.

The program was modeled after the Michigan Leadership Academy developed by Lieutenant Bowers. Several officers participated in this week long 24 hour program. The program is designed to establish a mentor relationship with each boy not just for the week but to establish a lifelong mentoring relationship.

For one week the Chicago Youth Leadership Academy provided a ratio of 6:1 boys to police officers. For that week the boys had no access to television, radio, cell phones, or beepers and could not make contact with anyone from their home or the “hood”.

For the first time many were exposed to an early 5:30 a.m. rise, daily calisthenics, fishing instruction, university gym facilities, a tour of the airport in Gary, Indiana with a Tuskegee Airman, as well as a surprise visit to Michael Jackson’s boyhood home in Gary, Indiana.

Slowly the young men not only adopted but understood the motto of the program, “show me your friends and I’ll show you your future”.. The University of Chicago provided regular dorms, fine food, great hospitality and an overall great summer experience.

A week later the graduation ceremony was held at New Beginnings Church with a host of dignitaries and sponsors from Preservation of Affordable Housing (P.O.A.H.), the University of Chicago, the Chicago Police Department, Woodlawn leaders and NCP Woodlawn.

Thirty young men were given certificates for completing the first Annual Chicago Youth Leadership Academy.More importantly, thirty young men emerged from this program confident, with new attitudes, a sense of accomplishment, and well equipped to be productive students and citizens.