St. Francis Neighborhood Center’s Post

Did you know? Last year, YOUmedia welcomed 24,000+ visits to its teens-only Library spaces. Because of donors like you, our Chicago Public Library can invest in unique environments where teens can: ✅ Pursue artistic interests ✅Experiment with technology ✅Hang out with friends ✅Be themselves Read more about the lives you’re transforming in our 2023 Impact Report: https://lnkd.in/dbrKAP4

The teen room at your library was once the afterschool hang-out spot. Now, it's empty most days. What can you do to bring the teens back? If you know me, you know that I will tell you not to spend any money before you speak to teens in the community about what your library would like to do and get their input. What's next? LEC's co-creation framework supports youth-serving organizations, including libraries, zoos, and museums! ➡ Need help? ➡ Reach out for a 30-minute chat!

"See it. Build it. Know it." That's the motto of The Salvadori Center, one of the organizations we partner with to engage and inspire kids to become the next generation of builders. Read more in our latest issue of STOBG Insights. #STOBGInsights #SalvadoriCenter https://ow.ly/fhnO50PVJiJ

Did you have a #GivingTuesday goal? What did you do? My approach? Impact. Tell me a story. Why do you matter? The comms team at my new job (2 months yesterday and I still quietly squeal with excitement each day!) asked me what social media post I wanted for #GivingTuesday. "Impact. Impact only. NO GIVING LINK. NO hashtags!" I definitely had mixed feelings about this. #BlackFriday apparently has a huge following (never a thing for me), and I'm thrilled #SmallBusinessSaturday has snowballed recently. I see both sides of the coin, but I just don't want to be lumped into consumerism, event the good kind that supports local families and local business. As much as we work tirelessly and tiredly to build a "culture of philanthropy" or more aptly-named "a celebration of generosity," I get the sense that #GivingTuesday has already missed its chance to become a trend. I'm not sure whether to attribute it to timing (too closely attached to consumerism after all the dollars have been spent - maybe hold it on the Tuesday before Halloween?) or that there's already online campaign fatigue with a myriad of online crowdfunding giving days. I spent my time creating finely-tuned personal messaging (and building SQL queries) for our end of year campaign instead of trying to come up with messaging for Giving Tuesday. My public library has been around since 1889 (ironically the first in the country to have a website) and it only started fundraising ten years ago. I don't want our patrons/donors to become jaded and feel like they're in yet another nameless fundraising cycle. (Many of our patrons/donors are alumni of a university with a large, finely-tuned, expert advancement team! I admit I tuned out those messages, even though I knew the senders personally.) What do you think about #GivingTuesday? Here's what my library did: https://lnkd.in/gKV4nJ6Q

It has always been my dream to open a cafe that will give children a space to get lost in an imaginative world and explore it to the fullest. Well, not entirely, but to some extent, I am living my dream. We held a Special Story Session on 31st October, that is, on Halloween Day. Children commenced this session, followed by the adults. I was thrilled. Although, it wasn't a massive crowd and mostly our known people attended the event. However, I was overwhelmed because the participation was so warm, and it encouraged me to hold another event, but this time, it was solely for the children. Cafe Golpobari will be organizing a Book Club Fight, where children will come, and in a three-minute session, children will talk about their favorite storybook. Why is it their favorite? What they have learned from it? They will answer all these questions and, in the end, answer the questions from the judges. It will benefit them in the following ways: a) Children will gain the courage to face the stage. b) They will learn to face the interviewers, which they will have to face in the future, and that too, several times. c) It will enhance their creativity and presence of mind. d) They will gain more grasp over the language they will use to deliver the speech. e) Finally, it will encourage them to read more storybooks. So, what do you think about it? If you like the idea, tell everyone around you to attend the Cafe Golpobari Book Club Fight on 14th November. Ask the children to enroll now because it is a now-or-never opportunity for them!

Concerned about raising your teens? Check out this short (1:30) clip (first in a series) on raising your teens and learn about our interactive, 8-part series. Tap here https://shorturl.at/iyW07 for details and sign-up info.

The much-anticipated big Ganesha festival is just around the corner, and the atmosphere is already brimming with excitement and enthusiasm for the forthcoming 10-day celebration. Street collections have commenced, and I can't help but recall how I used to resent the young boys going around collecting funds to host the idol in every nook and Corner.  However, my perspective has undergone a remarkable transformation from disdain to admiration and appreciation. In our own street, a group of young boys aged between 10 to 17 years came together with a shared goal – to host the Ganesha idol in our street I was truly astounded when I witnessed the monumental structure they constructed, utilizing borrowed materials such as bamboo and repurposing waste cloth as rope for tying knots. What's even more impressive is that these boys hail from lower-middle-class backgrounds and are typically either dropouts or average students. Yet, their entrepreneurial skills are nothing short of extraordinary. They meticulously arranged all the essential components, including obtaining police approval, securing a truck for immersion, and even hiring a band party. They successfully pooled a substantial amount of funds to make this 10-day event a reality. This leads to a profound question: Are we fostering the right educational system? These boys, who may not have excelled in traditional academics, have demonstrated incredible creativity and resourcefulness. I can't help but wonder if some of the brightest students, especially from privileged backgrounds, would have been able to create such an impressive structure without relying on hired labor and expensive materials. With the introduction of the New Education Policy in 2023, one can only hope that it takes into account this dimension. Perhaps it's time to shift our focus away from inundating students with countless textbooks and exams and instead nurture their practical and innovative capabilities. These boys from our neighborhood serve as a remarkable testament to the untapped potential that lies within our education system's evolution. #EducationReform #Innovation #GaneshaFestival

Interested in applying for our 2024 Mighty Big Grant? Check out this Q&A with Humanity & Inclusion, our 2019 Mighty Big Grant winner. While there were countless other deserving organizations, HI’s application was a masterclass in storytelling. It should be reprinted in grant writing textbooks. Read how they elevated themselves to the top of over 500 applications to win our first-ever grant for $25,000: https://hubs.la/Q02rlnSk0

Simple. Easy. Effective. All it comes down to.