Family Resources
Community Events
Government Agencies
College Tuition Programs
Tutor/Mentor Programs
Learning Disabilities
Online Resource Centers
School Enrichment Programs
Health Information
Social Behavior
Cultural Centers
Community Events
For a guide to activities in and around Chicago, including children's concerts and exhibits taking place at many museums and zoos, please visit our Events Calendar. Family-friendly events are specially highlighted.
Government Agencies
Illinois State Board of Education
State of Illinois Building
100 West Randolph
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 793-3500 information
Illinois General Assembly
221 S. Spring Street
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-3944 information
Attorney General's Office
100 W. Randolph
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 814-3000 information
Attorney General's Office
500 S. Second Street
Springfield, IL 62704
(217) 782-1090 information
State Treasurers Office/Chicago
100 W. Randolph #15-600
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 814-1700 information
State Treasurers Office/Springfield
Capital Building
219 Statehouse
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-2211
College Tuition Savings programs
College Illinois!
Learn all about 529 prepaid tuition programs.
State Treasurer's Bright Start Savings Program
http://www.brightstartsavings.com
http://www.upromise.com
College Scholarships This site lists available scholarships and how to apply for them. A good source for checking out what is available.
Tutor/Mentor Programs
Chicago Tutor/Mentor Programs
This site will help you find the right tutor/mentor program for your child, as well as links to related sites.
Chicago volunteer programs for all ages and interests.
Learning Disabilities
The Learning Disabilities Association of Illinois
10101 S. Roberts Rd, Suite 205
Palos Heights, IL 60465
(708) 430-7532
National Attention Deficit Disorder Association
1788 Second St., Suite 200
Highland Park, IL 60035
(847) 432-ADDA (2332)
National Center for Latinos with Disabilities
1915 S. Blue Island Ave.
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 666-3393 or (800) 532-3393
Family Resource Center on Disabilities
20 E. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 939-3513
(800) 952-4199
Rush Neurobehavioral Center
9701 Knox Avenue
Suite 102
Skokie, IL 60076
(847) 933-9339
KidSource.com has links to a variety of very comprehensive Websites, including LD Online and the National Center for Learning Disabilities. For the complete list of links, go to the KidSource.com homepage and click on "education"; then, under "education articles," click on "learning disabilities."
Online Resource Centers
WTTW Kids Club has a wide range of activities for younger kids in addition to pages on our children's programming.
About.com and Family.com provide expert advice on learning and education. Sylvan Learning Centers has an online resource center for parents.
A Parent's Guide to the Information Superhighway, a 36-page booklet by the non-profit Children's Partnership, is a step-by-step guide to parenting in the online age. It can be printed online.
Education Planet and Family Education.com are comprehensive sites with articles, advice, games, software information, safety tips, and safety information.
The Discovery Channel has homework help, a Science Fair studio, World Book Encyclopedia online and other cool stuff; click on "school" or "kids" on the home page under `Essentials.' The Disney Channel and Sesame Street are also fun sites.
Ask Jeeves for Kids! and Yahooligans! are kid-friendly search engines.
Kids from around the world work in teams to create web pages each month about their cultures at kidland.org. Every month, teams of kids from different parts of the world make a simple web page based on two given topics, i.e. 'a person you like', 'a place that's important to you', etc. Kids write simple stories about the topics, draw pictures and take photos. The stories are translated to English, if necessary, and a web designer helps the kids put the stories and pictures into a web page. All the teams' web pages are put together on the Kidland website so the teams can look at each other's web pages.
Kidland encourages creative expression and cross-cultural understanding among the world's children. Anyone in the world can enjoy watching kids interact and learn from them. Any group of kids from around the world can form a team. The target age range is 11-14.
Social Behavior
Rainbows
2100 Golf Road #370
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008-4231
847/ 952-1770
800/ 266-3206
Rainbows, a not-for-profit, international organization offers training and curricula for establishing peer support groups for both children and adults who are grieving a death, divorce, or painful family transitions. The programs are available in schools, social agencies, churches, and synagogues.
In April 1983, the Rainbows organization founded by Suzy Yehl Marta, was inaugurated in three Chicago area schools, that same year twelve more schools added it to their curriculum. Today the Rainbows curriculum is offered in over 8300 sites in seventeen countries, including 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam.
Available Curricula:
- Rainbows elementary edition (Religious or Secular)
- Spectrum high school edition (Religious or Secular)
- Kaleidoscope college age/adult edition
- Prism single/stepparent edition
All of the above programs help the participants to work through the grieving process with their peers, learning to readjust the family situation, moving forward to live their lives without grief, anger, fear and self-doubt. This site aids parents in finding Rainbows programs in their area, as well as volunteering opportunities Educators will find information on training courses, and available curricula. There is a special "kids place" site, where children can share their experiences through writings and art.
Intervention Center Site
The Intervention Center site will provide useful information on intervention programs related to drug, alcohol, and other abusive behavior.
MTV and the American Psychological Association have put together a guide for young people on the warning signs of violence.
The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information, the American Council on Drug Education and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America provide a wealth of drug information resources. ACDE has a quiz kids can take to see what they know about drugs and alcohol. NCADI has a children's section also.
Prevention First, Inc. provides substance abuse information to Illinois residents. Their toll-free number is (800) 252-8951.
Other 24-hour hotlines can provide information and referrals to treatment programs in your area: Drug Help hotline: (800) 378-4435 and the Alcohol & Drug Abuse hotline: (800) 821-4357.
Cultural Centers
City of Chicago Department of
Cultural Affairs
(312) 744-6630
Beverly Area
Planning Association
(773) 244-3100
Chinese American
Service League
(312) 791-0418
ETA Creative Arts Foundation
(773) 752-3955
Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center
(312) 726-1234
Indo-American Center
(773) 973-4444
International Latino Cultural Center
(312) 431-1330
Irish American Heritage Center
(773) 282-7035
Korean American Community Services
(773) 583-5501
North Lakeside Cultural Center
(773) 743-1484
Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center/Centro
(773) 235-3988
South Shore Cultural Center
(312) 747-2536
Swedish American Museum Center
(773) 728-8111
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