Each year Turning the Page hosts summer learning trips and experiences for families from all partner schools in Chicago and D.C. The purpose is to provide families free opportunities to learn together over the summer. Also, families receive transportation, a meal, and free books. Each summer series has a theme. Activities may focus on particular content areas like the arts, science, fitness and nutrition, or reading and writing. Learn about some of our summer learning trips with D.C. families!
Where does Bubble Gum come from?
This year in Chicago, families had an array of learning experiences all geared towards exploring the city through conservation and fitness. We kicked the summer off visiting the Garfield Park Conservatory, a hidden gem on the city’s west side. Families learned about plants from all over the world like the vanilla orchid in the Sugar from the Sun room and the calabash tree in the Aroid House.
Students explored the grounds using scavenger hunts. Middle school students worked on a plant-naming hashtag challenge. Primary students had to find which plants are used to make sugary treats like bubble gum (the Sapodilla tree) and chocolate (the Cacao tree). Finally, we ended the day with a hands on activity about plant growth. Hence, we learned the parts of fruit and vegetable plants that we actually ate.
Teamwork makes the dream work!
To now focus on fitness, we partnered with the Chicago Sky women’s basketball team and the Sky Cares Foundation who provides reading programs to schools and nonprofit organizations supporting family engagement initiatives. They graciously offered tickets to our families, some of whom never attended a professional basketball game. Most families that attended had middle school or high school students who played basketball. It was great for us to share in their interests as well. “The seats were great, my daughter had never been to a basketball game. She enjoyed the drummers as well,” said a parent. Each half time gave families additional opportunities to learn about fitness and community involvement.
Shake it till you make it!
To extend our learning in family fitness, our next activity was a Zumba and mindfulness workshop at the Douglass Library. We’ve partnered with them many times to provide family resources around literacy development. The goal of this workshop was to provide families an opportunity to workout together and learn about mindful eating. Unfortunately, some of our families live in food deserts. So, we wanted to share fun ways to practice healthy eating habits like food selection and portion control. “Health and fitness are lacking in our community and we need more events to stimulate movement and health,” a parent explained after attending the event. As the school year approaches, we’ll be working on providing more ways for families to get active in their community.
Lions, Tigers, and Bears. Oh, My!
We concluded our summer learning experiences with a trip to Lincoln Park Zoo where families learned more about conservation and certainly got some walking exercise. At the beginning of our trip families were given a guided tour of the Nature Boardwalk. It’s a beautiful green space adjacent to the zoo where wildlife from around the country have made a home. The boardwalk is often used as a place to talk about wildlife and conservation. Then, families explored the farm and zoo grounds.
Later, families happened upon Rally on the Road hosted by Rally Health Ambassador and celebrity host Maria Menounos. Families completed an obstacle course, answered trivia questions about nutrition, learned about simple ways to improve their physical health, and won fitness gear to kick start their wellness journey!
As an organization, we are aware of the challenges and barriers that our families face. For that reason, Turning the Page strives to provide quality cultural, educational, and social learning opportunities for families over the summer. Similarly during the school year, we host monthly literacy workshops that provide parents the tools they need to support their child’s learning at home. Click here to learn more about Turning the Page and how we support our families!