On May 10, 2012, Gads Hill Center will host its 7^th annual fundraising gala at the beautiful Galleria Marchetti, on the near north side.  We hope you will join us as we celebrate another year of accomplishments for one of the oldest and most well-respected non-profits in the Chicagoland area.

This year, we will bestow our Corporate Partner Award on Baker & McKenzie Global Services.  Our Community Partner Award will go to 25^th Ward Alderman Danny Solis and his Office Staff.  Finally, we will recognize Gads Hill’s own outgoing CEO Barbara Castellán with the prestigious George W. Moss Founder’s Award.  Ms. Castellán has guided the agency to great heights in the 18 years of her professional career with Gads Hill.  These awards are given to those who have made a significant impact on our community.

For more information about our event, or to add a special accolade to this year’s honorees in our program book, contact Denise Stennis at dstennis@gadshillcenter.org
or call 312.226.0963, ext. 242.

With his solo debut, due for song-by-song release throughout 2012, Derek Fawcett presents a bold musical vision that goes well beyond both his own talents and art-making itself.

Mr. Fawcett is also pairing each song with a different Chicago charity. Fans may choose to contribute to Gads Hill by paying an additional dollar for the song. With this partnership, he hopes to bring greater awareness to Chicago’s many important social needs, the organizations that try to serve them every day, and the unique ability that artists have to promote and foster positive change in their communities.

For more information about the event, to order tickets online for the event, or to purchase the song, contact Megan Aebi, at 312.226.0963, ext. 242.

Gads Hill Center’s Building Leaders program is a full-time mentoring and advocacy program dedicated to serving students at Thomas P. Kelly High School on the Southwest Side of Chicago. By developing strong, nurturing, empathic relationships, Building Leaders strives to do just that: Build the Leaders of tomorrow. Each student we reach today will grow to be a vital member of our community tomorrow. We believe that’s how social change happens. We invite you to explore our site to see how our kids are making it happen right now.

Based at Thomas Kelly High School in the Brighton Park neighborhood, the mission of the Building Leaders Program is to promote school engagement by reintegrating disengaged youth into a culture of personal empowerment and academic achievement. Student participants meet with their mentors for one-on-one and group youth developmentopportunities. Additionally, the program coordinates monthly field trips to cultural institutions throughout Chicago and assists students in developing service projects in and around the neighborhood.

Mentors also serve as advocates for the youth in the community as well as within the school setting. We utilize the Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets framework to help build core strengths within and around our youth. Students who participate are expected to engage their community in a proactive fashion and work hard for positive change, both at the individual and societal levels.

Through empathic, empowering relationships, Building Leaders and Gads Hill strive to meet the varied needs of all its students and families, making them valuable resources in the community.

This week Gads Hill Center is raising awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco. As a part of this initiative, the Go Healthy Club, a part of Teen Connection, presented Gads Hill parents a slide presentation about the detrimental side effects of tobacco use.  Club members spoke about the benefits of a smoke free lifestyle and encourage parents to move beyond awareness into action.  “Gads Hill Center encourages youth and families to make healthy lifestyle choices,” commented Barbara Castellán, CEO of Gads Hill Center.

The parents were extremely supportive of the efforts of Go Healthy Club. The group also encourages the community through out reach efforts to be a part of the American Cancer Society’s Great America Smoke Out, a day in which everyone is challenged to stop smoking for just 24 hours.  The teens hope to inspire a some people to quit smoking altogether! Funding for this project was made possible by funds received from the Chicago and Illinois Departments of Public Health.

Gads Hill Center located on Chicago’s southwest side has earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) – the nation’s leading organization of early childhood professionals.

“We’re proud to have earned the mark of quality from NAEYC, and to be recognized for our commitment to reaching the highest professional standards for the children we serve,” said Barbara Castellan, Chief Executive Officer.  “NAEYC Accreditation lets families in our community know that our children are getting the best care and early learning experiences possible.” Gads Hill provides life enhancing developmental programs that focus on providing educational support to youth and their families.

To earn NAEYC Accreditation, Gads Hill Center went through an extensive self-study process, measuring the program and its services against the ten NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and more than 400 related Accreditation Criteria.  The program received NAEYC Accreditation after an on-site visit by NAEYC Assessors to ensure that the program meets each of the ten program standards.

In the 25 years since NAEYC Accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education.  More than 7,000 programs are currently accredited by NAEYC.  This represents approximately 8 percent of all preschools and other early childhood programs.  “The NAEYC Accreditation system raises the bar for child care centers and other early childhood programs,” said Jerlean E. Daniel, Ph.D, executive director of NAEYC. “Having earned NAEYC Accreditation is a sign that Gads Hill Center is a leader in the national effort to invest in high-quality early childhood education.”

With locations already in Pilsen, North Lawndale, and within Brighton Park’s Kelly High School, the new site in Brighton Park will provide their Prevention Initiative, Early Head Start, and Head Start programs which encompass (prenatal-5) home visiting, (0-3) Family Child Care Homes and the newly established Head Start Partner network program options.

Located at 4236 S. Archer Ave., Gads Hill’s fourth office provides prenatal services for pregnant moms and early childhood development services for children from birth to 5 years old.  The facility will also house staff from our Head Start partnership network to support and assist private child care centers in their ability to offer high quality Head Start programs.  Additional space will be made available to conduct meetings, including the socialization component of Head Start.

“As one of very few prenatal and Early Head Start home visiting programs in the city, Gads Hill is pleased to establish a greater physical presence in Brighton Park to benefit Chicago’s southwest side neighbors,” stated CEO Barbara Castellan.

Gads Hill Center is thrilled to announce the development of the Young Professionals Committee. The Young Professionals Committee is a dynamic group of volunteers from a diverse range of professional backgrounds who give of their time and resources to help Gads Hill Center. Members will organize and lead activities associated with raising funds and engage in activities with those we serve. This is a wonderful opportunity for dedicated young professionals in Chicago to learn about the benefits of serving a non-profit organization, while developing relationships that will expand their resource network.

What Should You Know?

• The Young Professional Committee will meet every other month or as scheduled by their leadership. The committee will have access to the advice and support of Gads Hill Center staff.
• The chair of the committee will serve on the Resource Development Committee of Gads Hill Center’s Board of Directors.
• The Young Professionals will host one major event each year during the early fall. Members will also help Gads Hill Center reach its fundraising goals by joining in other Board of Directors activities and developing other creative fundraising initiatives.
• Members will be instrumental in applying their knowledge to the enhancement of our existing programs. Participation in programmatic initiatives will allow members to become involved in activities at Gads Hill Center. These activities could include chaperoning field trips, speaking with youth regarding career opportunities, or serving as a mentor.
• Young Professionals are asked to contribute $500 during the fiscal year through any combination of giving or getting by way of donations, ticket sales, etc.

What’s In It for You?

• Young Professionals membership will be recognized at all fundraisers and related publications, including the annual report and newsletter, which is sent to more than 1500 Chicago area individuals, corporations, foundations, and organizations.
• The Young Professionals Committee is a wonderful opportunity to take on a leadership role in the community, network with other professionals, and make an impact on Chicago’s children, youth, adults and families.
• Members will be able to expand on skills that they may not have the opportunity to develop at their jobs. They will gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to run a successful organization.
• The benefits of serving a non-profit organization in the capacity of a Young Professionals Committee are well documented, particularly for young professionals.

How Do You Join?

• Join Gads Hill Center at a networking reception at Revolution Brewery on Tuesday October 11 from 6-8pm.
• Checkout the Gads Hill Center website and ‘like’ Gads Hill Center facebook page.
• Join the committee for the first meeting on Tuesday, October 25th from 6-8pm at the center.
• Contact Megan Aebi, Gads Hill Center Development Associate, at 312.226.0963 ext. 242 or by email at maebi@gadshillcenter.org with any questions.