Latest news with #WaubonseeCommunityCollege
Chicago Tribune
31-07-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Column: New partnership to provide after-school child care for Waubonsee Community College student-parents
I remember decades ago writing a column about the most pressing issue I faced as a parent: child care. It was a huge concern, always at the top of my list of stressors and not just in regard to affordability but also to quality. I mention this because when the new program between Waubonsee Community College and the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central Illinois was described to me as 'a game-changer,' I knew from personal experience this is not a case of marketing hyperbole. In a new partnership, Waubonsee and the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central Illinois are launching a free, on-campus after-school care program for students at the college's downtown Aurora campus. Unlike other colleges that offer financial assistance or care for toddlers, noted WCC President Brian Knetl, this provides no-cost quality care for elementary-aged children of enrolled students from 3:45 to 9:30 p.m. inside the college building. Convenient? For sure. But if you are, say, a single parent trying to build a better future, this program can be a lifeline. Imagine the emotional relief knowing your kid is spending quality time right down the hall as you pursue a degree or certification. Imagine the financial burden that is lifted, at a time when it's becoming increasingly difficult for so many to pay rent, keep the lights on and put food on the table. Game changer? You bet. And, as an added bonus, it is putting these youngsters in a college environment early in life that can't help but make their own pursuit of higher education at some point in their lives that much more familiar – and expected. 'I totally get it,' says Cathy Russell, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central Illinois who remembers her own days as a single mom. 'It's a win-win for everyone.' The seed of this partnership was planted in the summer of 2022, a few months after Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central Illinois, which began in Elgin in 1993, opened its sixth club in Aurora. The board, which included WCC employee Adam Schauer, met at the college, and those early gatherings, said Russell, 'helped us to build relationships, have deep conversations' that included how after-school care can be a barrier for students. 'It just makes so much sense for parents to be able to bring their kids to a place where they too will learn,' she insisted. While Boys & Girls Clubs are known for using non-traditional sites like schools, churches and Section 8 housing, 'adult learning education is a whole new movement,' Russell told me, adding that 'I don't know any other organization doing something quite like this.' Currently the club in Aurora is meeting in more than a dozen schools in District 131 and around a half dozen in District 129. The hope is to build a new 45,000-square-foot clubhouse in the city – with help from a $500,000 federal grant secured by U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, according to news reports. The WCC/BGC program, which will kick off this upcoming semester, will provide snacks for the kids, academic support and STEAM enrichment activities, and will also focus on the social and emotional well-being of the kids, said Russell. The college and this nationally-recognized youth club both have long and trusted reputations. But they also share a 'common mission' of expanding their footprints to best serve the needs of the community, said Knetl, who has been working in community colleges for over 20 years and became Waubonsee Community College president in January of 2023. The program, he added, is the 'definition of coming together.' Knetl points to a young couple, who are high-performing students at WCC but sometimes have to juggle their class to take care of their children. 'Our students are finding a way to make it work,' he said. 'What concerns us most is that we may never know about the people who want to go on to college but can't afford a trustworthy place to send their children.' And so, Waubonsee Community College and the Boys & Girls Club are anxious to get the word out about what really could be a game-changer. 'We want to break down those barriers,' said Knetl. 'We are eager to see where this will go.'
Chicago Tribune
06-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
New member approved for West Aurora School District board
The West Aurora School District board on Monday night chose Megan Jones, a manager in the Adult Education Department at Waubonsee Community College, to fill the vacancy created when Thomas St. Jules resigned from the board earlier this spring. St. Jules stepped down from the West Aurora school board in March after being appointed as an associate judge in the 16th Judicial Circuit Court in St. Charles. St. Jules was midway through his second four-year term on the board. He was originally elected to the board in 2019. The board accepted letters of interest from prospective candidates as part of a 'thorough process' to identify a community member to serve the remainder of the unexpired term, ending in May 2027, district officials said. Jones is a manager in the Adult Education Department at Waubonsee Community College, where she oversees onboarding and engagement for adult learners and manages faculty compliance processes, district officials said in a statement. Jones earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and Spanish from Butler University and a master's degree in business administration from Aurora University. 'I am honored to have been selected to serve the remaining two years of this term on the school board,' Jones said. 'As a parent with two daughters in the district, I am committed to doing whatever I can to ensure School District 129 remains strong, vibrant and a place where all students can thrive.' The district received a 'high number' of applications 'reflecting strong community interest' and a 'well-qualified group of candidates,' district officials said of the selection process. Jones emerged as the board's recommended candidate for the May 5 board vote. In addition to approving Jones for the vacant seat on the board, the three candidates who won four-year seats on the board in the April 1 election – incumbents Richard Kerns II and Julie Stone and challenger Erika Garcia – were sworn in at Monday night's school board meeting.
Chicago Tribune
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Tours planned at Waubonsee Community College's downtown Aurora campus
Waubonsee Community College is inviting prospective students, families and community members for tours of its Aurora Downtown Campus at 18 S. River St. on Tuesday, April 1. The free event will feature guided campus tours in English and Spanish at 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., school officials said in a press release. A Resource Fair will begin at 4:30 p.m., providing those attending the opportunity to connect with bilingual staff and support services to learn about admissions, financial aid, academic programs and more, officials said. There will be a prize drawing for a free class (up to a $500 value) at the event, according to the release. Waubonsee's Aurora Downtown Campus provides transferable general education courses, associate degrees and certificate programs, on-site tutoring support, and academic and career planning, officials said. The campus is also home to the college's Latinx Resource Center and the Adult Education Program, according to the release. For more information and to RSVP for the upcoming tours, go to Free art workshops planned To celebrate 15 years, Aurora Alley Art Festival will be hosting two free public workshops leading up to the Aug. 30 event, including one coming up in April. On Tuesday, April 15, Alley Art Festival will host a World Art Day workshop facilitated by Aurora artist Cherylyn Gnadt, event organizers said in a press release. Gnadt will lead attendees in creating inspirational Inner Hero Cards from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Mutual Ground, 418 Oak Ave. in Aurora, according to the release. On Saturday, May 10, Alley Art Festival will celebrate World Collage Day from 2 to 4 p.m. at Water Street Studios, 160 S. Water St. in Batavia. Collage artist Bryan 'Dadasoulface' Joseph will go over the history of collage and participants will be able to create collage art, the release stated. Registration is not needed for either art event. Seating and materials will be available on a first come, first served basis while supplies last, organizers said. The events are open to all ages and abilities. For more information on the Alley Art Festival, go to Program to focus on hospice, palliative care The St. Charles Public Library will host an informational program called 'Hospice and Palliative Care for You or Your Loved One' at 1 p.m. Thursday, April 3, at the library, 1 S. Sixth Ave. in St. Charles. Kristin Tosaw, an advanced practice nurse in palliative care, will explain the difference between palliative care and hospice, according to a press release from the library. She will discuss eligibility, and the course of care available. Hospice care is a type of end-of-life care that is provided when a person is nearing the end of their life, typically with a prognosis of six months or less to live, according to the release. Palliative care, on the other hand, is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and suffering associated with serious illnesses, but it is not limited to the end of life, event organizers said. To register for the program, go to or call 630-584-0076. Children can help illustrate calendar The city of Geneva's Student Government Committee is once again inviting elementary students to illustrate a calendar highlighting the importance of trees in the community, according to city officials. The art contest is open to Geneva students in first through fifth grades, according to a press release from the city of Geneva. Children can use crayons, colored pencils or markers to create their tree artwork on an 8½- by 11-inch blank sheet of paper, officials said. Landscape orientation is preferred. The submission deadline is Thursday, May 22. Parents can enter one original piece of artwork per student in person at Geneva City Hall, 22 S. First St., or online through the city's website at Those interested can go to the Parkway Tree Calendar Student Art Contest web page at the site for submission forms and more information. The city's Student Government Committee will review the submissions to determine which entries, selected from multiple grade levels and schools, will be included in the calendar, officials said. Winners will be honored at a future Geneva City Council meeting and will receive a free copy of the calendar when it is published during the summer, officials said. Knox Presbyterian Church hosting art exhibit A Lenten art exhibit featuring the works of the Rev. Shawna Bowman is being presented from Monday, April 14, to Friday, April 18, at Knox Presbyterian Church, 1105 Catalpa Lane, Naperville. Bowman, an artist and pastor at Friendship Presbyterian Church in Chicago, will display a series of works that provide an opportunity to walk through the final events of Christ's life and resurrection. 'This body of work is meant for us to explore the ways power is not only misused and abused in our current systems and realities but also point us to the promise that evil and death never have the final word. This is why there is also an Easter Station included in this series,' according to a description of the artwork. The free exhibit is open to the public and can be found in the church's main sanctuary. Viewing times are 1 to 8 p.m. April 14, 15 and 17, 1 to 6 p.m. April 16 and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 18. The self-guided experience also includes a brochure that will describe the art and provide questions for reflection, organizers said. This is the second year Knox Presbyterian Church has offered the Lenten art experience. Its event last year featured artists who were members of the church. For more information, go to
Chicago Tribune
21-02-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
School District 308 offers English classes to parents of multilingual learners
In partnership with Waubonsee Community College, Oswego-based School District 308 is offering English language classes to parents and guardians of multilingual learners in the district, officials with District 308 said. The classes began in mid-January and will continue through May 22 at Old Post Elementary School in Oswego, according to a press release from School District 308. The first few sessions included registering, taking assessments and reviewing assessment results, officials said. These results aided the course facilitators in finding out the level of English language fluency each participant possesses and determining how to support their learning best, according to the release. 'Our school districts are the center of a community,' said Maria Lopez, director of Multilingual Learners in School District 308. 'We're providing that opportunity not just for our students to learn, but for our families to learn so they can support our students.' Although District 308 has hosted similar opportunities in the past, this is the first time the district has collaborated with Waubonsee Community College on the program, according to the release. While Waubonsee supplies the instructors and curriculum for the classes, the district provides free child care for the participants in attendance, District 308 officials said. Lopez hopes the partnership will result in a continued relationship with Waubonsee and benefits to the adults taking part in the program. 'I hope that it just continues to grow and be successful so that, at the end of the day, we are supporting our community and the people that represent this community,' Lopez said.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Aurora mayoral candidates: John Laesch emphasizing ethics reform, living-wage jobs in campaign for mayor
Editor's Note: This is one in a series of stories looking at candidates for mayor of Aurora in the Feb. 25 primary election. John Laesch, currently an alderman at-large on the Aurora City Council, is running for mayor. Early voting is currently available for the Feb. 25 primary election, which includes the Aurora mayoral primary. Also running for mayor of Aurora in the primary are incumbent Richard Irvin, Ald. Ted Mesiacos, Karina Garcia, Jazmine Garcia and Judd Lofchie. Aurora residents will each get to vote for one mayoral candidate in the primary, and the two candidates with the highest number of votes in the Feb. 25 primary will move on to the April 1 general election. Each of the mayoral candidates agreed to an interview with The Beacon-News. During Laesch's interview, he said that he is running for mayor because, under Irvin's leadership, he has been unable to move along the things he wants to do quickly enough and has been unable to stop 'lucrative development deals for the mayor's political insiders.' There are two Auroras, Laesch said: One that works 'incredibly well' for the mayor's 'buddies and his donors and developers,' and then there's everyone else who 'end up paying the tab.' While Laesch's family eventually ended up in the Aurora area, he spent most of his young life in Liberia, where his parents were missionaries. That experience taught him from a young age that there were 'ways to live other than consumer capitalism,' taught him that every human being has value and should be treated with dignity and taught him how to be a creative problem-solver that thinks outside of the box, he said. Laesch, 12 years old at the time, along with his family evacuated the West African country in 1986 after an attempted coup, eventually settling on a farm in Newark, he said. There, he worked various jobs ranging from a pig farm to starting his own small business to save money for college, Laesch said. Using those funds, Laesch attended Knox College but quickly ran out of money, he said. Instead of taking out student loans, he dropped out, went home and started working again while attending Waubonsee Community College, Laesch said. He then joined the Navy and became a Naval Intelligence Analyst, according to Laesch. He served in the Middle East for about three years, he said, then returned to the U.S. and graduated from Waubonsee Community College with an associate's degree and then started attending Illinois State University, which he graduated from with a bachelor's degree in history, he said. Laesch then started an advertisement firm for local bars and also started to get involved in politics, working on Dennis Kucinich's unsuccessful run for president and David Gill's unsuccessful run for representative of Illinois' 15th Congressional District, both in 2004. He then unsuccessfully ran against incumbent Republican Dennis Hastert for Illinois' 14th Congressional District seat in 2006, then again lost in the primary for the same seat to Bill Foster in 2008. Around this time, Laesch also became a carpenter and spent the next few years 'just trying to survive financially,' he said. His focus had shifted more toward community organizing, and those efforts led him to look more closely at the education system, which led to him running for East Aurora School Board in 2015. The campaign was successful, and he stayed on the board until 2019. Laesch worked on several campaigns while on the school board and after, then unsuccessfully ran for mayor against Irvin in 2021. In 2023, he ran for alderman at-large because of the Hollywood Casino-Aurora project and won the seat, he said. Now, in his second bid for mayor of Aurora, Laesch said he would work toward three things if elected: bringing living- wage jobs to the city, fostering a 'green collar economy' and ethics reform around campaign financing. While Laesch consistently votes against economic incentives for developers, he said that he is OK with subsidies for businesses as long as they bring in living-wage jobs. 'Aurora has to subsidize restaurants, grocery stores and even apartment buildings that go to Geneva or Naperville with no problem,' Laesch said. 'The reason that they do it is because there's a customer base over there, and we don't have that customer base.' However, because the city is subsidizing these businesses, many Aurora residents cannot afford them, according to Laesch. He said the city needs to find a way to bring in higher-paying jobs and address the poverty level, and once people start getting more money, they can start to afford to spend more money on supporting local businesses the community actually wants and can afford, he said. One of the ways Laesch said he proposes to bring in higher-paying jobs is by 'positioning Aurora for the green collar economy that's coming.' That includes encouraging businesses that create innovative building materials to move to Aurora, and while government subsidies to these businesses may help, a different structure may work better, according to Laesch. He said incentives could go toward homeowners, especially by working with the Illinois Climate Bank, to create a local market for these businesses. That local market, combined with the city's existing easy access to major transportation networks, would make Aurora a great place to be located for these businesses, Laesch said. However, this idea would depend a lot on the federal government's support, which is 'a big question mark right now,' he said. A major topic Laesch has also brought up in his previous run for mayor against Irvin is campaign financing ethics. He has accused Irvin of 'pay-to-play,' or prioritizing government contracts or incentives to those who donate to his campaign, which Irvin has denied. Laesch has previously said that, while Irvin does not appear to be doing anything actually illegal, campaign donations to Irvin still seem to influence Irvin's and the city's decision-making, he said. To solve this issue, Laesch said he would lobby for publicly funded campaigns, similar to how Arizona's 'clean election' laws work. While candidates could still choose to raise funds privately, a candidate could instead declare themselves to be a 'clean elections candidate' and accept public funds rather than donations, he said. One thing that sets Laesch apart from his opponents is his voting record, he said. While other candidates may say they voted against budgets, Laesch also voted against the individual items that led to the spending, he said. Laesch is against the City of Lights Center, a proposed 4,000-seat theater and 600-person event space downtown, although was not against the expansion of RiverEdge Park, he said. The city needs to test if bigger entertainers will come to the city through the expanded RiverEdge Park, he said, before looking to build something like the City of Lights Center. Fellow mayoral candidate Jazmine Garcia said Monday that she was planning to suspend her campaign and instead endorse Laesch. In a statement posted to her campaign Instagram, she said that he shares her campaign's commitments to 'fighting corruption, to restoring trust,and to ensuring that the people of Aurora have a government that works for them.' Also endorsing Laesch are the College Democrats of the University of Illinois Chicago, District 1 Kane County Board member Myrna Molina and District 5 DuPage County Board member Saba Haider, according to a newsletter from Laesch's campaign. rsmith@
