Our Mission
To educate, enrich and empower children and families.
Our Vision
To help build a just and equitable society, the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, in partnership with families, will be a beacon of best practices, innovation, and impact in early childhood and youth development.
What We Do
High quality education for children and youth
Sustainable learning is about more than grades. It’s about building habits in class, in homes, and in the community. It’s about learning the thrill of learning. It’s about building the skills of skill-building. It’s about getting our students the opportunities they deserve. This isn’t just for today. It’s for tomorrow. Sustainable learning develops skills that carry through generation after generation.
Early Care & Education For School Readiness
Success in the classroom generates success throughout life. We prepare all of our children up to age five for kindergarten and beyond.
Youth Development & Leadership
Delivering youth programs that empower the leaders of tomorrow through social-emotional learning and effective afterschool activities.
Supporting Child Care
Child care is a human right, and vital to the economic success and well-being of our community and future generations.
Advocacy Research & Publication
Developing leaders today to create a better world tomorrow with our community-based advocacy and partnerships.
Early Care and Education
We provide directly operated Early Care and Education (ECE) programs for children 0-5 years of age. As a trusted, high quality, and innovative early care and education organization, the Carole Robertson Center works in partnership with families, to be a beacon of best practices, innovation, and impact in early childhood education.
We offer a myriad of early care and education programs and services in order to serve the needs and realities of our communities while also placing parental choice at the forefront.
Youth Development
Since 1976 we’ve recognized and proven that the best way to support social-emotional learning and positive identity development is through engaging, stimulating, and hands-on learning. We create experiences that infuse youth voice and choice and are grounded in research and best practices. Our year-round programs serving children ages 5-17 build on the vision of creating a just and equitable society through exploring democracy, activism, and the broader world and engaging in STEAM through a highly qualified, culturally-competent, energetic and passionate staff.
After-School Programs
High quality academic support and enrichment activities during the school year at the following locations:
- Little Village (2929 W. 19th St.)
- North Lawndale (3701 W. Ogden Ave.)
- Albany Park (5101 N. Kimball Ave.)
- Maria Saucedo Scholastic Academy (for students enrolled there)
- KIPP Ascend Primary North Lawndale (for students enrolled there)
Summer Day Camp
Social-emotional learning, problem-solving skills, team-building through fun and engaging activities and experiences during school closures at the following locations:
- Little Village (2929 W. 19th St.)
- North Lawndale (3701 W. Ogden Ave.)
- Albany Park (5101 N. Kimball Ave.)
Our Service Models
The Carole Robertson Center for Learning provides Chicago children and families with a broad range of Early Care and Youth Development options. We are deeply committed to ensuring that every young child (0-5) is served through high quality early care, afterschool enrichment and family support services. We have deep partnerships with small, independent Early Childhood Education (ECE) providers across Chicago, supporting them through funding, training, and back-office support to ensure they are delivering impactful programs within their communities.
Flagship sites
The beacons of high-quality education, learning and development for children and families in North Lawndale, Little Village and Albany Park.
Micro-Centers
We partner with local elementary schools like Legacy Charter School, KIPP Ascend Primary, and Maria Saucedo to provide conveninet preschool options to families at their schools.
home visiting
Home Visitation is a model of early learning that serves families in their own homes. Home visitors model engaging and educational activities and empower parents and caregivers to be their child’s first teacher.
Family Child care
center-based partners
These partner programs are independently operated, but receive support, technical assistance, training, and monitoring services as members of the Carole Robertson Center “Network.”
An Honor & Responsibility
Fighting for Social Justice & Equity.
Our Center works to honor the life and memory of Carole Robertson who, together with her classmates, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, and Denise McNair, was killed in the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. That horrible act of injustice is emblematic of lives robbed of their full potential. With the community we strive to help children build full, free lives. Lives that reject hate, and rise up. We achieve this through comprehensive early childhood education, youth development and family support services.
This is how we drive Social Justice & Equity at our centers.
Support Our Mission
We rely on our volunteers and supporters to execute our mission and vision for tomorrow.
Give
Direct donations and material goods give us the power to expand educational opportunities for all.
Volunteer
Individual, group, and corporate volunteer opportunities are short or long term ways to be involved in the community (TBD during COVID-19)
Attend Events
Our events promote awareness, fundraising, and serve as a focal point for members to understand our mission (TBD during COVID-19)
