- Credibility:
WEST GARFIELD PARK — The Union League Boys & Girls Clubs is bringing its programs to three West Side neighborhoods, giving more extracurricular opportunities to children.
The youth development organization will have the Union League available at Leif Ericson Elementary Scholastic Academy, 3600 W. 5th Ave. in West Garfield Park; Erie Elementary Charter School, 1405 N. Washtenaw Ave. in Humboldt Park; and Joseph Kellman Corporate Community Elementary School, 3030 W. Arthington St. in Homan Square.
The expansion is supported by a grant by the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Program, leaders said.
“Opportunities should not be defined by your ZIP code,” said Mary Ann Mahon Huels, president and CEO of Union League Boys & Girls Clubs. “Every child should receive a world-class experience. We need to expose our youth to different programs and activities to let them reach their full potential.”
Mahon Huels said the expansion on the West Side will provide kids with opportunities for tutoring, arts-focused instruction, sports and physical activity and robotics. The programs will be open for children 8 and older.
“The children were so grateful and the parents were so happy to have a place to go after school,” Mahon Huels said. “I think we need to offer the program where children need it the most.”
Mahon Huels said her team has incorporated trauma-informed care into the new locations, with Garfield Park being a particularly large focus.
The Union League Boys & Girls Clubs serves 15,000 young people at 19 sites across the city, according to its website. The organization was founded in 1919.
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