Who is your computer science hero? Jorge Garcia, Program Manager at CLX shares his stories about the spaces and people who have shaped his trajectory and how he hopes to inspire others in their own computer science journey.
Who was Brother Mike? Mike Hawkins, better known as Brother Mike, was a Chicago-based poet, activist, digital media educator, revolutionary…
Connected Mentor Award will provide a $5,000 reward in honor of Brother Mike Hawkins Supported by SocialWorks CHICAGO — Happy…
Grab a few pennies and nickels from the jar and saltwater from the kitchen. You now have the necessary ingredients to create a battery in a pinch. Will it be enough to power light in an emergency? You might need to start saving up now. This summer CLX’s Illuminating Energy Pathways programs served 10 Chicago students through two summer Learn and Earn programs focused on building energy career exposure for Black and LatinX youth. The programs offered students two curriculum tracks to choose from. The first was Empowering Opportunities, a program focused on preparing students for overhead linework (SOC: 49-9051). Although for this career pathway, a direct path to Dawson Technical Institute exists, many students aren’t aware or have barriers to entry. With support from the Illinois Science & Energy Innovation Foundation (ISEIF), CLX’s program provides a bridge to increase exposure and break down barriers for Chicago youth and the institutions that serve them.
To every individual who has ever been a part of the Chicago Learning Exchange, through its many iterations throughout the years, I am most excited in my new role to get to know each of you, to share our collective dreams, and work to enact a more just and equitable future.
James Baldwin once stated, “The paradox of education is precisely this - that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated. ” The civil uprisings of 2020 ignited the consciousness of many. Last spring the Anti-Racist, Urban Initiatives, and CLX launched an Anti-Oppression Community of Practice (CoP). This CoP offered space, time, and tools to reflect on personal and organizational anti-racist and anti-oppression journeys for Chicago’s youth development community.
Roots are foundational to plants. Although often unseen to the naked eye, we know they are essential for growth, resilience, and overall health. At the Chicago Learning Exchange (CLX), one of CLX’s research based-beliefs is that learning is relational. High-quality learning and work emphasize the importance of positive relationships for youth development. See Search Institute’s research on the importance of developmental relationships in youth success linked here. Similar to plants, learners need strong roots and support from their peers and mentors to overcome challenges and to grow.
In March of 2020, we could not have imagined what lay ahead. A year marked by political unrest, grief, and…
Project Exploration is one of our flagship partners for Remake Learning Days CHI, and we talked to Janeicia (Neicy) Williams…
Please introduce yourself and share a bit about your background: what made you want to get involved in the education…
Network Connections Influence Digital Equity in Chicago Communities The Chicago Learning Exchange facilitates the sharing of information between organizations…
Can you introduce yourself and share a little bit about your background? My name is Bri, and I'm the executive…
Imagine a world where anti-racism and anti-oppression were instilled in every person and organization. On March 18, 2021, the Chicago…
For the past year, the education landscape has been wholly centered around technology and virtual learning. While some are realizing…
Taking up the mantra, “You can’t be what you can’t see,” Syda and Amaris organized a citywide STEM Fair alongside national partners, showing young Black and brown students that they belong in the STEM field.
Transitioning to Zoom. Increasing programming from monthly to weekly. Getting COVID-19. Crowdsourcing and sharing digital divide and engagement resources. Creating…
What happens when you have a room full of outstanding out-of-school time mentors? Something energetic and influential happens when advocates…
Although there have been enormous challenges in learning due to COVID-19, the often untold story is all that is good…
I figured I could kill a whole flock of birds with one stone: by attending CLX meetings, I could network, learn, potentially get a grant AND force my dissertation chair to look at my research more! Oh, glorious, multitasking day!
Connected Mentor Award will provide a $5,000 reward in honor of Brother Mike Hawkins Supported by SocialWorks CHICAGO — Chicago…
Who was Brother Mike? Mike Hawkins, better known as Brother Mike, was a Chicago-based poet, activist, digital media educator, revolutionary…
To celebrate CLX's 10th Anniversary, we are seeking stories of CLX funded projects and individual member stories. Please complete the short forms below to share your CLX funded projects and individual member stories. We will take stories on a rolling basis until the end of October 2020.
Since CLX members are long-time digital learning leaders, we knew we needed to create space and activities to tap into their expertise. Therefore, we collaboratively created resources that help to answer questions in regards to closing the digital divide and increasing youth engagement in digital programming...
The pandemic has changed the way we interact for the foreseeable future. We asked the CLX community, what does learning look like at this moment?
In 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. The Westside of Chicago, like other parts of the nation, experienced riots…
Before there was the Chicago Learning Exchange or even the Hive Chicago Learning Network, the John D. & Catherine T…
Thank you for attending our June Meetup with special guest Sybil M. Madison, Ph.D., Deputy Mayor for Education and Human Services! The importance of connection is more evident than ever. Check out this article for a recap of our June Virtual Meetup.
To look back on the rich history of Hive Chicago, which evolved into the Chicago Learning Exchange, we called upon Sam Dyson, who has been a leader in reimagining learning over the past decade in Chicago and beyond.
Collaboration, connection, and community. These are the hallmarks of the new Master of Arts (MA) degree in Civic Media at Columbia College, in which graduate students merge activism with media practice. Students are expected to design, implement, and assess project-based solutions that address real community needs.
Across the nation, people are in the streets marching and invoking their names, seizing this moment for change. Whether we are with them raising our voices in public or working for justice behind the scenes, we are really fighting for more equitable opportunities and for the dignity of Black lives.