Kids

Two weeks after gang murders, a reason for youth to dance in Rogers Park

By Bob Spoerl They jived and dipped and grooved and spun and yelled and swayed and made the wind at times seem a step behind. The “they” are creative dancers living and performing in Rogers Park. One night after the Grammy's, a group of young dancers from the neighborhood known as 808s -- the name is an ode to loud hip hop music, 808 being the penal code for noise violation -- teamed up with a professional dance company from the far North Side, Phoenix Rising, to produce a dance show called "Lover's Lane." It was only several weeks after two young men were shot and killed near Howard Street in Rogers Park.
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Posted on February 17, 2012

Tickets Available for Monday’s 808s “Lovers Lane” Performance

Come join 808s Youth Empowerment Thru Dance as they join the new Rogers Park based dance group, Phoenix Rising Chicago, for their first collaborative show. All proceeds benefit the 808s 808syouthdance.org You can see great dance and contribute to a great up and coming cause. Monday, February 13, 2012 Wyllie B. White Field House 1610 W. Howard Doors open 6:30PM .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Check this site to learn about ticket information, or join 808s email list by emailing “808syouthdance@rogerspark.com” to be notified once we start making advanced tickets available. Check out the video invite created by the 808s.

Posted on February 08, 2012

BizArts Canned Food Drive for 2011 Completed

Canned goods contributed throughout the year at meetings of the Rogers Park Business & Artist Network (RP BizArts) found their home today, as they were delivered to Little People’s Day Care, which is completing its Food and Toy Drive to benefit Housing Opportunities for Women (HOW).
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Posted on December 19, 2011

Willye B. White Youth Prevail in City Wide Tumbling Competition

On Saturday, December 3rd, a newly formed tumbling team consisting of youngsters aged 8 - 10 representing the Willye B. White Center placed first overall in the City of Chicago Tumbling Competition, conducted at the Broadway Armory. Four of the tumblers on the WBW team, coached by Stephan Fouche and Sherman Bryant, scored highly in individual competition: Micah Hightower (1st), Nishawn Madden (1st), Daesoni Mills (2nd) and Clarence Walker (3rd). All four of the aforementioned youth participated on the Willye B. White football team, in the City's Junior Bears Program. That team completed in a post season bowl game, finishing the season with a 4-3 record.
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Posted on December 07, 2011

808s: Youth Empowerment Thru Dance - Holiday Show

808s:Youth Empowerment thru Dance was created in July, 2011 by four young adults, age 19 -22, all residents of the North of Howard neighborhood, who wanted to create a safe refuge for local teens who otherwise had nothing to do. Rehearsals started on 7/23/11, with their Inaugural Performance on 8/25/11. Over 250 people attended. The November 30 Holiday Show will be 808s:YETD's 2nd major performance, and it will represent the launch of "808s Kids" - children aged 7-12. Come see their 1/2 hour performance. Doors open 6:15; Performance at 7:00.
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Posted on November 25, 2011

Spotlight - Little People Day Care & Kindergarten

Welcome to our newest advertiser. Check out all the wonderful things they have been doing in the neighborhood since 1979
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Posted on November 21, 2011

New Advertiser - Flatts and Sharpe Music Company

Flatts and Sharpe Music Company is a small town music store that somehow ended up in a big city. With our small town charm, affordable prices, and a friendly community of staff and musicians, Flatts and Sharpe music store is here to help with every aspect of a musician’s life. We leap at the opportunity to help the beginner of beginners become acquainted with the world of musical instruments. Questions are answered often before they are asked, so that new learners and parents feel right at home and comfortable with their new purchase. Learn more about Flatts and Sharpe here...

Posted on October 27, 2011

Kegs for Kids: Drink Craft Beer to Help Kids Read Good

The annual Kegs for Kids benefit for Edgewater's Helen C. Pierce Elementary is coming up on Saturday. The craft beer tasting festival has grown out of its previous location at Metropolis Coffee, and this year's event will be at Loyola University's Mundelein Auditorium. Read the whole post on Chicagoist here>>

Posted on October 04, 2011

Help Family Matters’ Teen Girls get $9000 Grant

Family Matters' Teen Girls Programs have the opportunity to be awarded a $9000 grant from the Women’s Sports Foundation. There are four organizations competing for this grant and the one that gets the most votes wins! Please vote for our video! The grant would be used to support the girls in our community in establishing an active and healthy lifestyle through our teen-led FEEL Fit Initiative. Please vote daily and encourage everyone you know to do the same – via email, Facebook, Twitter or any other methods you utilize to communicate with family and friends. Voting ends at 11:59 EST, Wednesday, August 31, 2011.
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Posted on August 26, 2011

808’s Youth Empowerment thru Dance to Perform on Thursday, Aug 25th

By Dominique Johns, for rogerspark.com Three highly skilled dancers, all young Rogers Park residents in their early 20s, a youth leader, and a theatrical and talented young lady joined forces this summer, out of a mutual concern over gullable at risk youth in the North of Howard community of Rogers Park. Only five short weeks ago we created 808's: Youth Empowerment through Dance. Our vision: to create a refuge for the youth that helps empower, motivate, inspire, and build hope; to help young teens be more in control of their own minds.
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Posted on August 23, 2011

Check out Mary’s Bao’s and Neil Lifton’s latest Video

Posted on June 29, 2011

Join “Team Bud” at Family Matters Walk-A-Thon, This Saturday

Read about Bud and The Walk-A-Thon here>>

Posted on May 19, 2011

Charter school union fight heats up

Clergy, labor groups draw parallels to Wisconsin by Linda Lutton Mar. 18, 2011 Tensions are heating up at a North Side charter school where teachers have formed a union. About two-thirds of the teachers and staff at the Chicago Math and Science Academy signed union cards last school...Read the entire report @ WBEZ

Posted on March 18, 2011

Eclipse the Violence

Family Matters’ Young Men’s Programs BOND (Brothers of New Directions) and BOM (Brothers on the Move) Present A multi-media performance featuring drumming, original music, and a slide show expressing the young men’s insights into the impact of violence in their lives and the world. Artwork by the young of the BOND/BOM will be on display.
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Posted on December 14, 2010

Greenleaf Art Center - Fall Classes Begin Oct 18th

Greenleaf Art Center is located in Rogers Park one block west of Clark on Greenleaf Avenue. It is conveniently near the Rogers Park Metra train stop, and is easily accesible via the #22 Clark Street bus. Plus, the Art Center has plenty of free parking. Greenleaf Art Center provides studio and exhibition space for over forty area artists and is home to five business enterprises. Since its inception in 1990 by Kathie and Denis Paluch, it has grown to become a vibrant part of the Rogers Park arts community. The center hosts a variety of exhibitions, open studio events, art salons and creative workshops throughout the year as well as art classes for both children and adults.
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Posted on August 20, 2010

New Trier teens tutor at Family Matters

On most summer days, 15-year-old Olivia Loucks practices diving or helps out in her mother’s north suburban gallery. But for two mornings a week the Winnetka teenager and five friends make the trek into the Rogers Park neighborhood in Chicago to tutor elementary school children. Chicago Tribune article here

Posted on August 05, 2010

First time ever… FLATTS & SHARPE SUMMER MUSIC SESSION!

Now that school is out and summer is here, are you wondering about how you are going to keep your darling, demanding kids busy? Send them to us! We have created an exciting new music program that builds on the camaraderie and spirit the students experienced during our spring recital. This class is designed for children with basic guitar skills in grammer school and high school.
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Posted on June 18, 2010

Eclipse the Violence Spoken Word Showcase & Blacks for Green Art Exibition

Eclipse the Violence event is a spoken word showcase as well as an art exhibition that will feature young men and teenagers from Family Matter's Programs. MAy 21st 6:00 - 7:30 at No Exit
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Posted on May 20, 2010

Spring Thing 2010 @ Greenleaf Art Center

2010 Group show and open studio event. Friday May 21st, 6:00 - 10:00 PM
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Posted on May 17, 2010

Still Life With Iris - Opens April 17th

Still Life with Iris is a fantastical adventure which centers on a little girl's search for the simplest of things; home. Iris lives with her mom in the magical land of Nocturno, a place where the workers make, by night, all of the things we see in the world by day. In Nocturno memories do not reside in people's minds, but in their coats, which they call "Pastcoats". The rulers of Nocturno, the Great Goods, are determined to have the "best" of everything on their island and therefore take Iris away from her home and bring her to Great Island to be their daughter. To ease the pain of being separated from her home they remove her Pastcoat leaving her with no memory of her home or family. All that remains of Iris is a single button from her coat. Using this button as a clue, Iris joins with two friends she meets on her adventure-Annabel Lee (a young girl of the sea) and Mozart (the composer, at age 11)-and frees herself from the Great Goods. She finally finds her way back to Nocturno, having found her past, and her home, once again. Still Life with Iris is the first play for young audiences to receive the Kennedy Center's Fund for New American Plays Award.
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Posted on April 16, 2010