CAPITAL INVESTMENTS – NORTH LAWNDALE
The Carole Robertson Center for Learning educates, enriches, and empowers children and families through comprehensive child and family development programs. As we conduct the Center’s first campaign, Invest Today, Empower Tomorrow, we invite partners to support necessary capital investments to our North Lawndale site and bolster our capacity to bring highquality education and family support to residents in this robust, but historically marginalized and disinvested, community.
The North Lawndale site is located at 3701 West Ogden Avenue. It is a 20,543 square foot, single-story building that serves more than 200 children and youth. The building, which was built in the late 1990s, needs significant capital investments to address deferred maintenance in an aging building, and meet research-based environmental tenets that we know matter when delivering high-quality services to children and families. We believe our buildings serve as learning environments where children can thrive and develop, and each dedicated space must be carefully designed, curated, and maintained to help each child reach their fullest potential.
The Carole Robertson Center for Learning seeks to raise $10 million to $15 million to support the total capital enhancements needed at our three flagship sites. The improvements planned for our North Lawndale location will ensure our spaces continue to be warm, inclusive, and welcoming high-quality learning environments that nurture every child’s holistic development.
PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS
The following spaces will be upgraded through the support raised by the capital campaign:
• Upgrade the technology and infrastructure of the building’s 13 classrooms
• Update the lighting, intercom, and camera systems to ensure a safe and secure environment for our children, families, and staff
• Install more durable windows so that the building is well protected from external stressors, like community violence
• Refurbish the multi-purpose room to serve as a community resource
• Replace the roof and repair the brick masonry to ensure the building’s continued integrity
• Replace the ventilation system to ensure better air circulation, which will enhance comfort in summer and winter months, and promote a healthy indoor environment (especially important given the rates of asthma and allergies among North Lawndale residents)
COMMUNITY BENEFITS
The Carole Robertson Center’s three flagship buildings provide the high-quality early childhood and youth development programs that so many families in North Lawndale, Little Village, and Albany Park rely on, but our opportunity to serve does not stop there. As each of our flagship locations are in close proximity to residential and business centers, our buildings should serve as a community hub where residents, community partners, and families can come together for celebrations, educational programs, health and well-being activities, and other community events.
The capital improvements to North Lawndale’s communal spaces (e.g., multi-purpose room) will enable us to:
• Provide North Lawndale residents with a welcoming and inclusive space where they can go to connect with their neighbors, pursue common interests, and find support when they need it.
• Provide community residents opportunities for volunteerism and community service.
• Connect residents to community resources and services, increasing access to community assets and networks.
• Offer a gathering space for cultural celebrations and other community-wide events.
CAMPAIGN GOAL AND PROGRESS
After launching our campaign in September 2022, the Carole Robertson Center has already made significant progress toward our overall goal. To date, we have secured nearly $6 million, with $750,000 raised specifically for the capital needs at our North Lawndale site. Those needs are estimated to range between $3.5 million to $4.5 million.
Together, we can create lasting change for Chicago’s future. We welcome the opportunity to discuss the campaign and pursuant gift recognition opportunities in more detail, including opportunities to name spaces in the renovated facility.
