Mural Park will be a primary destination along Chicago’s new El Paseo, a 4-mile bicycle and walking “rails-to-trails” corridor connecting University Village with Pilsen and Little Village. A large public plaza featuring local art installations, community gathering amenities, and year round gardens will connect the two 100-year old buildings of Mural Park.
As local artists are filling the space with artwork, 8th grade students from KIPP Ascend Middle School (the class of 2024) are showcasing their creativity on white bins that will be placed throughout the Mural Park space. Pasting their photos on the cans first, students used paint markers to add drawn elements, turning themselves into activists. Activism is a big part of our Children’s Museum of Art and Social Justice and the students did a beautiful job illustrating the many ways we can all be activists.
In late November, the law firm Barack Farrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg visited KIPP Ascend Primary to get our 560 students there ready for winter with new coats! This is the 8th year that the firm has engaged with our students, and we continue to be grateful for their generosity.
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Our Director of the Whole Child Fund, Jennifer Hodges, has been working with Rush University Medical Center to bring a health clinic to all of our west side schools. We currently have a clinic at KIPP One Academy and we’re looking forward to establishing clinics at all of our schools.
In partnership with the Carole Robertson Center for Learning (CRCL), two Pre-K classrooms are opening at KIPP Ascend Primary this winter. We know that Pre-K provides the foundation for learning, socially, emotionally, and academically. With the structured setting of Pre-K, children are better prepared for the greater academic rigor they encounter in Kindergarten. We are excited for this partnership with CRCL!