“American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it.” When James Baldwin wrote those words in 1963, he captured the exact tightrope that educators walk today. As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2026, teachers are not just reflecting on a historical […]
The welcome at Ballet Chicago‘s sensory-friendly performance of The Nutcracker begins before the curtain rises. A visual schedule helps families know what to expect. House lights remain partially illuminated, Tchaikovsky’s score is played at a lower volume, a quiet room is available for those who need it, and audience members are free to move around […]
When the lights came up after a collection of short documentaries about immigration enforcement in Chicago, the audience did more than applaud. Viewers contributed $4,000 to a legal-support fund and stayed to speak with filmmakers, attorneys, and community advocates working directly with affected families. The event was part of Speak Truth, a new initiative within […]
When 73-year-old Wisconsin resident Leslie slipped in her bathroom one morning, she never imagined she would spend the next six hours on the floor, unable to stand. Her daughter had just left when Leslie lost her footing. Her reading glasses shattered, cutting her forehead and leaving her bleeding and disoriented. Her phone was on the […]
When a grandmother enrolled her 9-year-old grandson, whom she is raising on her own, in day camp this summer, she was hoping to give him a positive outlet to build friendships and confidence, in order to improve his mental health issues. Unfortunately, he did not know how to swim, and the camp did not offer […]
When Patti and Steve Winegar sat down with their planner in 2017 to sketch out their financial legacy, they had two priorities: long term tax strategy and “giving more intentional, larger gifts to our core charities.” Patti was about to sell a company, so it was an important year to consider taxes carefully. And the […]
A child should worry about making the soccer team, learning to drive, or what to wear to prom. Not whether they’ll lose a leg or whether the chemotherapy that’s about to begin is largely the same treatment doctors have relied on for decades. Yet for hundreds of children and teenagers diagnosed with osteosarcoma each year […]
September in Chicago brings major music and arts festivals, world-class theater, food events, museum exhibitions, author talks, comedy, and great opportunities to take advantage of warm weather while we still can. From biking a car-free Lake Shore Drive and hearing jazz in Millennium Park to seeing performances by Kyle MacLachlan, Patti Smith, Ilana Glazer, Eric […]
What if we challenged the long-standing idea that artists should have to struggle for their art? Is instability proof of passion? Do we equate uncertainty with choosing a creative life? Should dancers, musicians, actors, and visual artists accept sacrifice as the cost of doing what they love? What if, instead, we believed that extraordinary art […]
On a Wednesday afternoon, teenagers in colorful T-shirts were jogging back and forth across a brand-new gym floor and practicing their basketball and volleyball skills. The exercises were part of the first youth programming at the Obama Presidential Center, bringing a long-held vision to life through a partnership with After School Matters, a Make It […]
