Chicago, Illinois

Introduction | Background | News & Photos

Play for Peace - Chicago serves the needs of students within the public school system through play sessions in elementary schools, high school leadership training, outdoor camps, motivational programs and mentor programs.

News

Play for Peace - Chicago is currently active at Kelvyn Park High School, Wells High School, Clemente High School, Michele Clark High School, Latino Youth Alternative High School, Northwest Settlement House and Holstein Park. As part of a service learning curriculum, high school students participating in the Play for Peace program earn credits required for graduation.

Play for Peace - Chicago at the Chicago Teachers' Center is one of the first organizations in the country to introduce motivational interviewing (MI) to Chicago schools. MI is a technique that fits well with the philosophy of Play for Peace and allows us to help students think about behavior change that will help them as they move ahead in school and life. It is particularly valuable for students who are ambivalent about change but are considering the possibility. This often involves issues related to gang involvement, academic performance, attendance, or interpersonal conflicts. During 2007, this was carried out at Clemente High School by working with the school to offer the participation in lieu of going to In-School-Suspension (ISS). Students were gathered and introduced to the program using the cooperative activities of Play for Peace. Then, they were provided with the one-on-one motivational interviews by project staff and volunteers. Preliminary evaluation shows that students benefited from this effort, with better retention in school and lower recidivism into ISS.

At Clemente High School, Play for Peace - Chicago began another new initiative with support from the Rynne Charitable Foundation to focus attention on women involved in fights. Clemente had the highest incidence of girl-on-girl violence in 2007. Working in conjunction with the school psychologist and social worker, Play for Peace staff began organizing efforts to support these young women by helping them develop more positive ways to deal with conflicts and address their social and emotional needs.

Play for Peace - Chicago also has a corporate partnership with Exelon. Under the Mission Unity program, Exelon employees volunteer as mentors for high schools students who then teach elementary school students. Twelve students participated in the mentoring program last year, which culminated in a performance at Chicago's Millennium Park in June.

In 2007, Play for Peace - Chicago had 7003 participant days. 76 official play sessions, 193 Youth Facilitator training sessions, 27 Mission Unity events, 1 Mission Unity camp and 3 Leadership camps.

Current Initiatives

Our Chicago program is active in ten Chicago public high schools each year as part of the service learning curriculum, so that students participating in Play for Peace earn credits required for graduation. The youth become a diverse learning community through their shared experiences of service learning, adventure education, leadership camps, peace education, and connecting with other Play for Peace regions around the world. To increase the scope of our work beyond the public schools, Play for Peace – Chicago has developed a partnership with the Chicago Children’s Museum to offer cooperative, relationship-building activities for the general public on a weekly basis.