About Cool Classics!
Introduction
Cool Classics! uses classic books to connect children to a unified world of reading, art, culture and ideas. An award-winning journalist, who substitute teaches in the Chicago Public Schools, designed Cool Classics! to mix pedagogy and play for small groups of elementary public school students in an after-school setting.
The program she created focuses on one classic book at a time and, in 20 to 25 sessions of varied activities, builds a universe of art, culture and thematic ideas around it. The children literally are led to experience how the text of a book opens up a whole world of creative imagination, sharpening the skills one needs for succeeding in the real world.
Each session begins with the reading of that book, followed by various activities that spiral back to the themes in the book. These may include exposure to artists and experts, projects, activities and field trips that create the multi-faceted Cool Classics! experience.
Download a PDF version of our brochure.
News
Since its 2006 pilot program at the Walt Disney Magnet School, Cool Classics! has offered after-school programs at four public schools - Horace Greeley Elementary School, William C. Reavis Math & Science Specialty Elementary School, Jane's Place at Nettelhorst Elementary School and Emmett Louis Till Math & Science Academy- and at The University of Chicago Charter School, Donoghue Elementary Campus. Cool Classics! is currently at Horace Greeley Elementary School, William C. Reavis Math & Science Specialty Elementary School and Emmett Louis Till Math & Science Academy.
The art, work and activities of the Greeley Cool Classics! participants are currently on display at the Chicago Public Library's Uptown Branch at 929 W. Buena Ave. Cool Classics! has been on display at CPL branches, schools and the Chicago Public Schools downtown headquarters. The art, work and activities of the Greeley Cool Classics! participants were on display at CPL's Uptown Branch at 929 W. Buena Ave from September 2006 to March 2007 and December 2008 through February 2009 and in May 2009, January 2010 and May 2010. The art, activities and work of the Donoghue participants were displayed from March through May in both 2009 and 2010 at the Chicago Bee Branch of the Chicago Public Library, 3647 S. State St. The art, activities and work of the Reavis participants were on display at the Blackstone Branch of the Chicago Public Library, 4904 S. Lake Park Ave., in May 2010.
The children of Cool Classics! were honored to be able to record with Ella Jenkins, the internationally known children's singer and musician, in 2009. That CD, Ella Jenkins: A Life of Song, was recently released in connection with the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and is available at bookstores or through Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. In Spring 2011 Ms. Jenkins gave a special concert at Greeley School to thank the children of Cool Classics!, which was part of a profile of her that aired on WGN TV - Watch video. Ms. Jenkins and the new CD were recently featured in a Chicago Tribune column, which mentioned Cool Classics!
A generous donation from Ms. Jenkins started a Cool Classics! Lending Library, which now has close to 850 volumes that participants can check out and read at home. The overwhelming donations of patrons in Border's Spring Book Drive at the 2817 North Clark St. store greatly expanded our collection. The library is wildly successful and participating children are reading with great excitement, making recommendations to their friends in Cool Classics! and keeping track of their reading for the year. You can help build the Cool Classics! Lending Library by donating a children's book from our wishlist.
Alumni of the 2008-2009 Cool Classics! programs at Donoghue and Greeley starred in videos that were central to the "What Does It Say to You" exhibition at the Spertus Museum. We were so proud of our students and their analysis of objects from the museum's collection. We hope you got a chance to visit the show, which ran from September 2009 through June 2010.
Supporters and Partners
Cool Classics! began with a generous grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, which made it possible to develop, pilot test and evaluate the program for Chicago's public school children.
Support comes from Harper Court Arts Council; Lewis Manilow; The Northern Trust Centennial Fund; a donor-advised fund of the Chicago Community Trust; The Seabury Foundation; Service Club of Chicago; The Springboard Foundation and Urban Gateways. Funding has also come from the Nathan Manilow Foundation and Polk Bros Foundation. The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust is the generous sponsor of buses for some of our field trips.
Cool Classics! partners include Chicago Literacy Alliance; Communities In Schools of Chicago; Harris Theater for Music and Dance at Millennium Park; Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago; Lifeline Theatre; Open Books; Powell's Bookstores and Judy A. Saslow Gallery.
Please consider making a donation of any size to Cool Classics! Inc. We welcome any and all support, and our children benefit from all gifts and donations.
Cool Classics! is incorporated as a Not for Profit under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
