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The
Urban Imagination Network
The Urban Imagination Network, designed by IMAGINE CHICAGO, links
seven Chicago public schools and six museums in a comprehensive structure
to improve reading comprehension in the content areas of science and
social studies. The program works particularly with schools located
in at-risk communities.
Participants
Schools 1999-2001
Corliss High School
John Hope College Prep
Locke Elementary
Suder Elementary
Byrd Community Academy*
Alfred Nobel Elementary*
Laura S. Ward*
*new
Schools 1996-1999
Corliss High School (Grades 9-12)
Dewey Multicultural Academy (Pre-K-5)
Hope Community Academy (Grades 5-10)
Locke Elementary (K-8)
Suder Elementary (K-8)
Terrell Elementary (K-8)
Museums:
Chicago Botanic Garden
Chicago Historical Society
Field Museum of Natural History
Kohl Children's Museum
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
John G. Shedd Aquarium
External Partner: IMAGINE CHICAGO
Technical Assistance: Center for Urban Education, DePaul University
How Urban Imagination Works
Working with a museum partner for a year, each school creates an
in-school museum in which students can display what they have learned.
The involvement of museum partners gives schools a vital connection
to the content that is embedded in the texts the students read. By
partnering museums with schools, the network is establishing a model
for the effective integration of museum approaches and content into
the core curriculum.
As external partner, Imagine Chicago encourages and facilitates
asset-based planning and organizing, using an approach that builds
on the best of what participants can understand, imagine and create.
The DePaul Center for Urban Education provides technical assistance
by clarifying the reading process and its relationship to the project
work, developing innovative curriculum materials that utilize museum
approaches, and conducting ongoing project evaluation.
This is a five-year development process, begun originally with a planning
grant in 1995. It was significantly expanded at the end of 1997 to
include a parent docent training program, a summer institute for teachers,
and a teacher renewal program. The parent involvement program is focused
on effective parenting, reading strategies, and strengthening community
and museum connections. Parents are learning educational approaches
that will help their children read, and are learning to help with
in-classroom exhibit creation and museum field trips.
Key Activities
Student Development
- Focused, active reading in science and social studies
- Hands-on learning
- Visits to museums
- Organizing information into ideas
- Engaging different learning styles
- Making intelligence visible through creative displays
Teacher Development
Parent Development
- Monthly bi-lingual (English and Spanish) workshops conducted
by IMAGINE CHICAGO where 170 parents are developing new reading
skills that they can share with their children.
- Parent resource rooms in each of the 7 schools. The rooms have
computer equipment and books donated by area corporations and
churches.
- Applying reading strategies at home with their children
- Classroom and field trip volunteering
- Strengthening museum connections
- Citizen Leaders to develop parent involvement projects that
benefit students and the broader community
For an in-depth look at the parent development program, please refer
to the downloads at the bottom of the page - July 1999 Imagine Chicago
Newsletter and November 1999 Imagine Chicago Newsletter
School-Museum Development
- Content-based teacher workshops
- Annual focused partnerships
- Museum-based inter-school leadership meetings
- Student and family field trips
Sustainable Whole School Development
- Inter-school meetings
- Asset-based planning
- In-school teamwork
- Building library collections in the content areas
- Connecting to the community
Outcomes To Date
Impact on Achievement and Instruction
- All schools increased IGAP reading scores except one 3rd grade
(which was already at 60%). Also substantial gains in the ITBS
reading test.
- Summaries prepared by participating schools indicate that the
basic reading strategy of the Urban Imagination Network, particularly
the research and presentation of topics by students, is directly
related to student achievement.
- Libraries of participating schools are building up their collections
in science and social studies, making on-site research in these
areas possible. Communications between librarians and teachers
is improving.
- Plans of teachers involved in the Summer Institute reflect
innovation (parent-student museum workshops), focus (Urban Imagination
Day at the culmination of each quarter), and practicality (purchasing
Rubbermaid containers to hold purchased objects).
Strengthened School-Museum Connections
- Integrated and focused content-based curriculum has been developed
in conjunction with targeted museum partnership - e.g. "Wild
About Illinois" focus at Suder on prairie and woodlands;
"Aquatic Life" at Dewey Academy.
- Classrooms are integrating museum content and traveling exhibits
into their lesson plans.
- Displays of student work, using museum and exhibit based approaches,
show the visual impact of the network in both classrooms and hallways;
object-based learning is becoming more common.
- Teachers in each school are significantly better oriented to
what is available at local museums and how to integrate those
resources into their instruction.
Inspiring Teachers
- Teachers in the Teacher Renewal Program have had their vocations
refreshed. They report being more peaceful, hopeful, joyful, connected
and better listeners. They have discovered creativity within themselves
they didn't know existed.
- Results of the teacher survey show a positive response to the
Network; teachers are excited' students are learning and teaching
visually, and there is improvement in reading instruction.
- Teachers have been willing to experiment with more creative
approaches to reading comprehension.
Parent Development
- The Parent Docent Training Program has expanded substantially
and attendance at inter-school workshops has increased. Thirty-four
parents graduated from the program in June, 1999. In the past
scholastic year 1999-2000, 170 parents attended the monthly workshops
at museums and schools, of whom 97 graduated, a 300% increase
from the year before. Ninety-eight parents and children participated
in the overnight at the Field Museum in April, 1999.
- 98% of parent surveys rated this program 5/5 in terms of how
valuable it has been to participants. Increased participation
in the parent program also represents commitment of the school
staff to coordinate their involvement.
- Participating parents are gaining significant insights into
learning, into reading comprehension, into the way a museum works,
and into the core curriculum of the schools. They report being
able to now help their children with homework projects. A Mexican
immigrant recently related (in Spanish); "I feel so much
closer to my children now that I am able to help them with their
homework. They confide in me about other things."
- Parents asked for expanded learning opportunities including
project management skills that will enable them to develop programs
to increase parental involvement in the schools.
- Beginning in September, 2000 the parent program was expanded
to include not only monthly workshops at city museums and places
of interest but also monthly hands-on workshops at each school.
The workshops will develop life skills and reinforce key values
central to the positive functioning of both families and schools.
Parents will develop core financial and civic literacy skills
necessary to help them connect to the life of the larger city
and make informed choices about household management. Program
content will focus on systems central to any healthy household
or city - financial planning, energy, recreation, nutrition, housing,
communication, health, transportation, education, culture, clothing.
Expanded School-Community Partnerships
- Several schools report new corporate connections as a result
of inviting organizations into their schools for "museum
openings".
- Schools now see museums as ongoing educational partners.
- Museums appreciate a sustained connection to schools for developing
meaningful programs and integrated curriculum on museum content.
Sustainable Whole School Development
- Levels of participation at schools vary. All-school implementation
requires a high level of commitment from the principal and a coherent
vision of school development. Some schools have implemented the
Urban Imagination Network approach school-wide.
- School environments are more inviting and conducive to cultivating
students' imaginations.
- Results reported above indicate significant progress for participating
members of the school community. Connections and communication
between students, parents, teachers and community partners, including
museums, are increasing.
Funding
Chicago Annenberg Challenge.
$25,000 planning grant (1995)
$175,000 first year implementation grant (1996)
$322,000/yr implementation grant through June 1999 (1997)
$420,000/yr implementation grant through June 2000
$200,000/yr implementation grant through June 2001
Each school received $11,000/yr for exhibit materials, $5,000/yr for
library purchases and $5,000 for museum workshops in addition to funding
of the parent program, teacher development programs and the summer
institute.
Connections
Chicago Botanic Garden www.chicago-botanic.org
Chicago Historical Society
www.chicagohistory.org
Field Museum of Natural Historywww.fmnh.org
Kohl Children’s Museumwww.kohlchildrensmuseum.org
John G. Shedd Aquariumwww.sheddnet.org
Annenberg Challengewww.aisr.brown.edu\challenge
Center for Urban Education, DePaul University http://teacher.depaul.edu
Downloads
Curriculum Development in
the Urban Imagination Network - by Dr. Barbara Radner, Director,
Center for Urban Education, DePaul University (MS Word Document
32.0KB)
November 1999 Imagine
Chicago Newsletter - Introducing Marlene Dandridge - an enthusiastic
parent passing on the gift of learning. This is the first in a series
of personal stories about individuals who participate in Imagine Chicago's
education and community development programs. (MS Word Document
1.68 MB)
July 1999 Imagine Chicago
Newsletter - Investing in Parents - the Urban Imagination Network
Parent Docent Training Program (MS Word Document 773KB)
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