An Opportunity of a Lifetime
“These buildings
reflect Glenwood’s strong sense of tradition and history,” admired
Julie Jackson, Chief Financial Officer for the Glenwood School for Boys
and Girls. “Many of the original structures on the school campus are
landmarks and pre-turn-of-the-century. Their very existence represents
the longevity and stability that Glenwood School evokes.”
The
Glenwood School for Boys and Girls is a community-supported, non-profit
organization that provides Chicago’s disadvantaged children with a
residential, educational and a life-skills program that helps them
overcome difficult family and community circumstances to achieve a
better life and future.
The Glenwood School serves approximately
275 at-risk children, ages seven to 17, whose lives and futures have
been threatened by family breakdown or community issues. Many children
arrive at Glenwood with learning and developmental delays, causing them
to be one-to-two years behind in their education and social skills.
The
facility has historically been a boy’s school, but Glenwood’s Trustees
became concerned that boys who were experiencing certain family
conflicts could have sisters in the same troubled situation. As a
result, the school officially opened its doors to girls in the year
2000, and new goals and challenges were embraced.
More Than a School
Glenwood
School’s roots trail back to 1887, where a partnership between Oscar
Dudley, an investigator for the Humane Society, and Robert Todd
Lincoln, son of President Abraham Lincoln, created a legacy that would
last a lifetime. Through the years, this successful enterprise has
helped more than 18,000 conflicted children accomplish their goals and
dreams with respect.
“Glenwood’s programs concentrate on every
aspect of a child’s development,” Julie said. “We are able to provide
more than after-school or residential center programs, which can only
focus on a small portion of a child’s total situation.”
“At
Glenwood, we promote living in a positive environment, commitment to
academic success and succeeding in comprehensive life skills,” Julie
stated. “We focus on building character, confidence and courage. Every
child should be given the chance to fulfill their own potential.”
The
Glenwood School offers a historic South Campus in Glenwood, Illinois,
which serves approximately 180 children annually from Chicago’s
inner-city neighborhoods and surrounding suburbs with a residential and
day program. The campus encompasses 150 acres, including 23 buildings,
14 residence halls, an academic center, a special events center and an
administration building. “Students on the South campus can participate
in a variety of activities, such as after-school sports and recreation,
band and drumline, and woodshop,” Julie added.
The St. Charles,
Illinois Campus was built in 1994 and was fully dedicated as the Rathje
Campus in 2000. The location serves 96 students annually from
surrounding Illinois counties. The St. Charles Campus sits on 120 acres
and is comprised of 11 buildings and eight residence halls. “Students
thoroughly enjoy the wide-open spaces and a vast variety of
extracurricular activities including sports, Boy Scouts and fishing,”
Julie said.
Bridging Better Futures
The
Glenwood School student selection process is very streamlined. Julie
emphasized that the organization’s procedure is separate from the DCFS
and they do not accept any state or federal funds. “Our children come
to Glenwood through a strong referral network – we receive
recommendations through many social agencies, ministries and area
school districts.”
“Glenwood’s children are introduced to a
thorough academic testing process,” Julie continued. “We make sure
their needs are fully identified and then we can supply the proper
resources, programs and special education.”
Education remains
a top priority at Glenwood School. Jan Storms, Resource Director, has
been at Glenwood for 27 years. She currently oversees the school’s
resource department and summer enrichment program. “We strive to
restore our children’s academic progress and bring students up to their
grade level,” Jan said. “When your life is in turmoil or constantly
on-the-move, it is easy for children to fall behind – we provide
stability and consistency which makes it easier to catch up quickly!”
The
Glenwood staff remains confident about the generous support their
organization receives from their donors. “As a community-supported
organization, Glenwood School relies solely on the generosity of
individuals, businesses and foundations,” Julie said. “We have a very
generous donor base. They appreciate our school and we could not be as
successful as we are without the support of our donors, Trustees and
Board Members.”
“We are able to help our donors to connect with
a program or service through their contribution,” Julie said. “Our
donors feel that they are directly affecting and contributing to the
students.”
The house parents at Glenwood School are full-time
dedicated employees with a background in education or social work. They
live in a cottage which houses 12 students. “The advantages of living
and working on campus and being near your family 24-hours per day
appeals to many young parents,” Julie stated.
The cottages
consist of a series of dorm rooms, a common area and a separate living
area attached for the houseparents and their families to reside in
comfortably. “A strong emphasis is placed on living as a functional
family. Families eat their meals in the dining hall, work on homework
and participate in activities together and everything is done as a
family unit,” Julie added.
John Irwin, Glenwood School’s CEO and
President, is a large reason for the success and achievements of the
facility. John lives on campus with his family and takes his passion
for children, education and the community to the highest level. “It is
often difficult for a child to come to Glenwood because few children,
regardless of their circumstances, want to be away from home. Everyone
at Glenwood School knows the special needs of each child and we work
very hard to make them feel welcomed, loved and comfortable,” John said.
Julie
added that John “is very committed to our programs, and remains
dedicated to the school’s purpose. He symbolizes what Glenwood stands
for and has been a true asset to the school for the past 15 years.”
Working Together
The
Glenwood School and The Horton Group have developed an important
relationship. “We established a great relationship early on,” Julie
said. “We feel very comfortable with what Horton has brought to the
table for us and it is a great fit.”
“Since we did not have the
internal expertise or knowledge of what was available to us, we needed
an external support system to draw from – we now have that support from
Horton,” Julie continued. “Today, there are so many issues and complex
needs surrounding our industry, we are fortunate that Horton has a
clear understanding of our organization and its needs.”