Charting the Course for a New Way to Employ Youth

Every morning between 8:30 and 9:00 am—sometimes 9:05 if the 79 Bus is running behind schedule—thirteen high school students, clad in the brightest fluorescent yellow T-shirts to be found south of Roosevelt, trickle into the Greater Auburn Gresham Community Development Corporation’... more

MAPSCorps 2017 Cohort Preparing to Capture #DATA4GOOD

MAPCorps 2017, youth data scientists begin their first day of work for the Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation (GAGDC)! They are fully engaged in the training and making new friends. Heres looking to a great summer of capturing data for health of the community. Yes, they are a group of wo... more

Healthy Lifestyle Building Hub Coming To South Side

The Board of Directors of the Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation (GAGDC), which is a leadership team comprised of representatives from faith-based institutions, resident associations, developers, and community organizations, hosted a reception as the kick-off to an 18-month capitalcampai... more

Startups Get Help at Legal Clinic Brunch

The Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation (GAGDC) along with The Law Project and other developers hosted a Legal Community Clinic Brunch last week at Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church, located on 7545 S. Vincennes, to help small business owners set up their businesses appropriat... more

The Law Project Changes Its Name!

To our clients, volunteers, and friends: For more than 30 years, you have known us by different names - first as the Community Economic Development Law Project, and then as The Law Project. Today, we are excited to announce that our new name is the Community Law Project. Throughout the years, our... more

Youth Rally Blocks The 606 To Keep Anti-Gentrification Ordinance On Track

The march started on the steps of Humboldt Park Methodist Church, 2120 N. Mozart St., where youth leaders like Ashley Galvan Ramos, 18, gave impassioned speeches about how Logan Square "doesnt feel like home anymore" now that gentrification has taken hold. View Full Caption DNAinfo/Mina Bloom ... more

Residentes de zonas aledañas al sendero 606 se manifiestan para que protejan viviendas asequibles

Parents Pressure Mayor to Keep Schools Open with TIF Funds

Concerned parents and community leaders joined elected officials for a press conference on Tuesday morning inside City Hall to ask City Council and Mayor Rahm Emanuel support the TIF Surplus Ordinance to keep Chicago Public Schools open past June 1st. TIF funds can provide CPS schools with an esti... more

Fed Up With Gentrification, Latino Teens In Logan Fight Back With Festival

LOGAN SQUARE — Fed up with gentrification in Logan Square, a group of youth leaders organized XingonX, a cultural festival designed to showcase the contributions of Latino residents in the neighborhood — stories they say have been "erased" in recent years. "Were not going to allow deve... more

Piden cambios en la ordenanza 'Welcoming City' con una marcha durante el Domingo de Ramos

Press the photo to see the video Or: http://www.univision.com/chicago/wgbo/noticias/movimientos-sociales/piden-cambios-en-la-ordenanza-welcoming-city-con-una-marcha-durante-el-domingo-de-ramos-video

The TWE Team is Expanding

Morgan Malone, Quality of Life Program Manager Morgan Malone is a professional organizer, idea engineer, and dedicated Southside resident. Hailing from Old Dominion University, Morgan majored in Womens Studies and has since worked in positions across the civic landscape. She has formerly worked... more

Englewood Women's Intiative Kick Off

On Wednesday July 12th, 2017, the Englewood Womens Initiative hosted its kickoff at the Teamwork Englewood office. Despite of the torrential rain, we generated a great crowd that included potential applicants, Advisory Board members, sponsors, supporters, new advocates, the curious, and the media... more

City of Chicago "Thrive Zones" Helps Englewood Thrive

The City of Chicago announced the 51 recipients of Thrive Zone inaugural class. There will be nine Engleood businesses benefiting from the initative. All nine businesses were a part of the "Englewood Thrive Zone Collaborative". The Englewood Thrive Zone Collaborative is a gorup of independent ... more

Englewood Women's Initiative Provides Pathway to Stable Jobs and Careers

Women living in Englewood are eligible to participate in this FREE program. The initiative is sponsored by Chicago Foundation for Women and is presented by the Quality of Life Plan, Jobs and Ecponomic Development Task Force through Teamwork Englewood. Interested women can apply online and regis... more

Englewood Women's Initiative Provides Pathway to Stable Jobs and Careers

Women living in Englewood are eligible to participate in this FREE program. The initiative is sponsored by Chicago Foundation for Women and is presented by the Quality of Life Plan, Jobs and Ecponomic Development Task Force through Teamwork Englewood. Interested women can apply online and regis... more

WPC Announces Resignation of Executive Director

The Board of Directors for the Washington Park Consortium (WPC) announced today that executive director Brandon F. Johnson has resigned to pursue other opportunities. “I am tremendously proud of the strides Washington Park Consortium has made in support and technical assistance to Wa... more

Red Line South Reconstruction Project

Cermak-Chinatown to 95th/Dan Ryan • May 2013 – October 2013 CTA is rebuilding the south Red Line from just north of Cermak-Chinatown to 95th/Dan Ryan. The work will benefit Red Line riders for decades to come—through faster travel times, increased reliability, and spruced-up statio... more

The Crisis of Black Male Joblessness in Milwaukee: Trends, Explanations, and Policy Options

ABOUT THIS REPORT Since the late 1990s, issues surrounding race and employment have been a central research focus at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Economic Development (UWMCED). In a series of reports, the Center has analyzed racial disparities in employment in the Milwaukee regio... more

Alderman Pat Dowell Discusses Her Vote on on the Speed Zone Cameras and the Infrastructure Trust Ordinances

At the two most recent City Council meetings, I cast votes on two ordinances that will affect all residents of the city. I cast a no vote for the ordinance authorizing placement of speed cameras near schools and parks and voted in favor of the Chicago Infrastructure Trust ordinance. (See ordinance ... more

Alderman Willie Cochran Discusses His Vote on on the Speed Zone Cameras and the Infrastructure Trust Ordinances

Greetings to all: Over the last two weeks the City Council has had two matters, Speed Zone Cameras and The Infrastructure Trust that were voted on. These matters have been in discussion for approximately six (6) weeks. Over that period of time thorough discussion were had and questions and ... more

UIC Seeks Breast Cancer Research Study Volunteers

Tuesday, July 16, 2013 Wesley Walker Breast Cancer Survivors Move Forward Moving forward — that’s what researchers at the Institute for Health Research and Policy want to help African American breast cancer survivors do. Moving Forward is also the name of a community-based weight loss ... more

Woodlawn Health and Human Services Community Information Meeting

Tuesday, July 16, 2013 July 15, 2013 Please join the Network of Woodlawn, the Woodlawn Health and Human Services Consortium (WHHC) , and other Woodlawn health and human services providers for a discussion about Woodlawn’s health and human services. Secretary Michelle Saddler, Illinois De... more

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

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) … Th... more

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

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 violenc... more

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

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.... more

Claretian Associates is Looking for an AmeriCorp Vista

Member Duties : The VISTA will 1) research and assist with applications for private and public funding sources for housing and social programs. 2) Evaluate Claretian Associates existing programs and learn best housing practices in Chicago-area special needs housing. 3) Develop materials for tenant s... more

CeaseFire Rally Cries, "Save Our Funding"

Monday afternoon, Claretian Associates’ Ceasefire (Cure Violence) team participated in the rally at city hall to save Ceasefire funding. With $2.8 million in frozen funding, the South Chicago team demonstrates how essential the program is to the community. In a recent interview with a CeaseFir... more

Community Assessment for Early Childhood Services

Claretian Associates is partnering with Metropolitan Family Services and many other community organizations to develop an Early Childhood Network in support of AOK. AOK (All Our Kids) Network is a group of agencies that work with families with young children to make sure that families get the servi... more

Claretian Associates is Partnering with I Am We to South Chicago Youth!

Message from I Am We Executive Board Member, Latisha Thomas I Am We has partnered with Claretian Associates to offer visual and digital storytelling to youth living in South Chicago. We are excited about this endeavor to fill a gap where youth have limited access to art, literacy development, ment... more

Claretian Associates is Looking for a Youth Media Team!

Claretian Associates is searching for a few motivated local youth who are between the ages of 15-21 and would like to learn about film production, create press releases, write blogs, and create engaging social media content to feature on our website and social media platforms. These three youth wi... more

This website is an archive about LISC Chicago's Neighborhood Sports program, covering work from 2009 to 2011. Learn more about our current work at lisc-chicago.org

This website is an archive about LISC Chicagos Neighborhood Sports program, covering work from 2009 to 2011. Learn more about our current work at lisc-chicago.org

New Hoops in the Hood video

Monday, December 19, 2011 For the last several years, Tu Multimedia, through videos and audio slideshows, has been documenting Hoops in the Hood, the summer basketball program that LISC/Chicago supports in communities throughout the city. Heres the latest.....

Historic Gately Stadium Reopens
After Sweeping Renovation

Friday, November 11, 2011 Football players from eight public schools and South Side park districts that share decades-old Gately Stadium in Roseland gathered on Oct. 14 to celebrate a renovation that includes a new synthetic turf field, scoreboard, lighting and seating. They were joined just before ... more

Hoops in the Hood

Monday, December 19, 2011

From Learn and Earn to Slam and Jam

Friday, November 11, 2011 John McCarron “There’s no time to get in trouble.” If the Near North Unity Project needed a motto this summer, Shelby Tharpe surely nailed it. It was a sticky-hot Friday afternoon and the 13-year-old was conferring with his buddy, Leon Wilbut, near basketb... more

Help support WINGS Metro, domestic violence victims

WINGS Metro is slated to open on February 14, just a few shorts weeks away. They will be providing interim housing to those fleeing domestic violence situations. WINGS is still in need of items before the big opening and is asking the community for support. If you or someone you know is able to don... more

IMAN puts out proposal for Healthy Marketplace Campaign

IMAN is converting a local corner store and neighboring commercial space at 63rd and Racine into a Healthy Marketplace with two businesses. The two businesses will be a small scale grocery and an adjacent establishment aligned with the mission of providing healthy options for the consumer. Learn... more

Cutting Corners for Chanel and Cartier

Asha had worked a string of jobs ranging from admin assistant, to photographer, to pre-K art teacher. She’d taken some career courses at City Colleges. However, the opportunity to find a career path that provided both job satisfaction and the wage she needed as a single mother to support her ... more

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Charting the Course for a New Way to Employ Youth

Every morning between 8:30 and 9:00 am—sometimes 9:05 if the 79 Bus is running behind schedule—thirteen high school students, clad in the brightest fluorescent yellow T-shirts to be found south of Roosevelt, trickle into the Greater Auburn Gresham Community Development Corporation&rsquo... more

Over 100 Interns Participated at the Fourth Annual Financial Services Pipeline Intern Career Conference

In an effort to increase the representation of African Americans and Latinos within the financial services sector, the Financial Services Pipeline (FSP) Initiative brought together more than 100 interns at the fourth annual FSP Intern Career Conference on Thursday, July 13 at the Federal Reserve Ba... more

Construct Lights Way to Solar Careers

Watch this informative ComEd video about Construct’s new solar curriculum. As a part of ComEd’s commitment to creating a cleaner energy future, this year’s Construct participants studied new curriculum and received hands-on training specific to the expanding field of solar. Mo... more

Job Training Program Has Grads Excited About Their Future

Brandon Taylor isn’t looking for a job; he’s looking for a career. “I’m looking for a career to better myself,” he says. “I’m ready to take care of business.” Brandon is one of 95 recent graduates of the Construct program’s spring class, the... more

Auburn Gresham Gold Camp Begins!

GAGDC is proud to announce the start of the AG Gold Camp! For the next four weeks, kids in Auburn Gresham and surrounding communities join together to learn, explore, and have FUN! The camp not only focuses on retaining students’ growth in Math and Literacy during the summer months, it gives s... more

Englewood Speaks

Englewood Speaks is a series of storytelling events will be held in Englewood with teens, parents, the elderly and other local stakeholders. The first in the series will feature The Young Men of Englewood. These events are FREE! Saturday August 19, 2017 | 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Kusanya Cafe | 825 W... more

Celebrate Greater. Greater St John AMEC -130 Years of Service To Englewood

What does Ethel Payne "First Lady of The Black Press", Richard Hunt, "internationally acclaimed sculptor", Milton B. Olive III, "Vietnam War Hero" and the inaugural class of the Cook County Normal School also known today as "Chicago State University" have in common? The answer: Greater Saint John... more

Englewood At The Movies Presents: I Used To Love her

Fly and Faith Fridays at Greater Saint John AME Church... From Open Mic to Movie Night! Englewood At The Movies Presents: I Used To Love Her When: July 28, 2017 Where: Greater Saint John AME 6201 S. Throop Chicago, IL 60636 Time: 6pm-8pm Cost: $5.00 Online : https://englewoodatthemovies.eventbr... more

RAGE Takes Over Moran Park in the Name of Peace

Join us our 4th stop of the So Fresh Saturdays series at Moran Park - 5727 S. Racine Ave. from 2pm-6pm. We are taking over the parks in Englewood in the name of PEACE!! There will be FREE food, a resource fair, performances by some of the best artist in Chicago, raffles, giveaways, and more!! Ou... more

Englewood Girls Matter! Tea With A Queen Mentoring Conference

Greater Saint John AME Church’s Women’s Ministry Presents: 2017 Womens Ministry Inaugural Tea With A Queen Mentoring Conference Saturday July 29, 2017 10am-5pm ... more

June 2nd Registration Deadline Approaching for City Colleges of Chicago’s Summer 2017 Term

Chicagoans who want a quality, affordable education to prepare for further college or career can register now for the 2017 Summer Term at City Colleges of Chicago, the largest community college system in Illinois. One of the seven city colleges, Wright College has a location in Humboldt Park at 1645... more

Complete a Health Survey, Earn $40 Visa Giftcard

Researcher Kiarri Kershaw, PhD is conducting a survey on how women use their environment, available resources, and each other to choose the foods they eat. Access to healthy food is a public health issue, but previous research on whether or not improving access to healthy foods improves eating beha... more

Engaging community through conversation

Bickerdike welcomed 11 guests for dinner and discussion as part of an On The Table event on May 17, 2017. Held each year in May, On The Table is a special initiative of the Chicago Community Trust (CCT); it is designed to promote community building and the sharing of ideas among diverse groups as th... more

Team Hope

As an adult education instructor, many times my classes will present a “first time ever” experience to me. Sometimes it’s things like – first time I raised my voice, first time NO ONE was prepared for their presentation, etc. But with the Wood Products Manufacturing Class w... more

McTeacher’s Night at Western Ave. McDonald's for Roberto Clemente Community Academy

Roberto Clemente Community Academy of CPS held their first McTeacher’s Night at the McDonald’s on Western in Chicago, on Thursday, May 18. A McTeachers Night is organized to help raise money for local schools by having teachers work at McDonalds and then giving a percentage of the nights... more

Three more portals for Smart Communities

The three Southwest neighborhoods in Chicagos Smart Communities program launched their portals yesterday, creating a wide new avenue for interaction among residents, businesses and organizations.They are works in progress, with some empty spaces yet to fill, but already the portals offer new stories... more

Peirce on Daley

Syndicated state and local government columnist Neal Peirces recent summary of Mayor Daleys legacy on the Citistates site will seem fawning to Daleys critics. There is only a brief mention at the end about patronage and corruption, and no mention at all about the privatization controversies that hav... more

Preview: Humboldt Park Launches Its Portal

Its still a work in progress, according to the team that made it happen, but the Humboldt Park Portal, a day after its "soft" launch, looks pretty good to me. It features a nice selection of stories from various contributors and organizations, a packed calendar (Movies in the Park, Jens Jensen birth... more

Take a Tour of Pilsen - by Video or Phone

Weve written here before about how neighborhoods are using multimedia tools to promote their work and their neighborhoods, but couldnt have imagined, even six months ago, how far the groups would come, and how fast.Audio slideshows are now available for 10 neighborhoods as part of the Chicago Commun... more

Front-Yard Signs Call Out Banks on Foreclosures

Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) is "naming names" of banks that are foreclosing on properties on Chicagos Southwest Side, where 7,300 foreclosures have been filed over two years in four area ZIP Codes. The bank names are prominently featured on yard signs that say "Deutsch Bank (or Citibank or J... more

From Client to Facilitator

Casandra Caldwell in front of the Woodlawn Resource Center on South Cottage Grove Avenue. Photos by Gordon Walek On a recent Friday afternoon at the Woodlawn Resource Center, Casandra Caldwell had a difficult time walking directly from reception to a conference room at the rear of the building.... more

It's Officially Hoops in the Hood Season

Photos by Gordon Walek Summer is finally here, and the opportunities are endless. With a full decade of neighborhood impact, LISC Chicago and community partners are kicking off the 11th annual season of Hoops in the Hood, a sports-based initiative that creates safe spaces for youth to interact a... more

Bridges to Career Opportunities Graduates Start a New Chapter in Life

Brian Bunting received his National Institute for Metalworking Skills training through the Bridges to Career Opportunities program. Photos by Annie Grossinger To commit to reviving your finances or establishing a career takes perseverance and determination. It’s not a quick fix nor is it ... more

No Small Plans on the Southwest Side

Gordon Walek In 2005, at the start of the LISC Chicago New Communities Network, Auburn Gresham, Chicago Lawn and Englewood each created a community-led Quality-of-Life Plan to chart a course for their neighborhood’s future. Over the years, a lot has changed in these three Southwest Side ne... more

23rd Annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards Honor Top Community Projects

Maurice Jones, LISCs president and CEO, addresses a crowd of more than 1,500 people at the 23rd Annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards ceremony. Eric Young Smith More than 1,500 community developers, architects, business leaders, neighborhood advocates and elected officials gathered at ... more

Low Wage Workers Forum, TONIGHT 2/11, 6 p.m.

The surge of groups speaking today for low wage workers is unprecedented in Chicago. What do they want? Who are they? What’s likely to happen? Tonight – Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. these workers, the groups that represent them, and the community organizations and others that are standing behind... more

Students promote Martin Luther King’s values

Uplift High students participating in the Peace Ambassadors program will be honored Friday, January 17, 9:30 a.m., at 900 W. Wilson.

The Obama tour

Marking the fifth anniversary of Barack Obamas election as president, Forgotten Chicago is offering a tour of the Chicago sites from Obamas life in Chicago on November 10.

Ames parent mobilize

Ames Middle School parents will canvas the neighborhood Saturday morning to spread the word about community meetings at the school Tuesday at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Foreclosures and the black community

Author Laura Gottesdiener will discuss her new book, "A Dream Foreclosed: Black America and the Fight for a Place to Call Home," joined by activists from the Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign and Residents Association of Greater Englewood, on Wednesday, October 30, 6 p.m., at the Center for the Study o... more

Sanders campaign not able to top Clinton in S.C.

By JESSICA COLOPY & NICHOLAUS GARCIA Columbia S.C. ­­– Beverly King was one of the few who cast her vote for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in South Carolina’s Democratic Primary Feb. 27. King, who cast her ballot at Hand Middle School, said she’s supported Sanders since before his campaign officially... more

Clinton Wins Big in South Carolina

Nader Alghoul & Elaine Rojas-Castillo  With Super Tuesday looming, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won her first decisive victory in the 2016 presidential race Saturday. The landslide victory in South Carolina’s Democratic primary marks a turning point for Clinton, who lost handily eig... more

Bernie Sanders rally at Old Water Tower Place draws hundreds

  Bernie Sanders supporters totaling in the hundreds hosted a rally Saturday at Chicago’s Old Water Tower Place in support of the presidential candidate. Socialists Alternative, a national organization, organized the rally, which began Saturday afternoon at Daley Plaza. Carrying signs and... more

Postpartum Psychiatric Illness Remains a Lingering Challenge

Melanie Stokes was a wonderful woman: kind-hearted, and always smiling, said her mother Carol Blocker. “She was joyful, Blocker said. “The only thing she talked about was positive things. When Stokes became pregnant, everything in her life seemed to be in place. She was happy and eager to be a mothe... more

Health Officials Say Zika Unlikely to Spread Through Illinois

Despite reports of three Illinois cases of Zika virus, which is believed to cause birth defects in children, state health officials say the spread of the virus here is very unlikely. “The type of mosquito, Aedes aegypti, that carries Zika virus has rarely been found in Illinois, said Melaney Arnold,... more

Creating High-Functioning Nonprofits: Who Should Have What Financial Information? (Archived Webinar)

This 2016 webinar, provided by Nonprofit Quarterly and hosted by Hilda Polanco of Fiscal Management Associates, explains the relationship between strategic and financial planning and examines how sharing financial information and responsibilities across departments can lead to stronger, more sustain... more

2017 KIDS COUNT Data Book

Annie E. Casey Foundation has released its annual KIDS COUNT Data Book, which looks at child well-being in the United States. The new report features the latest data in multiple domains – overall child well-being, economic well-being, education, health, and family and community – rankin... more

Underwriting Efficiency

Integrating energy efficient features into new multifamily housing carries additional upfront development costs, but can save building owners substantial amounts on their energy and water bills once the projects are operational. A new guide from The Community Preservation Corporation describes how ... more

Making Neighborhoods Healthier

A spike in asthma-related ER visits one summer brought the connection between housing and health into stark relief for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. As Barbara Ray of the Build Healthy Places Network explains in Shelterforce, most of the children being treated lived in a multifamily apartmen... more

Creative Placemaking Resources to Get You Started or Grow Your Practice

Communities around the United States and the world are using arts and culture to physically revitalize blighted neighborhoods, bring back economic vitality and engage communities around a common vision. The effectiveness of arts- and culture-based strategies has been demonstrated time and again. Man... more

CAR Good Neighbor Awards

CAR Good Neighbor Awards Congratulations to Developer Karry Young! NSP buildings at 1337 S Central Park in N. Lawndale and 6447 S Yale in Englewood have won this award for 2015, which showcases groundbreaking redevelopment. click here for more detail. NSP buildings at 5520-30 S. Prairie Ave., ... more

New day dawns in Pullman

George Pullman had a couple of good reasons for building his railcar manufacturing plant and workers’ village on Chicago’s far South Side in 1881. One, land was cheaper there than near the city center. And, two, it was so far from downtown that his employees would be isolated from the &l... more

Homebuyer Fair Taps Instinct to Buy

They arrived, often two-by-two, like pilgrims to Mecca, drawn by the dream of homeownership to the soaring architecture of West Pullman’s Kroc Community Center on 119th Street. They came from Back of the Yards, Cicero, Chatham, Humboldt Park, and a handful of other neighborhoods, from one end ... more

In Logan Square and Hermosa, home buyers on the hunt

Vanessa Valentin and James Rudyk aren’t exactly salesmen – they’re respectively a community organizer and executive director for the Northwest Side Housing Center – but they recently demonstrated the art of persuasion while leading a trolley-full of potential home buyers thro... more

NSP: Where it's been, where it's going

Katie Ludwig discussing the Neighborhood Stabilization Program at a public meeting on Chicagos South Side. Gordon Walek Writer Bill Healy recently spoke with Katie Ludwig, an assistant commissioner dealing with foreclosure mitigation in the Chicago’s Department of Housing and Economic Deve... more

Street re-dedication for Nelson Mandela

West Siders are invited to a birthday celebration and tribute 10:30 a.m. July 18 to the South African leader. The event, which will be held at 4800 W. Chicago Ave., is sponsored by state Rep. La Shawn Ford, Westside Health Authority, CBC, West Side Historic Preservation Society, Institute for Nonvio... more

Bike ride for peace

Everyone is welcome Saturday, July 15 for a ride through Austin. Registration begins at 9 a.m. at 5100 W. Harrison Street, with bikers setting off at 10 a.m.

Free lunch Friday at Greater St. John Bible Church

All are welcome for outreach and fellowship on July 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1256 N. Waller Ave.

City awards several Austin businesses grants to improve their properties

The seven - all located along Chicago Avenue, the "Soul City Corridor" - are receiving more than $558,000 out of $5 million being distributed citywide under the new Retail Thrive Zone program.

Discuss how arts, culture can be elevated in Austin

Community development expert Valerie Leonard will be the guest speaker July 12 at Gone Again Travel & Tours, 5940 W. Chicago Ave., as residents continue to discuss how to use blues and soul to develop the West Side.

Measuring an Era

Demond Drummer wasn’t at all shocked to get such a heartfelt endorsement of the impact of what he teaches as the tech organizer at Teamwork Englewood. But how it was delivered was a bit of a surprise. One afternoon, while walking down the street in Englewood, one of his former students from a... more

Job Search 2.0

A hard-working student at Kennedy-King College in Englewood, Gabrielle Thompkins has turned to the Smart Communities program in a lot of ways. Help finding a job is just the most recent example. Thompkins is one of thousands of residents in the five Smart Communities who’ve taken computer tra... more

Report: Web Use Way Up in Smart Communities

Residents participating in LISC Chicagos Smart Communities program are using high-speed Internet more frequently, but greater access to affordable broadband at home remains an issue for at-risk communities, according to new research released by Broadband Illinois. The "Measuring Change in Internet ... more

Small, Smart and Ready

At Reciclarte Studio, Leticia Rodarte’s art gallery on Ashland Avenue, almost everything for sale is made from recycled materials, much of it by Rodarte herself. It’s a fun, funky kind of store—the type of place that brings in visitors from across Chicago to Pilsen. But Rodarte k... more

Lessons for Life

It’s yet another mercilessly hot July day in Chicago—the temperature hovers at 94 degrees outside—yet class is in session. More than a dozen local residents are sitting at computer workstations in Englewood’s FamilyNet Center at Kennedy-King College for a free, 90-minute co... more