Community Projects

The Junior League of Rockford researches community needs, identifies community problems and develops projects to address those problems. Through the work of its trained volunteers and ongoing fundraising efforts, the Junior League implements programs that benefit the community and its residents. Following is a list of some of the League's most successful efforts.

Current Project

       RAISE

                             Reaching And Inspiring Students for Education

The Junior League of Rockford, Inc. in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Education and Life-Long Learning has created and is in the process of implementing a program aimed to increase access to and success in post high school education for disadvantaged, underrepresented and first generation college students from the Rockford Public School System. We are proud to have Jefferson High school as a part of RAISE for the 2007-2008 Year.  

 The Rockford area is plagued with low education attainment level among adults.  According to the US Census, 80% of the adults in Rockford over 25 years of age have an education below a Bachelor’s degree.  Today only 15% of 18-24 year olds in Winnebago County are enrolled in College or University.   Increasing the education level among the younger community members is critical to the future health of Rockford.  A significant number of public high school students in Rockford come from families that have never sent members on to college.  As a result, many of these students are unfamiliar with the post-secondary application process and the opportunities that level of education provides.   

This initiative is aimed at assisting those high school students by preparing them for and assisting them in gaining access to post-secondary education.  The Junior League will organize this pilot program to be named at a later date.  Initially, the program will consist of 20 students whom have been selected through an application process. These students will be assigned a trained “coach” or mentor who will guide the student through the application process from start to finish. The coach will assist with activities ranging from setting college and career goals, preparing for and taking the ACT/SAT, completing college and financial aid applications, and to attending freshman orientation and registering for classes.  Hopes are to expand the program to all area high schools in the future.  Junior League members will serve as the administrators and coaches during the pilot years.

THE LATEST NEWS FOR RAISE...

The assemblies at Jefferson were held on Wednesday, November, 28th and Thursday, November 29th and they were fantastic! The students were extremely responsive and very excited about the RAISE program.  All 100 copies of the  application form were taken by interested Juniors and more have been requested through the office.  

We were very warmly welcomed by the Jefferson staff; Dr. Jackson (principal), Judy Cunningham (Head counselor), Araceli Villegas (Assistant to principal), Adrienne Liska (counselor), Paul Smith (maintenance), and others in the main office played a crucial role in compiling the eligible student list, ensuring students come down for the assembly, and preparing the auditorium for our presentation.  

As usual, Adam Smith with the Office of Life-Long Learning, passionately connected with the students while introducing the RAISE project and why they should participate. 

As a teacher, RAISE project committee vice-chair, Sule Bertram (who attended the assemblies) was shocked at the statistics revealed when Adam Smith asked how many students' parents do not havea bachelor's degree.  110 students out of about 120 students stood up!!!  Statistics show that students whose parents do not have a bachelor's degree have a 1 in 100 chance of going on to college themselves compared to 1 in 4 chance if their parents have a college education.  (1 in 2 chance if the parents have a master's degree)  These students need us!  

The next step for RAISE is to review all the applications and begin selection of our 20 Juniors.  Then in January, Coaches will meet and greet parents and their assigned students. 

Thank you to all who helped with and attended the assemblies.  We are off to a great start to make the a MISSION POSSIBLE year for 20 special students.

Past Projects

M.A.Y.A.'S House

   MAYAS House Red Cross Location      Mother's And Youth Attaining Stability            Volunteers Reading to Children

The Junior League of Rockford, Inc., Shelter Care Ministries and Rockford School District 205 continue to collaborate for the benefit of M.A.Y.A.’S House, a daytime drop-in center for homeless mothers and children. The center currently operates in the Red Cross Shelter at 809 Cedar Street in Rockford.

According to local sources, the number of homeless women and children in the Rockford area is growing. Presently there are over 800 children in School District 205 in some state of homelessness. These families have few places to go during daytime hours, since most shelters provide refuge at night and those with daytime hours do not provide activities or supervision for children. Mothers who need to apply for a job, attend job training, or look for housing have few, if any, options for safe childcare. Children who are homeless are at risk for falling further behind developmentally, psychologically and socially, because of a lack of a safe and reliable environment in which to play, learn and be nurtured. M.A.Y.A.’S House, the first center of its kind in the Rockford area, will provide recreational, educational and life skill building programs for homeless mothers and their children.

For the mothers, the center provides training in important life skills to help them on their path to self-sufficiency, including training for interviewing and job skills, parenting skills, money management, housing applications, and tenant rights and responsibilities. The center will offer services such as healthcare, legal assistance, temporary childcare, transportation, and laundry facilities. While at the center, children will participate in supervised educational and recreational activities including off-site camps, tutoring and reading time -- healthy, fun activities that most young people take for granted in their daily lives. The women and children also have access to medical services.

M.A.Y.A.’S House will operate in the Red Cross Shelter from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., five days per week until the new location near Shelter Care Ministries is finished.. . The center is staffed Director Pat Crowell, women participating in the program and volunteers from the community.

A long list of local agencies collaborated to deliver the resources for M.A.Y.A.’S House, including the Red Cross, the Rockford Park District, Rockford Housing Authority, Promised Land Employment Services, Shelter Care Ministries, WAVE, MELD, District 205 Early Childhood Department, Carpenter’s Place, Crusader Clinic, Youth Services Network.

              Halloween at M.A.Y.A.'S. House                            Active Member, Beth Holmertz                         Christmas at M.A.Y.A.'S. House

                                                                                          with a Baby at M.A.Y.A.'S. House

Homework Helper Program at Patriots' Gateway Center

Patriot's Gateway Center is a 39,000 square foot community center built in 1998 in southeast Rockford. Its' mission is to provide life enriching opportunities for all, with an emphasis on youth. The children in this region of the city are ethnically and socio- economically diverse and the majority are extremely disadvantaged. The center strives to provide a safe, positive experience for all participants and to be a place of fun and learning.

Numerous community organizations have come together to offer programs and much needed services in Patriot's Gateway Center. The Junior League's commitment is to develop and establish a Homework Helper program two days per week after school for children in grades K-8. The Junior League will recruit and schedule volunteers; obtain the necessary equipment; establish a training manual, tutorial orientation packet, and student orientation packet; provide 100 disadvantaged children with scholarship memberships to the center, and provide a public awareness campaign. The established duration of the project is three years. (1999-2002).

The Discovery Center

The Discovery Center is a "please touch" children's museum that provides a participatory learning environment through its interactive exhibits and programming. As the only museum of this type within a 90 mile area, it is used extensively in the Rockford area schools to promote learning experiences in the arts and sciences.

The Museum began in 1979 as a joint venture of the Junior League and the Rockford Council for the Arts and Sciences. Discovery Center incorporated as a not-for-profit museum in 1983 and transferred the responsibility for its development to the Board of Directors.

Rock River Discover Park

Rock River Discovery Park is the first community-built science park in the US. The Junior League of Rockford, the Rockford Park District, and the Discovery Center were partners in this project which is located directly adjacent to the Discovery Center.

The park exhibit areas were developed by a steering committee composed of engineers, educators, parents, and students who worked under the leadership of New York based architect Bob Leathers. Over 4,300 volunteers helped construct the park which was completed in June, 1991.

Exhibits include: Bridges, Caves, Kinetic Ball Sculpture, Distorted Room, Maze and Mirrors, Navigation, Solar Tunnel, Newton's Cradle, Earthquake Walk Friction Slide, Duck-In Kaleidoscope, Sound Walk, Friction Slides, Balance Bridge, Pendulum and Sympathetic Swings, Echo Tubes, Whisper Dishes, Telephone system and Transmission Tunes, Water Area, and Weather Station.

In the May 1992 issue of Child Magazine, the Discovery Park was featured as one of the "10 Best Playgrounds in America". The Park also received the Heart of Rockford Award from River East and Downtown, Inc. in recognition for the community volunteer work and the impact the park has made on the downtown area. The park also received the 1992 Golden Rule award from J.C. Penney Company.

The Domestic Violence Assistance Center

The Junior League of Rockford, along with W.A.V.E. and the 17th Circuit Court organized the center to assist domestic violence victims in obtaining orders of protection against abusive partners and to educate them on breaking the cycle of violence. Originally, the 25% of the women who started the order of protection process carried through with it. Since the center opened in June of 1998, this has increased to 60%. Through the efforts of this center, Rockford will become a safer community.

In addition to the Domestic Violence Assistance Center the Junior League created the Domestic Violence Order of Protection Information Line (398-Save). A recorded message will give the caller information on the following: what to do in an emergency situation, information about the Assistance Center, the specifics of obtaining an order of protection and other agencies to contact for help.

Ken Rock Community Center

The Community Center is a project aimed at educating people in health and wholesome use of leisure time, develop leadership within the community, provide varied activities designed to fill the needs of the total community and give opportunities for the development of special skills and interests. This project also helps to curb delinquency and develop character and morals through shared planning and democratic action.

Past activities included community picnics, kit-flying contest, ping pong tournament, soft ball program with over 500 players, music program, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Brownies, craft classes, bible club, story hour group, young people's club, woman's club, well baby clinic, kindergarten, and neighborhood groups.