Children Cheer for Bulls (and Grizzlies)

Kids enjoyed hot dogs and cookies along with the executive suite seats.

Mel and I would like to thank Jim Reddinger and UBS for the opportunity to take a group of our students to see the Bulls play the Memphis Grizzlies on March 4. Though I was hobbled by a dodgeball injury; it was an absolute pleasure to see the looks on the children’s faces as they entered the United Center. The food was great, the seats were even better, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the good behavior and academic success of nine of our top students.

–Tyler Warner

Here’s what the kids had to say:

“This past Thursday was one of the funnest days at the Sue Duncan Children’s Center. The reason I say this is because we went to a Chicago Bulls game. It was the first time I have ever gone to a Bulls game. We went with two tutors who were being cool like they really didn’t care and was just having fun. And we ate a lot of food. We had hotdogs, pop, chicken tenders, and fruit. And I can’t forget the cookies and the brownies. Mostly everyone in the stadium was rooting for the Bulls, but me and my friend Keith were going for the Memphis Grizzlies–even though they were losing at first. Read more…

Center Featured in The New Yorker

Arne Duncan in the New Yorker

Image from The New Yorker website

The Children’s Center was featured in the latest edition of The New Yorker in an article profiling current Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. Carlo Rotella’s story recounts Arne’s history at the Center and how it shaped his pursuits in education.

Rotella describes Arne’s time growing up in Hyde Park, playing basketball with neighborhood boys and attending the Center after his days at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. At the Center, Arne was able to experience a different side of growing up on the South Side. “It’s been a huge part of my motivation, the difference between the day”–at the Lab School–”and then the evening with kids who had something that wasn’t even close,” he said in the story.

Other memories Arne describes in the article are when he tried tutoring a B student for the A.C.T. who turned out to be illiterate, and when he found out some of his friends from growing up at the Center had died. Read more…

Happy Holidays from the SDCC

Thanks to Jackie Epstein, Jeanine Koch, Abelson Taylor, Jason Wortendyke, Jeroen Hasenbos, Jeff Gray and all of our secret Santa donors for making this year’s Christmas party on Dec. 18 a success! The children received many incredible gifts, listened to a violin recital, saw a drill team performance and ate delicious cupcakes. Watch our video of the event to see the action as Santa came to the Children’s Center to deliver gifts.

Photos from the 2009 Holiday Party

New video of the Children's Center: Thank You Sue