On the Scene: The McCormick Foundation Blog

by Shawn Healy, Resident Scholar, Civics Program  Last August, Chicago Public Schools (CPS), in partnership with the McCormick Foundation and the Spencer Foundation , launched the Global Citizenship Initiative (GCI) in 16 high schools. The GCI is designed to close a “civic achievement gap” as wide as those in reading and math, and to strengthen the civic mission of CPS high schools. Despite a tumultuous teacher strike, extensive principal turnover at GCI pilot schools, and a polarized debate about pending school closings, the GCI penetrated district high schools and prepared students for college, career, and civic life. A senior year civics course debuted at the 16 GCI schools last fall. It was taught by 21 teachers and reached roughly 1,300 students. The course content emphasizes both elections and public policy, and the curriculum leverages proven civic learning practices like discussion and service-learning. Students responded positively to the course. One wrote, "I fi...

At the end of January, McCormick Foundation CEO David Hiller , Board member Don Wycliff and Communities Program staff participated in the Foundation’s seventh Chicago neighborhood tour to East Garfield Park. The purpose of this initiative is to better understand how McCormick Foundation grantees are achieving impact in some of the most economically disadvantaged communities in Chicago, as well as to learn more about the assets and challenges of these communities. Breakthrough Urban Ministries hosted the tour and discussion in East Garfield Park, which included representatives from grantees Girls in the Game, Inspiration Corporation, UCAN and YMCA. Click above to watch VIDEO on the Communities Program Chicago Neighborhood Tour initiative. Hear our Communities Program Director Bill Koll explain the tour's purpose and get a peek into how one Foundation grantee, Breakthrough Urban Ministries, is committed to making life better in East Garfield Park.

by Shawn Healy, Resident Scholar, Civics Program  "…We educate children for a number of reasons, but ultimately to preserve our democratic republic." Preserving the Public in Public Schools But not everyone believes that. For some, preserving prosperity is the current rage, with schools placing an increased emphasis on reading and math, skills deemed essential by the business community. Lost in the process is the commitment to developing good citizens, the foundation for a strong democracy. In their recently published book, Preserving the Public in Public Schools , Phil Boyle and Del Burns argue that public schools in the United States have served as the perennial battleground for the nation’s competing ideals of a good society. The authors believe that the debate surrounding the purpose of public education consistently focuses on the issues of liberty, community, equality and prosperity. They contend: Liberty manifests itself best in the current debate over school ch...

Guest blog by Diana Rauner, President, Ounce of Prevention Fund & Gaylord Gieseke, Vice President, Voices for Illinois Children  The number of children at risk for the short and long-term effects of toxic childhood stress is growing dramatically. This was the dismal news highlighted in a policy statement released last month by the American Academy of Pediatrics and in a recent op-ed from New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof. Both cite new research that demonstrates that the cumulative effects of growing up in environments replete with violence, parental depression, chaos and other uncertainties can literally alter the healthy, normal development of a young child’s brain. These stressors can impede a child’s capacity to “power down” from the fight or flight reflex, which reduces his ability to manage his temper and emotions or show empathy to others. It can also lead to later drug and alcohol use, obesity, heart disease and even early death. But it doesn’t have to be th...

by Shawn Healy, Resident Scholar and Director of Professional Development  As we enter the holiday season, Washington has provided the national civic learning community with little reason for cheer. During a time of severe fiscal constraints, coupled with a decade-long standardized testing craze and No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the social studies survive in a wounded state, and the health of our democracy is subsequently imperiled by a citizenry lacking the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes for informed and effective participation. Current developments in Washington warrant cautious optimism, as the social studies vie for their former seat at the core curriculum table. The federal government has a role to play in supporting teacher professional development and innovative instruction, not to mention addressing inequalities in civic learning opportunities based on demographics alone. However, after eliminating all federal funding for civics in 2011, and cutting back on ...

by Don Cooke, Senior VP of Philanthropy  “A man who is good enough to shed blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterward.” – President Theodore Roosevelt As we commemorate Veterans Day, it’s important that we not forget our nation's younger veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are experiencing new and complex challenges as they transition to civilian life. While advanced technology on the battlefield has saved many lives, it also has created a depth and breadth of physical and mental injuries never before experienced by our armed services or our nation. More than 300,000 Americans have returned from conflict with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a recent RAND report. The suicide rate among returning veterans is rising considerably. A veteran commits suicide every 80 minutes, according to a Center for a New American Security Suicide report. Veterans who left military service in the past decade have an unemployment rat...