Interview with Board Member Charlie Pikul

CYC honors Charlie Pikul, who dedicated his time and talent as a member of CYC's Board of Directors for five years. Charlie recently moved to Atlanta to start a new role with Ernst & Young. Before he left, we asked Charlie to describe his favorite CYC memories, his legacy, and his vision for our future.

What prompted you to spend so much of your time serving CYC? When I started, I really wanted to build my network. Yes, I wanted to help an organization with an important mission and a history of results, but when I first joined the Board, I had no idea how much CYC would come to mean to me. I didn’t realize how much I’d fall in love with the kids, the staff, the fellow Board members--and the mission.

I’ll never forget the first time I visited a CYC Center. The energy from the staff and the kids was just incredible. Especially because our staff isn’t watching the kids--our staff is with the kids. Every activity has a purpose, and every interaction is a chance to engage a child and help him or her develop CYC’s “Four C’s” [critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication]. That kind of commitment to our kids takes passion, it takes time, and that’s what sets CYC apart from other organizations. I don’t know how you can leave our Centers and not be excited about what we’re doing.

Do you have a favorite CYC memory? At CYC-Elliott Donnelley Youth Center, I met a young girl, 4 or 5 years old, named Miracle. Miracle would not leave me alone! She sat on my shoulders for about an hour and a half, just talking to me about her summer, her plans, and her experiences.

Out of that came the reminder for me that any interaction you have with someone can make an impact. I know because, selfishly, that interaction with Miracle impacted me. I know, too, that when we listen to our kids and show them that we’re here, that we care about them, and are committed, that that makes a difference. They know they have people invested in their futures.

I want our Board members and volunteers to always remember that any time you go to our Centers, that brief moment of time can make a difference in a child’s life.

What was the single biggest thing you saw come out of the Board’s strategic planning? The Board came together and spent a full three-day weekend, essentially holed up, defining CYC’s strategic vision. We created a strategic house, with five pillars that support our mission and vision. (see figure below)

During that process, we made some tough decisions, but the planning resulted in a great strategy for the execution of our vision: that our children will be empowered to break generational cycles of poverty and violence.

Today we can say with confidence that all of our decisions are delivering on our commitment to our kids and families. I’m very proud to have been a part of that process.

Where do you see CYC in the future? I see us continuing to strengthen our commitment to our pillars. To become even more engaged in our communities, partnering with local alderman, churches, and community centers. To deepen our focus on the continuum of care so these great children have a chance to succeed. To expand our technology curriculum, and our Maker Labs to expose our children to the tech skills and applied skills they’ll need for 21st Century careers.

What do you want your legacy to be? To be known as someone who gave it all I had. Someone that gave of his time, talents, and treasure to help those who need it so much more. My legacy is also connected to the people I’ve brought to CYC. My organization Ernst & Young is now an active supporter of CYC, sponsoring an annual EY Connect Day that brings Summer Associates to a Center for a day of service.

You think as a Board Member you can only have an impact by providing funding, but you can have a huge impact by simply introducing people to CYC’s mission. If you’re excited, that energy is contagious.

In fact, my biggest advice to Board members, is to get involved immediately. Get out to our Centers, get to know our staff, get involved. Don’t underestimate your network and, and don’t underestimate the joy you can bring people by introducing them to CYC.

Thank you, Charlie, for the impact you've made on Chicago's kids!

Extraordinary Results & Extraordinary Times Require Extraordinary Giving

Extraordinary Results In 2014, CYC launched a pilot program in two of our Centers that made a significant impact on our children, teens, and families. In 2015, CYC children who participated in the pilot programs performed better in school, attended classes more frequently, were more motivated to succeed, made concrete plans for the future, and were empowered to dream. Families were actively engaged in their children’s future, and we fully surrounded our children with the social capital needed for success. You can read more about our pilot’s intentional strategy and results here.

The outcomes we achieved in just one year show that CYC is uniquely positioned to serve more children and families more deeply. We are laser-focused on our unique ability to create impact and change the trajectory of a child’s life.  We know that for our kids, CYC bridges the gap between today and tomorrow— from where they begin to where they ultimately arrive. By the time CYC children turn 18, we want them to have a strong sense of direction and the ability to choose a path out of poverty. Whether their choice is college, a trade, or vocational training, we want them to see and pursue rewarding lives for themselves, and ultimately, their families. We surround our kids with the social capital they need—innovative programming, creative and safe learning spaces, and supportive families and mentors—so they will find and stay on a path to success, and ultimately break the generational cycles of poverty and violence.

Extraordinary Times

There are many challenges facing us as a city, state and an economy—but top of mind for us is the current budget impasse. We understand the perspective of “both sides of the aisle,” and acknowledge the importance of fiscal responsibility within the Illinois budget.  However, as board leaders, our primary focus is what impact this budget impasse is having on human lives; on the wellbeing of hard working families and their children; and how CYC can continue to build on the momentum we have created.  How do we assure that we can scale our pilots to all of seven of our Centers and increase our impact?

For the past six months, the conversation in our board room has been the same as in board rooms across the city: do we scale back our programs, lay off highly skilled staff, and close operations or do we dig deeper to assure we continue to support more than 2,000 extraordinary children who participate in our Early Childhood, Out-of-School Time and Teen Leadership programs; and the more than 4,000 families who depend on CYC to help support, nurture, and instruct their children.

Extraordinary Giving

As the Chair of the Board and Chair of the Finance Committee, the answer was straightforward: we chose NOT to disrupt our programs, Centers, and communities. We chose to keep our children in program, keep our dedicated staff employed, and keep our communities cared for.

Never have we been more confident in how much more we can accomplish. Never have our children needed us more. In these extraordinary times, when our resources are strained so deeply, we continue to ask ourselves how we can do more. We continue to believe in a Chicago where every child has the same access to the resources and opportunities needed to break generational cycles of poverty and violence.

As a Board, we are standing up for kids and committing to raising as much money as possible. We are acknowledging that in extraordinary times, extraordinary giving is required. 100% of our board gives, and collectively they raise more than $1M annually. This year, they have committed to doing more.

We are asking each of you to make this the year you give more.  This is important work; this is meaningful work; and this is life-changing work for our children, our families, and our city. Thank you!

Dixie Adams

Chicago Youth Centers Board Chair

General Manager, Industrial Sector, IBM Global Technology Services

William J. Kelley, Jr.

Chicago Youth Centers Board Member and Chair of Fiance Committee

Vice President Global Head of Internal Audit, The Kraft Heinz Company

The Results Are In: CYC's Pilot Programs A Huge Success in 2015

CYC's theory of change is to surround children ages 3-18 with the social capital they need—innovative programming, creative and safe learning spaces, and supportive families and mentors—so they will find and stay on a path to success, and ultimately break the generational cycles of poverty and violence. In 2014, CYC initiated two pilot programs to activate our theory of change and strengthen our impact. CYC’s Board of Directors and staff have done the following:

• Revised our curriculum based on the nationally-recognized and research-based Partnership for 21^st Century Learning to teach children the 21^st Century skills needed to thrive in school and ultimately the workplace: critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication
• Provided holistic education to help children develop academically, socially, emotionally, and physically
• Built our first Maker Lab, an innovative workshop where children use advanced software to design projects and solve problems, enhancing their interest and performance in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math)
• Launched our inaugural Summer Enrichment Program to combat summer learning loss and keep children active, engaged, and safe during a season when violence increases
• Initiated our Family Engagement Program to help parents become advocates for their children
• Became one of the initial agencies to implement the innovative BProud curriculum to teach parents how to promote anti-violence within their families and communities

The results were inspiring: CYC children performed better in school, attended classes more frequently, were more motivated to succeed, and made concrete plans for the future.

The Data

Outcomes from Early Childhood, Out-of-School-Time Learning, and Teen Leadership Development Programs

• 100% of our children (ages 3-13) advanced to the next grade level.
• 100% of our teens (ages 14-18) advanced to the next grade level.
• 95% of our children and teens increased school performance by attending classes more frequently and spending more hours on school work.

Outcomes from our pilot program at CYC’s Rebecca K. Crown Youth Center (South Shore):

• Enrollment in our Center doubled.
• Teacher assessments showed children and teens increased their critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication skills by more than 50%.*
• Our children’s interest in STEAM fields increased and the CYC Maker Lab was recognized in a segment on NBC. Check out http://bit.ly/cycmakerlab.
• Enrollment in parent workshops and volunteer events tripled.

Outcomes from our pilot Summer Enrichment Program at CYC’s Elliott Donnelley Youth Center (Bronzeville):

• 126 youth participated in CYC’s swim program. 67% advanced at least one swim level. This is particularly important in the African American community, who experience drowning at rates 5 times higher compared to White children.
• Students increased their score on The Math Power Test from 54% proficiency to 81% proficiency after completing CYC’s Summer Enrichment Program.
• Students increased their score on the Informal Reading Inventory by Burns/Roe from 57% proficiency to 85% proficiency after completing CYC’s Summer Enrichment Program.
• Teacher assessments showed children and teens (ages 5-16) increased their creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills by more than 15%.*

* Results based on the Survey of Academic Youth Outcomes (SAYO), developed by the National Institute of Out-of-School Time. SAYO evaluates after-school youth workers and children and teens, both pre-participation and post-participation, cross-referencing the self-assessment results with the teachers’ evaluations of student performance.

What Do Our Children Want To Be When They Grow Up?

The answers are universally bold and imaginative:

A Doctor! An Explorer! A Time-Traveling Astronaut!

Their answers reveal their ability to dream. As they grow, their teachers and parents encourage those early interests. That budding astronaut heads off to space camp, and grows up to study engineering, work with a renewable energy firm, and dabble in science fiction. For many children, their dreams can become reality.

However, for the 200,000 Chicago children living in poverty, their dreams may never be realized. They are just as curious and imaginative, but their aspirations are often undermined by limited resources and greater exposure to violence. A sense of hopelessness sets in at an early age. Fortunately, Chicago Youth Centers (CYC) provides a path out of poverty and violence, offering a ray of hope to many of these children.

For these youth, CYC is the place where they can aspire, dream, and achieve. We surround children ages 3-18 with the social capital they need—innovative programming, creative and safe learning spaces, and supportive families and mentors—so they will find and stay on a path to success, and ultimately break the generational cycles of poverty and violence. In 2014, CYC initiated two pilot programs to strengthen our impact. The results were inspiring: CYC children performed better in school, attended classes more frequently, were more motivated to succeed, made concrete plans for the future, and were empowered to dream. You can read more about our CYC pilot programs and our 2015 outcomes here. 

We believe in a Chicago where every child has the same access to resources, opportunity, and possibility. Will you help us make CYC's vision a reality?

By making a gift to CYC today, you ensure that more of Chicago’s budding astronauts and crayon artists grow up to be engineers and designers. You ensure that their future is driven not by poverty, but by possibility.

Thank you for making Chicago Youth Centers the place where possibility lives.

Chicago Youth Centers Celebrates the 16th Annual Lights On Afterschool on Oct. 22, 2015

Developed by The Afterschool Alliance, Lights on Afterschool is a nationwide event designed to raise awareness for afterschool programs’ impact on children and communities. Across the nation and here in Chicago, studies show that powerful afterschool programs strengthen communities and influence the positive development of children, closing significant academic and achievement gaps. For low-income children, these programs ultimately help them break out of generational cycles of poverty.

In a recent research report, America After 3PM, a decade of data chronicles how children spend the hours between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. —the hours when school has ended and typically before parents have returned from work.  It also defines families’ greatest needs as well as the current challenges in creating greater access to afterschool programs. The data shows an increase in the number of children enrolled in these programs, but also articulates the need to develop more options that are accessible and affordable.  More than 11 million children across the country do not have access to afterschool programs, and consequently could get left behind.

Afterschool programs keep kids safe, inspire them to learn, and help working families.  We encourage you to visit www.afterschoolalliance.org to learn more about this research, and to read CYC's essay about afterschool programs and the aspiration gap from this year's Illinois Kids Count Report. Chicago Youth Centers (CYC) is proud to be part of this significant national event.  On October 22, our Centers in Bridgeport, Bronzeville, North Lawndale, and South Shore will host events with our kids, families, and community and legislative leaders to raise awareness to support strong afterschool programs.

At CYC, our lights are always on. From our Early Childhood Education to our Teen Leadership Development Programs, we care for and about the success of our kids every day. For our children ages 6-13 in our Out-of-School Time Program, we support them with innovative and intentional programming designed to fuse academics with non-cognitive and project-based learning.  Through our three Maker Labs, we provide STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) education to children who might not experience this otherwise. Through our project-based learning curriculum, which is modeled after the national movement The Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, we teach children the skills needed to succeed in school, in life, and ultimately, in the workforce.

We surround children and teens with the social capital they need to keep them on a path to success: innovative and creative spaces to learn, engaged families and mentors, and programs designed to increase their persistence academically and expand their abilities to reason, create, communicate, and collaborate. We promote their physical development through creative and safe play spaces that include age-appropriate and cool stuff like climbing walls. Our lights are on 12 months out of the year, even after school ends. Our Summer Enrichment Program focuses on combatting summer learning loss and violence prevention.

We are paying attention to the issues and meaningful strategies to address them. We are actively and passionately addressing the major gaps often faced by low income-children, and thoughtfully and intentionally teaching and supporting the whole child.

We encourage you to become passionate advocates with us: help us strengthen the public and private partnership necessary for the well-being of our children, families, and communities. We invite you to celebrate with us between the hours of 3-6 p.m. in any of our Centers on October 22, 2015. We encourage you to come celebrate with us any day. We ask that you let your voice be heard among our legislators, encouraging them to do whatever it takes to preserve vital afterschool funding.  And, when you are asked to give, we ask that you do—as generously and as deeply as possible.   

Join us on Oct. 22 as we celebrate Lights on After School at one of our four participating  Centers:

CYC-ABC  Polk Bros. Youth Center North Lawndale | 5:30-7:30 pm

Enjoy a Pumpkin Patch Party, Shining Orange on After School. Activities include baking pumpkin squares, roasting pumpkin seeds, pumpkin carving and a Spooky Family Feud competition. There will also be an open forum for parents to talk about the importance of After School programs for the community.

CYC-Elliott Donnelley Youth Center (EDYC) Bronzeville | 5-7 pm

EDYC presents It's Electric! The evening will feature illuminating science experiments like creating glow in the dark crafts and making tornadoes in a bottle. EDYC's Summer Enrichment Staff will also run water activities for children and families,

CYC-Fellowship House  Bridgeport | 4:30-6:30 pm

CYC-Fellowship House will host Fall Fun with Families. Stop by for scarecrow-making, pumpkin carving, taffy cooking, and more!

CYC-Rebecca K. Crown South Shore | 5-6:30 pm

Experience Fall-O-Ween S.T.EA.M. Festival. All activities will focus on one of the S.T.E.A.M fields. They will be making pumpkin-volcanoes (science), building robots (technology), conducting apple drops (engineering), creating popsicle stick Frankensteins (Art), and counting spiders (mathematics).

Research and Resources:

The After School Alliance 

America After 3PM

Illinois Kids Count Report 

23rd Annual Golf Outing Recap

On Monday, August 31, we hosted our 23rd annual Chipping in for Chicago Youth Golf Outing at the Glen View Club in Golf, Illinois. Thanks to your support, this was the most successful Golf Outing in CYC’s history! We netted $109,000 to directly support CYC's children and families.

We especially want to thank our Committee co-chairs, Al Reid and Pat Hardiman, all our wonderful sponsors, and Wintrust Commercial Banking, for joining us as the Title Sponsor for the third year in a row. And of course, a big thank you to all our golfers! We can't thank you enough for your time, support, and commitment to Chicago's kids.

To see more photos from the Golf Outing, visit the CYC Flickr Page.