Suburban Mosaic: Elgin U-46 celebrates 50 years of bilingual education
Elgin Area School District U-46 celebrated the 50th anniversary of its bilingual program Saturday with families, current and former staff members, and alumni in attendance.
The celebration, hosted by U-46's Multilingual and Multicultural Education Department, was held at Tefft Middle School in Streamwood.
It included a panel discussion with current and former U-46 staff members highlighting the bilingual program's evolution into what is now a dual language program offered districtwide starting in kindergarten through high school. Panelists also discussed areas of success and challenges. The discussion was livestreamed on the district's YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/schooldistrictu46.
Last school year saw the first graduating class of high school students from the dual language program.
"Our district has done a fantastic job of committing to the dual language model, so much so that it's part of (school) board policy," said Griselda Pirtle, U-46 director of the Multilingual and Multicultural Education Department.
Celebration of life
The Elgin Police Department is hosting its first multigenerational event for "Día De Muertos, A Celebration of Life" on Friday.
Officer Héctor Gutierrez will be creating an online presentation including pictures of community members who have died and whose families would like to remember them.
Submit a picture of your loved ones by completing the online form at https://forms.gle/r3Z22EgcJuGoNRhT8.
The program will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday in The Heritage Ballroom, 100 Symphony Way, Elgin. It will include a community altar, a live painting from local artist Cristina Colunga, arts and crafts for all ages, snacks, community resources, raffles, music, and a "Dress like your Abuelito (a)" contest. There will be a special performance by Senior Services Folkloric Dance Group.
For events details, visit https://fb.me/e/2fG0eP6qX.
Resource center
ICNA Relief, an Islamic nonprofit social services agency, is raising funds to open a new community resource center in Glendale Heights.
The group's mission includes helping empower families, providing temporary shelter for homeless women, food pantry services, school supplies for low-income students, basic health care, and responding to national disasters.
The nonprofit has outgrown its current food pantry space at 1781 Bloomingdale Road in Glendale Heights.
Donations toward the $160,000 fundraising goal for a new center can be made through LaunchGood at https://tinyurl.com/ybwz8fry.
Racial inequities
Elgin Community College will host a panel discussion about racial inequities in education at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
The discussion, titled "Why Are Some Students Being Left Behind? What Can We Do About It?," will take place via Zoom. The event is open to the public. Join with the link bit.ly/3Srsgux.
It is Part XI of the ECC Multicultural and Global Initiatives Committee's Black Lives Matter series.
"A quality of education is vital for communities and their citizens to thrive," said Clark Hallpike, professor of business and MAGIC co-chair.
The program will provide a historical perspective to understand why some students are being left behind, why there are few faculty and administrators of color, and why they often are excluded, he said.
Panelists will share insights into what their institutions are doing to combat inequalities.
They are David Castro, director of partnership sustainability at Grow Your Own Teachers, Illinois; Norma De La Rosa, manager of recruitment and scholar support for Golden Apple Scholars Program; Vernese Edghill-Walden, vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion and chief diversity officer at Northern Illinois University; Teresa Lance, assistant superintendent of equity and innovation at Elgin Area School District U-46; Anthony Ramos, ECC executive director of equity, diversity, and inclusion; Parul Raval, ECC professor of education; Lt. Jim Roscher, Elgin Police Department community engagement officer; April Wells, U-46 gifted coordinator and CEO and founder of Well Suited Solutions educational equity firm; and Charles Wells, U-46 social worker and co-founder of Well Suited Solutions.
"Since I have served in almost every position at educational institutions (student, graduate student, faculty, staff, and administrator), I know that many have been in this equity struggle for a long time," said Susan Timm, ECC professor of business and MAGIC co-chair.
The session will be recorded and made available to the public afterward.
Community ofrenda
Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin will host a traditional ofrenda exhibit for Día de los Muertos on the second floor of the main library at 270 N. Grove Ave. in Elgin through Nov. 9.
An ofrenda is the offering placed in a home altar during the annual traditionally Mexican celebration. It may be large and elaborate and usually is created by the family members of a person who has died. It's purpose is to welcome the deceased to the altar with gift offerings.
The idea was the brainchild of Jessica Carpia, Gail Borden's coordinator of Hispanic services, who thought the community would greatly appreciate the cultural celebration of life this year.
The library invited community members to send in a picture of their loved ones and people responded in earnest. Numerous photos now grace the ofrenda.
"The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive," said Madeleine Villalobos, Gail Borden's director of Hispanic services. "This ofrenda is about passing on the tradition. It is much like handing down a family heirloom."
Carpia said in 2003 UNESCO proclaimed the "Indigenous Festivity dedicated to the Dead," or Día de los Muertos celebration, as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
• Share stories, news and happenings from the suburban mosaic at mkrishnamurthy@dailyherald.com.