Circles of Support

We’re invested in the growth of CYC students, families, and staff – that includes both their mental and physical health. This year, CYC has doubled down on our wellbeing initiatives, expanding the holistic practices that we offer to everyone. Our staff has had a blast participating in activities that benefit our bodies, spirits, and minds. We’ve hosted a walking challenge, virtual yoga sessions, and weekly book clubs just to name a few! CYC believes that when our staff is feeling well in personal and professional spaces, they can show up as their best selves for CYC children, families, and communities. 

This year, CYC has taken big steps forward in our wellness journey. We’re working to strengthen our knowledge on imperative topics like trauma-informed care and restorative justice practices. Thanks to incredible community partners, our staff has received comprehensive training on practices that assist with things like emotional regulation, coherent communication, and active listening. Our professional development and training benefit our staff, and also directly improves the work we do with the CYC community. 

As staff continue to learn more about the many aspects of well-being, we’ve been able to grow what wellness programs look like in programming. Children have taken part in activities that range from yoga and stretching, to journaling, to attending a Wellness Summit organized by their own Teen Council. On top of these amazing events, staff also ensures that some portion of well-being is used every day at our Centers. One daily practice we use is Circle Time. Circle Time is designed to create an opportunity to be open with peers and colleagues, sparking growth as we support one another. This daily chance to connect quickly became a favorite among staff during their training, and now CYC kids love it too! 

CYC has ingrained Circle Time into our agency’s practices to ensure that we are listening first to the needs of our team and children. For CYC staff, Circle Time is a space to share ideas, victories, and areas in which they may need more support. Modeling and facilitating this practice with our staff first helps ensure that they feel confident modeling and utilizing it with children and families. For CYC children, Circle Time is a much-needed transition from the school day or their home lives to settle in for programming. When kids arrive at their Center, they know that they will receive full support from their peers and their mentors. The success of this initiative stems from the lack of judgement in Circle Time spaces. Children see this activity as a time where everyone is important and heard. This feeling carries into their other activities during programming and spaces outside of CYC, too. 

We are eager to share the impact of our well-being programs and are grateful to our community partners and supporters who have helped us launch these initiatives. Stay tuned for all of the wellness that CYC has planned for 2024! 

Pampering Early Learning Parents

As the winter season approaches, the days get shorter, the temperature drops, and many get busy with the bustle of the holidays. Sometimes during these cold months, we need to slow down and make space to take care of ourselves. CYC’s Early Learning Team held their second annual Parent Wellness Expo right on time! This event focused on holistically supporting CYC Early Learning Parents- helping them relax while extending tools and resources to bolster their well-being all through winter and into the new year. At this Expo, 45 attendees were able to spend the afternoon learning more about holistic health and celebrating themselves. 

This event gave caregivers the option to pick topics they would like to learn more about. Each mini class had both an educational portion and an open-ended discussion. These sessions included a presentation about health education, where participants learned about high blood pressure management, diabetes, and stress management. There were also conversations about parenting and how to balance responsibility and self-care. These went hand in hand with activities like painting and jewelry making, so caregivers could have fun together as they learn and chat. Prioritizing discussions around well-being is often difficult, but incredibly important. CYC ensures the spaces we create are welcoming and safe, so caregivers can feel comfortable participating and get the most from events like this one. 

After the mini classes, the CYC team brought in experts to lead the group in yoga and chair yoga, allowing those of any ability time to meditate and stretch. There was even time to see massage therapists, so parents could feel extra pampered! Staff wanted to use this day to remind caregivers that they are appreciated and to celebrate themselves, all their hard work, and their accomplishments. 

CYC also used this afternoon to recognize a group of parents who go above and beyond to support our organization. The Parent Policy Committee is an integral part of CYC and is made up of a parent representative from each Early Learning Site. They're the decision-making body for many parts of our Early Learning Programming. This voluntary Committee works hard to ensure that CYC is operating within the goals and standards for Early Childhood Education Programs. The Wellness Expo was the perfect opportunity to acknowledge their efforts and treat them to rejuvenating experiences to show our gratitude! 

Because of this Expo, attendees said they felt relaxed, well prepared, and excited to continue their holistic self-care practices at home. Often, parents and caregivers do not get many chances to practice self-care or spend time focusing on their well-being. CYC is actively changing this for the families we serve. We have been creating more opportunities to take a break from the hustle of everyday life to connect with the community. Our staff invites families to brave, calm spaces to discuss important issues and share knowledge every chance we get. When a caregiver has the right tools and resources, they can be at their best with their families.

We are so excited to be able to provide experiences like this for the CYC community. Thanks to the generosity of supporters and friends like you, CYC can broaden our Family Engagement Programming. This allows us to offer consistent and fun programming to meet the interests and needs of each person we serve.  

Thank you so much to all who helped put this wonderful wellness event together. A special thank you to Daniel on our Wabash Team and Robert from CYC-Calumet Heights for your support with transportation and set up. We could not have had such a successful event without you all! 

Shining Bright with Holiday Lights!

The holiday season is here, and CYC is ready to celebrate! Our favorite part of the holidays is spending time with those we care about. The Family Engagement Program welcomed the holiday season with a delightful trip to the Brookfield Zoo. Children and families from CYC-Rebecca K. Crown and CYC-Sidney Epstein experienced the marvel of the Holiday Magic event! 132 attendees enjoyed a variety of cheerful activities.  

This Family Engagement event had something for everyone to enjoy. Interactive light displays, holiday photo ops, a dance party, juggling elves, and writing letters to Santa. CYC children had a blast listening to the carolers, watching ice carving, and seeing different animals depicted in dazzling lights!  

This event was an extraordinary way for families to connect. Caregivers and children bonded while sipping hot cocoa and walking through a winter wonderland. CYC's Centers made this special event even more accessible by providing families with snack bags and transportation to and from the Zoo. Staff are always ensuring that every family can participate in the holiday fun. CYC is creating joyful experiences for each of our program participants – spending time together helps make this season merry and bright!  

Having children and families from both CYC-Crown and CYC-Epstein join our staff for a field trip full of cheer made this event a major success! The perfect weather, wonderful views, and amazing company had CYC kids wishing to stay until closing.  What a way to start the holidays! Thank you for supporting our work and making times like these so memorable. CYC wishes you and your loved ones a safe and happy holiday season! 

Nothing but Net

After officially opening in June, CYC-Calumet Heights ramped up summer engagement with some incredibly fun activities and clubs! Center staff came together to host events for Calumet Heights kids to get involved and experience new things. During Summer Fun, sports clubs were introduced for the kids so they could learn about health, wellness, and teamwork, all while playing and having a ball! 

CYC-Calumet Heights kids loved figuring out the elements of basketball. From learning the rules, to watching the pros, CYC kids thought this club was a slam dunk! Through an amazing partnership with the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Calumet Heights children were able to meet and learn from the UIC Women’s Basketball team. At our Center, the UIC’s Women’s Basketball Team came to host workshops and teach the young players more about the sport. CYC kids had so much fun getting exercise and strengthening their new skills during these lessons. 

At the end of the summer basketball sessions, these CYC students had the opportunity to take a field trip and watch the UIC Flames Women’s Basketball team play a game on the court! The Flames lit up the court and helped us ignited a passion for sports in our Center. A big thank you to UIC for helping CYC-Calumet Heights have a baller summer and teaching us to play like pros! 

C-Y-we Celebrate!

CYC loves when other people recognize just how incredible our staff is! This summer, Dushunda Henderson, Director of Community Schools, was nominated by her peers to be in the running for the Brother Mike Award. The Brother Mike Award (BMA) is a prestigious award to celebrate those who are active in our Chicago communities as outstanding role models and mentors. The BMA is hosted by the Chicago Learning Exchange in honor of Mike Hawkins, a fierce advocate for youth and Out-of-School Time programs.  

Surrounded by her CYC family, Dushunda attended the BMA ceremony and finished in the top 5 of nominees! We are beyond proud of Dushunda and all that she has accomplished. 

Dushunda has helped our organization grow in countless ways in each position she’s held, especially while overseeing CYC’s Out-of-School-Time (OST) Enrichment Program at our school-based sites. Over her 17 years as a CYC Leader, Dushunda has continuously demonstrated her commitment to serving children and families throughout Chicago. She is a strong advocate for the children that she works with, building partnerships and relationships that span the city. Because she is such a positive force within her community, she is the embodiment of what working in community means for CYC. 

The connection Dushunda forms and empathy she has for each child and family she works with is unmatched, and you can see her influence daily. She is a marvelous mentor with a strong internal voice that drives her to make an impact by showing devotion through her actions, always bridging community need with resources. 

We are honored to celebrate Dushunda as part of our CYC family. Congratulations, you deserve it! 

All About Parent University

Over the past few years, CYC has expanded on what well-being in our communities means. We have been carefully growing our programming to provide resources and knowledge to both children and caregivers at our Centers.  January 2023, we started our very first Parent University classes in partnership with the Illinois Afterschool Network. This is a workshop that meets once a month, over the course of 6-8 months, for presentations and discussions about childcare and parenting. The goal of Parent University is to set up caregivers with tools they might need to assist in their child’s development. These sessions help to bridge potential gaps in understanding academic and social-emotional needs. By offering our knowledge of child development, CYC can assist families in building on their wonderful parenting skills.  

Throughout 8 months, we covered lots of important topics: 

• January: Social Emotional Workshop – Understanding your child’s emotional processing and reactions in social settings. 

• February: Self-Care for Youth and Families – Learning about holistic well-being for the whole family. 

• March: Caregivers Roles in their Child’s Education – How to assist your child in an academic setting and creating an Individualized Education Program (IEP). 

• April: Not Difficult, Just Different – Understanding and guiding your child’s emotions through customized action plans. 

• May: Working with Diverse Learners – Identifying potential learning disabilities, and how to assist and advocate for your child. 

• August: Power of Parent Culminating Event – Wrapping all these lessons together, this session touched on what healthy parenting looks like and discussed different parenting styles. 

At the end of all these events, caregivers received a certificate of completion and a well-being bag filled with goodies for themselves and their children. We would like to thank our amazing parents that participated this year. We can’t wait to work with the next group of lifelong learners this coming January! 

Congratulations to the Parent University Class of 2023!