Student success is inseparable from family learning. When the adults in their lives have access to education, resources, and community, students show up stronger—academically, socially, and emotionally. Our Community Hub model is grounded in the belief that everyone is a learner. By providing our Distinctive Schools families with more access and connection points to learning opportunities—from self-defense classes to personal finance workshops—they can continue navigating a complex world with confidence and curiosity.
Literacy Comes in Different Forms
Literacy is having the tools to navigate, communicate, and thrive in the world around us.
Through a partnership with City Colleges of Chicago (CCC), adult learners enhance their English and communication skills through free classes hosted on select Distinctive Schools campuses. By bringing the classroom to the community, we are able to remove traditional barriers like cost and travel, meeting parents in a space where they already feel a sense of belonging. Classes are a core part of CCC’s college and career readiness pathway, moving parents through various levels of instruction—from foundational to advanced college-level. Beyond the classroom, this partnership opens doors to free tutoring, bridge programming for job credentials, and even scholarships to help fund future degrees.
Communication is one piece of the puzzle, and financial literacy is just as important, especially for long-term family stability. That’s why last year, the CICS Loomis-Longwood campus launched workshops around tax season that focus on investments and savings. Led by a parent expert from the finance industry, these sessions provide families with practical strategies for investment and savings. By learning how to make their money work for them, our parents are gaining access to resources. Whether through language or financial planning, we are helping our families navigate the systems around them to build a brighter future.
Wellness as an Educational Journey
Personal well-being is a vital form of education designed to equip parents with the knowledge and resources they need to lead healthy, secure lives.
CICS Prairie works regularly with partners like Metropolitan Family Services and Roseland Hospital to provide health screeners and workshops for parents. One of their recent workshops centered around domestic violence awareness. Parents engaged in hands-on learning that built situational awareness. Participants learned different signs of domestic violence and what resources were available to them before practicing tangible techniques toward identifying domestic abuse and discussed in small groups how they could safely approach the situation. By providing this education in a safe, collaborative environment, we are helping families feel informed and able to help.
Growth Through Shared Experience
As part of our commitment to building a thriving culture, we aim to provide support that is accessible, relevant, and consistent. The YOU Parent program offers year-round online workshops designed to meet families exactly where they are. Currently active at CICS West Belden, CICS Bucktown, and CICS Loomis-Longwood, this program provides a safe, virtual space for families to gain new skills while learning from each other’s lived experiences.
From navigating social media safely and providing homework help to mastering effective communication and positive reinforcement, these workshops equip parents with the tools to best support their students' growth. YOU Parent ties directly into the school environment through sports and clubs, serving as a vital resource for our staff as well. By learning alongside our families, our teams can gain deeper insights into how to better assist students with both their social-emotional and academic needs, ensuring a unified circle of support that lasts all year long.
Whether communication and language acquisition, financial planning, wellness advocacy, or shared family growth, parent learning opportunities are a key component of our Community Hubs, seeing everyone as a lifelong learner. Continuing to remove barriers and expand access to these vital resources acts as strong affirmations toward the Distinctive Schools mission and vision. Together, we are building opportunities for our families to lead, learn, and grow alongside their children for years to come.
Do you have connections or ideas for other parent learning opportunities? Contact your school’s Community School Coordinator or Karin Breo, Distinctive Schools Director of Partnerships & Community Hubs today!