Coya Paz, Assistant Professor in The Theatre School at DePaul University and social commentator on Vocalo.org 89.5, will be our guest speaker.

From "Pew Research Determines Love is Dying in America" by Doug Barry

A new infographic from Pew, the think tank that sounds like a baroness's delicate sneeze, shows that fewer Americans believe in marriage and are trying to fill the emptiness in their hearts with expensive Valentine's Day gifts and fancy, last-minute dinners. While about 39% of all Americans (and 44% of all those cynical, emotionally numb 18-29 year-olds) say that marriage is obsolete, that won't stop them from spending $17.6 billion this year…Valentine's Day dinners will run Americans about $3.4 billion, a shade less than their jewelry purchases ($3.5 billion), and way more than they'll spend on flowers ($1.7 billion). 

Crossroads Fund is celebrating its 30th anniversary with Reading Change, a reading and events series exploring movements for racial, social and economic justice. As part of the Reading Change series, Crossroads Fund, the Kino Project and Chicago Women in Philanthropy present Literary Migrations, a night of poetry and performance exploring and responding to immigration and immigrant rights. 

Poet Jennifer Tamayo, author of Red Missed Aches, will be reading from her work which uses poetry and artwork to unpack her identity as an immigrant and a woman. Jennifer will be joined by local poets and grassroots activists for this evening of moving and thought-provoking performance exploring immigration and identity. 

Crossroads Fund supports community organizations working on issues of racial, social and economic justice in the Chicago area. A public foundation, Crossroads Fund pools the resources of individuals, foundations and businesses, building a broad base of support for grassroots organizations for social change.

Erica Swinney, Associate Director and coordinator for career and community programs at Austin Polytechnical Academy High School, will be our guest speaker. 

From "A Troubled High School Celebrates a Milestone" by Meribah Knight

Austin Polytechnical Academy opened on the West Side of Chicago in 2007 as the city's first and only career academy dedicated to occupations in high-skilled manufacturing…The ambitious plan seeks to engage private-industry companies to help train the students, all of them from a community that has watched local industry flee, unemployment climb and foreclosure rates soar to the highest in the city.

Questions for Consideration

How is Austin Polytech setting new standards in public education? How can schools connect with community needs? How can we ensure that every student is given the same opportunity to excel and find work after graduation? What challenges might schools face when partnering with local businesses and industries? How relevant is job training in the U.S. manufacturing sector today?