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Rogers Park Business Alliance Rogers Park Business Alliance (RPBA ) is a 501c3 non-profit organization established in 1993. RPBA works in the areas of business, community and economic development. We employ a professional staff and are governed by a volunteer Board of Directors composed of local business owners, residents and other stakeholders. RPBA Program Offerings Their entrepreneurial training program, GROW provides visionary entrepreneurs with the resources and tools Sustainable Rogers Park provides local businesses information, tools and connections to implement sustainable business practices. Their Glenwood Sunday Market is an award-winning farmers market, located on Glenwood Avenue between Lunt Avenue and Morse Avenue. Live Love Shop Rogers Park is their annual holiday, shop local campaign. RPBA administers three Special Service Areas offering commercial corridor revitalization to Howard Street SSA #19 , Clark/Morse/Glenwood SSA #24 , Devon Avenue SSA #43 and Sheridan Road SSA #54 .

Ward Nights Do you have something you want to share directly with the Alderwoman? She hosts virtual Ward Night on Wednesdays from 5-7 pm to discuss ideas, suggestions, concerns, and questions one-on-one with 49th Ward residents. To sign up for a time slot, visit calendly.com/mariahadden/ward-night .

Chicago's CityKey ID Program The Chicago City Clerk’s office launched the City Key ID program in April 2018. The new city ID will also act as a Ventra card and a library card. Cardholders can also receive an array of benefits at various businesses and organizations throughout the city. Residents can begin scheduling appointments with the City Clerk’s office to apply for a CityKey. Questions? The City Clerk compiled a list of answers to frequently asked questions available to view on their website .

Property owners in Cook County may have the opportunity to take advantage of a variety of property tax exemptions, resulting in savings on their property tax bill. Savings from these exemptions appear as deductions on the second installment property tax bills mailed in the summer. Residents applying for the Homeowner Exemption, the Senior Citizen Exemption, the Senior Freeze Exemption, and the Home Improvement Exemption must apply annually to receive the deduction on their property tax bills. The Cook County Assessor's Office has streamlined the application process by moving applications online into a single form. Homeowners can check the Cook County Portal website and review their Exemption History and Status to determine which expressions they received last year and if they will auto-renew thisyear. Property Tax Exemptions PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION APPLICATIONS HOMEOWNER EXEMPTION SENIOR CITIZEN EXEMPTION SENIOR FREEZE EXEMPTION DISABLED VETERANS HOMEOWNER EXEMPTION HOME IMPROVEMENT EXEMPTION

Youth Advisory Council The 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council is a group facilitated by Alderwoman Maria Hadden’s office to uplift young voices and develop youth leadership within the community. Led by youth, members have the opportunity to provide input and feedback on legislation as well as create programming that meaningfully impacts the community. Open to all youth ages 14-18 that live or go to school in the 49th Ward, members come together over Zoom once a week to check-in with each other, receive legislative updates, and develop community projects. Since launching in August 2020, the 49th Ward YAC has made the @youthofthe49th Instagram page, is currently running a food drive to benefit the United Church of Rogers Park, and is hosting 49 Expressions, the office’s first ever virtual art gallery. You can learn more about these projects below. If you or a local youth you know are interested in joining the 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council, please contact the office’s Coordinator of Constituent Services and Youth Engagement Grayson Alexander at grayson@49thward.org . 49 Expressions: A Virtual Art Gallery The 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council is hosting a virtual art gallery to highlight the best art the community has to offer and to bring the community closer through the mutual appreciation of the 49th Ward’s comfort and community through artistic expression. We’re looking for artists of all ages and skill levels to submit their work that highlights what we all love about our community. All forms of artistic expression, including visual art, music, and performances, are encouraged. All submissions should be PG-13. Submissions are open until March 29th. All submitted art can be seen here on the Ward website and featured in a video presentation, with Council favorites highlighted. If you or someone you know would be interested in submitting work, visit bit.ly/49Expressions21 . If you have any questions, please feel free to contact YAC Facilitator Grayson at grayson@49thward.org . Land Acknowledgement In March 2021, members of the 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council joined the Roman Susan Art Foundation to record narration for the Land Acknowledgment the Roman Susan Art Foundation created with the American Indian Center and Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society. The 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council is honored for the opportunity to lend their voices and to help recognize that our community is located on the traditional homelands of the Odawa, Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac & Fox tribes. New Years Food Drive The 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council is currently running a food drive to benefit the United Church of Rogers Park’s weekly hot meal through the end of February. In a time where many of our neighbors are hungry, we hope to help our neighbors in need. Everyone is welcome to donate non-perishable goods to Devon Market and Rogers Park Fruit Market. Thank you to our partners at Cermak Market and Morse Market for giving direct donations from their inventory! @youthofthe49thward Instagram Created as a one stop shop for everything 49th Ward, the @youthofthe49thward Instagram features local artists, small businesses, student opportunities, and much more!

City Council Redistricting Updates May 14, 2022 After months at stalemate, your City Council has drafted a new city ward map with the necessary support to pass. We held a subject matter hearing on the map which was released earlier this week. We will vote on the map during a special City Council Meeting on Monday at 11:30am. You can watch the meeting live via ChiCityClerk.com. There is also room for limited in person attendance and you can find info about attending in person on the Clerk's site as well. The proposed 49th ward won't have many changes at all. We maintain the same borders with the 48th and 50th wards that we've had for the previous decade and take on a small portion of the 40th ward that squares off our southwest corner, extending us to Clark St. and Devon Ave and will fully enclose the Rogers Park neighborhood in the 49th Ward. The remapping process has been a daunting one to navigate and there is much to improve on the public engagement side of it. The Peoples' Map process and commissioner process has shown us what robust community engagement can look like and I believe that City Council should follow their example in redesigning our process. I was happy to encourage our residents' participation in the Peoples' Map process and to take input from it in working on our ward map. Not all alderpersons did this. Maybe we can change our or process to require it. Despite the flaws, I still stand by my statements that the redistricting process through the Rules Committee has been the most collaborative exercises that I've experienced in City Council so far. Thank you to everyone who met with me, attended meetings, sent in map drafts and shared feedback with my office. I look forward to continue pushing your City Council to be more accountable, transparent and ethical. You may view the updated Chicago United map on the Committee on Rules' My Districting Tool website by clicking here . December 17, 2021 The Committee on Committees and Rules will host a series of public hearings on the City Council's redistricting process in January. The hearings are scheduled for: Thursday, January 6, at 10 am Tuesday, January 11, at 1 pm Thursday, January 14, at 10 am Friday, January 21, at 10 am Residents may submit written feedback ahead of a public hearing. Written feedback should be submitted via email to committeeoncommitteesandrules@cityofchicago.org . Specific deadlines for public comment will be detailed on the notices for the meetings, which are available to view on the City's Legistar website. Additionally, residents can sign up to speak during the public comment period at a hearing. To sign up for the public comment period, individuals should call 312-744-6800 and leave a voice message with their name and telephone number. Requests for public comments are accepted from 12:01 am the Monday before the scheduled meeting until 8 am on the day before the scheduled meeting. Anyone who wants to participate in the public comment period must be available at 10 am on the day of the meeting and have access to a touch-tone telephone. More information on how to sign up for public comments for a committee meeting is available on the City Clerk's website. Finally, you can stream the public hearing on the City Clerk's website at chicityclerk.com . December 6, 2021 On Wednesday, December 1, Chairman Michele Harris of the Committee on Committee and Rules introduced a proposed ward map , just meeting the December 1 deadline to introduce an ordinance. The map(s) in question: The map introduced by Chairman Harris is the product of 36 members of the City Council who signed on to the Committee's remapping process, which is the same process that has been used in previous redistricting processes. The proposed map includes 16 Black wards (decreasing by 2), 14 Latinx wards (increasing by 1), 15 white wards, 4 plurality wards, and 1 Asian ward (for the first time ever). In October, the Latino Caucus unveiled their own proposed map , which includes 15 Latinx wards (increasing by 2), 16 Black wards (decreasing by 2), 15 white wards, 3 plurality wards, and 1 Asian ward (for the first time ever). Another map that has been in discussion is the Peoples Map . The Peoples Map is an effort that was spearheaded by Change Illinois to have Chicagoans draw maps in an effort to take some of the politics out of the process. The coalition formed a commission and held public meetings to gain input and feedback on how the new map should be drawn. So what now? While the map was introduced this week, no vote was taken. Chairman Harris has called for additional public hearings on the proposed map in the coming weeks and months to solicit further feedback from City Council and the public. Public hearings will begin next week in the Committee on Rules, recess through the holidays, then resume in January. City Council has up until 40 days before the primary election in June to ratify a new ward boundary map. If City Council fails to pass a map, any 10 members of the City Council may file a petition to have their proposed map included as a ballot referendum. That petition must also be filed at least 40 days before the primary in June. Between now and the primary in June, 10 aldermen could file a petition with the Office of the City Clerk calling for a referendum. On Thursday, the Latino Caucus filed a petition with City Clerk Anna Valencia to have the new boundaries determined by ballot referendum during the Primary Election in June. However, if 41 aldermen vote on a map before the primary, it would nullify the referendum, and the new map would be codified. If City Council votes on the map, it would need at least 41 votes to ensure that it doesn't go to a ballot referendum (the map only requires 26 votes to pass and 34 votes to avoid a veto by the mayor). Should less than 41 aldermen vote to approve the map, 10 aldermen could file a petition with the Office of the City Clerk to have the item go before voters as a ballot referendum. They would be required to file the petition within 15 days of the passage of a map in accordance with state statute , and they cannot also vote in favor of the map during the City Council meeting. How can I submit feedback? The map introduced by Chairman Harris is available to review by clicking here . The Committee on Committees and Rules has also created a website , where the map is available to review. Residents may use a redistricting tool housed on the website to create and submit their own ward maps for consideration. Residents may submit written feedback ahead of a public hearing. Written feedback should be submitted via email to: committeeoncommitteesandrules@cityofchicago.org . Specific deadlines for public comment will be detailed on the notices for the meetings, which are available to view on the City's Legistar website . Finally, residents can sign up to speak during the public comment period at a hearing. To sign up for the public comment period, individuals should call 312-744-6800 and leave a voice message with their name and telephone number. Requests for public comments are accepted from 12:01 am the Monday before the scheduled meeting until 8 am on the day before the scheduled meeting. Anyone who wants to participate in the public comment period must be available at 10 am on the day of the meeting and have access to a touch-tone telephone. More information on how to sign up for public comments for a committee meeting is available on the City Clerk's website . When are the next hearings? Per conversations with the Committee on Rules, there will be two hearings next week. Tuesday, December 7, at 3 pm; and Friday, December 10, at 1 pm. Written public comments can be submitted to Michelle.Evans@cityofchicago.org until 10 am the day before each hearing. Official notices of the public hearing containing information on how to submit written comments are available on the City's Legistar website . The future of remapping: One of the frequent comments heard throughout this process was that it lacked transparency. While the Peoples Map solved the most significant issue of Chicago's remapping process by bringing more participation and transparency to the process, the coalition failed to include the input of alderpeople in guiding the process. Alderpeople have a unique lens into their wards that go beyond politics. Alderpeople have historical context for communities and their different needs, they're aware of infrastructure and development projects in the pipeline, and they have connections to city services. The redistricting process has been the most collaborative process that City Council has undertaken this term, and a part of what guided that process was the unique lens that alderpeople have into their communities. The solution to creating better processes and more transparency around redistricting would be a marriage of the two. The redistricting process has been a learning experience; I will take the feedback and what I learned to work with the Committee on Committee and Rules to improve the process and make it more participatory and transparent for the public.

Employment Opportunities In April 2025, our office moved this section of the newsletter to our website . This page contains all the updates and information regarding job opportunities in our ward and the rest of the city. You can access time-sensitive employment opportunities, public service jobs, applications with rolling deadlines, and more resources below! Mary Crane Center Hiring Teaching Staff The Mary Crane Center is currently hiring for teaching positions, including a lead early head start teacher, an early head start teacher assistant, and a head start teacher assistant. Interested parties should apply at this link. JASC Hiring Interns and Accepting Volunteers The Japanese American Service Committee is looking for marketing and operations interns and volunteers to help their organization succeed. Interested? Learn more at jasc-chicago.org/about-us/volunteer Endeavor Health Opportunities Check out these current career opportunities with Endeavor Health, a leading healthcare system committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care across our communities. At this time, Endeavor Health is actively featuring and recruiting several in-demand roles, including Patient Care Technicians, Environmental Services Technicians, and Medical & Scheduling Assistants. These positions offer a great opportunity for individuals looking to build or grow a career in healthcare while making a meaningful impact on patient experiences and outcomes. Whether you’re interested in direct patient support, maintaining safe and welcoming care environments, or supporting clinical operations through administrative coordination, Endeavor Health provides pathways for professional growth, stability, and purpose-driven work. Check out these job opportunities and more at this link. Hamdard Health & NIMAA Externship Opportunity Hamdard Health Alliance is continuing its partnership with the National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement (NIMAA) as an externship location. We will be hosting students this fall who are enrolled in a Medical Assistant certification program. This is an 8-month program running from September 2026 through April 2027, averaging 10 hours on-site per week. Individuals can complete this program at low to no cost and receive their Medical Assistant certification at the conclusion of the program. If you would be interested in enrolling, please learn more on the NIMAA website. If you have any questions, please follow up with their Community Health Program Manager, Ashley Ford (aford@hamdardhealth.org ). Office of Emergency Management and Communication Hiring The Office of Emergency Management and Communication is hiring part-time Traffic Control Aides (up to 200 positions), with a starting salary of $25.54/hr. The job posting is open through July 31. The job posting can be found here: www.Chi.gov/oemcjobs Department of Water Management Hiring Multiple Positions The Department of Water Management is hiring for multiple positions, including a payroll administrator and stores laborer. To access all available positions, click here: https://chicago.taleo.net/careersection/100/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en CFD Seeking Paramedics The Chicago Fire Department's C.O.R.D.I. unit is seeking applicants for a paramedic job opening! Please access the job listing here: https://chicago.taleo.net/careersection/100/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=8750-CFD-2024 CPS Hiring Crossing Guards The Chicago Fire Department's C.O.R.D.I. unit is seeking applicants for a paramedic job opening! Please access the job listing here: https://chicago.taleo.net/careersection/100/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=8750-CFD-2024 Cook County Sheriff’s Office is Hiring The Cook County Sheriff's Office is recruiting for various civilian and sworn positions, including internship, civilian, and sworn staff opportunities. Applications are available on the Sheriff’s Office website: www.cookcountysheriffIL.gov/employment/ Join the Chicago Park District Team The Chicago Park District is seeking to hire several key year-round and seasonal positions. To view all openings, visit ChicagoParkDistrict.com/Jobs . Join the Midwest Water Reclamation District If you are looking for new career opportunities, consider the MWRD. Visit their online employment center to apply and learn more about the job and the selection process IDOT is Hiring Please see the website link for the current job postings available at the Illinois Department of Transportation: https://illinois.jobs2web.com/go/Transportation/8601000/ UMAP Offering Apprenticeships The Utility Workers Military Assistance Program is currently hiring military service members and veterans for a 6-month utility training program. If you are an active service personnel, a reservist, a member of the National Guard, or have veteran status, you are eligible for this program. To apply for this apprenticeship, fill out this application. HACAI Offering Apprenticeships Apply to the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA) General Construction Pre-Apprenticeship program. It is a no-cost program for all Illinois residents with an emphasis on women, people of color and veterans. This program will prepare you to successfully transition to a Registered Approved Apprenticeship in the trades and other employment opportunities within the construction industry. Apply here ! Rich's is Hiring! Rich's, a food products company, is currently hiring for two available positions: a full time general laborer and a material handler. Both roles are located in Niles, IL, and offer generous benefits. You can apply and find more information here . Trilogy Behavioral Health is Hiring! Trilogy Behavioral Health is looking to hire key mental health positions in its organization. Trilogy offers generous benefits and training opportunities. To learn more about openings, visit its website https://www.trilogyinc.org/careers/ . Work for the CTA Are you looking for a career change, a new job, or know someone who is? Look to the CTA each Friday to see newly posted positions as you seek a new career opportunity! Visit transitchicago.com/careers to find a full list of jobs! Misericordia is Now Hiring Misericordia seeks to hire for several key positions within the organization. Misericordia is home to over 600 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It has a 31-acre campus that provides around-the-clock care to support its residents. They strive to find compassionate and hardworking individuals to join its team. Misericordia offers competitive pay rates and excellent employee benefits. For more information on current job openings, visit Misericordia's Careers https://www.misericordia.com/employment/career-opportunities/ . Greater Chicago Food Depository Job Training Programs The Greater Chicago Food Depository now offers free and paid hospitality and supply chain career path training programs. These programs are available to unemployed and underemployed adults living in Cook County. Programs are background friendly and welcoming to those without a high school diploma or GED. More information on the program is available on the Greater Chicago Food Depository's website: https://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/get-help/job-training/referral-programs/ . Find a Career with S&C Electric Company S&C Electric in Rogers Park is seeking to hire team members for several key positions in their organization. S&C Electric is a 100% employee-owned team seeking several team members in the Rogers Park community to keep the lights on across the globe. To learn more and apply, visit www.sandc.com/careers . Cara Connects Cara Connect is a nonprofit organization which engages job seekers, employers, and other organizations across the country to break the cycle of poverty through the power and purpose of employment. They provide free workforce training, job placement, and personal and professional coaching to pave the way for gainful employment. They also work with organizations across the country to build, deploy, and grow strong workforce solutions to help more people experiencing poverty get back to work. Cara can bridge the logistical gaps between job seekers and employers. They provide career coaching, business-appropriate clothing, resume services, and even transportation from one’s home to the job site. Interested applicants can begin with an online application, which can be accessed here . Creative Worker Resources from DCASE This is a listing of resources available locally and nationally to support creatives, from job boards, to professional advancement programs, to emergency funding. If you are a creative professional or interested in advancing a career in creative pathways, please click the link above to view more information!

Street Sweeping The Department of Streets and Sanitation sweep the city’s streets April through mid-November, weather permitting. The city hangs bright orange temporary parking restrictions the day before sweeping service is scheduled to begin. Those who fail to move their vehicle between the restricted hours, between 9 am and 2 pm, will be eligible to receive a $60 ticket. The street sweeping schedule is available to view on the map below. You can also click the brackets located in the top right-hand corner to open the map in Google Maps or by clicking here . Sign Up for Street Sweeping Alerts We The Sweeple (formerly Sweep Around Us) is a third-party website that allows Chicagoans to sign up for email notifications whenever street sweeping is scheduled on their street. The website pulls information from the publicly available street sweeping schedule on the Department of Streets and Sanitation's website. Simply visit wethesweeple.com , enter your address, and then sign up for email alerts so you don't inadvertently miss a scheduled street sweeping on your block. Those who signed up for alerts in previous years will need to re-subscribe.

Community Aid Opportunities Rent Assistance Available Through EZRA If you have had a short-term, documentable crisis that caused you to fall behind on rent or utilities, EZRA may be able to help! EZRA is accepting individuals who need assistance with rent, security deposit (subsidy only), or move-in fee (subsidy only). EZRA is no longer taking Individuals for State Homeless Prevention. Please note that they are unable to accept cases for individuals who owe more than two months of past-due rent. They are accepting individuals who live in market-rate apartments, subsidized, and AROs. Interested individuals can call to complete a screening or visit the website to submit their information for review. Click here to learn more. Pro Bono Therapy for Immigrant & Refugee Communities A local Chicago student, Kaiyen Arana, recently founded Healing Without Fear, an initiative to provide compassionate, trauma-informed mental health care to individuals and families affected by the current immigration, detention and deportation crisis here in Chicago. Healing Without Fear is a confidential network of mental health clinicians who volunteer their time and talent to offer pro bono therapy sessions. These sessions are available to children, adolescents, and adults experiencing stress, trauma, or other mental health challenges related to the current immigration, detention, and deportation threats. HWF is for individuals and families affected by immigration-related stress or concerns about deportation, and consists of at least five therapy sessions (with the possibility of extension), provided by licensed clinicians at no cost. Spanish-speaking therapists are available but in limited quantities. If you or someone you know may benefit from these services, you can contact Healing Without Fear by filling out this form . Once a referral form is received, it will be reviewed and forwarded to a volunteer clinician to initiate services. State Sen. Mike Simmons Mutual Aid Food Drive Senator Mike Simmons’ office is accepting donations of non-perishable food, reusable grocery bags, and new toiletries/diapers/cleaning supplies. Drop off donations Monday - Friday from 10 a.m. -3 p.m. at 1040 W Bryn Mawr. For questions, email senatormikesimmons@gmail.com or call 773-769-1717. Salvation Army GORRC Program Are you 55 or older and caring for a child under 18 or a loved one (19-59) with a disability? The Salvation Army offers a Grandparents and Older Adults Raising Children (GORRC) program for grandparents 55 years old and older who are raising their grandchildren. Through the GORRC program, they offer support group meetings and financial assistance with tangible needs to seniors, for children whose grandparents are caring for them. Find out more by emailing aging@cityofchicago.org . Loyola University ICE Map Tracker Live! The Loyola Phoenix, the official student newspaper of Loyola University Chicago, has launched an ICE tracker where constituents can report ICE sightings in the ward. You can access the map here and read more about using the map here . Protecting Chicago Resources Available! As part of Mayor Johnson's Executive Order 2025-6 Establishing the Protecting Chicago Initiative, the Mayor's Office has launched the Protecting Chicago website, which can be found at: chicago.gov/protect. Protecting Chicago aims to make available information and resources that allow every resident—regardless of background, immigration status, or neighborhood—to live with safety, dignity, and peace of mind. This initiative is Chicago’s commitment to promote the well-being of our communities and to safeguard the rights of all Chicagoans.

Zoning Change Requests One of the biggest concerns individuals have vocalized in the 49th Ward is a lack of a coherent plan for the development in the 49th Ward. Currently, development seems to be something that is just allowed to happen to us and community input, when allowed for, is often at the end of a decision-making process. Alderwoman Hadden wants to work with community residents to ensure that we truly have a transparent, community-driven zoning process. Additionally, she wants the community to collaborate with local builders and developers to determine what we want to see in the ward in the next 5, 10, and 15 years. Community driven zoning has worked in other wards and will work here as well. Zoning Change Process Zoning Change Packet

Submit a Service Request Alderwoman Maria Hadden and her staff are devoted to providing the highest level of service to our constituents. If you need to request a service, simply fill out the form and a staff member will be in touch.

The Future of the Fields: Community Process The Fields Community Process: Next Steps & Recommendations On Tuesday, October 27, our office hosted the final meeting in the Fields Schools community process. During the meeting, we reviewed the process, which was launched in December 2019, to date. We also shared the results of the final visioning survey, which are available by clicking the button below. View the Results During the meeting, the 49th Ward office shared information from Chicago Public Schools that we received in August for school communities seeking to pursue a school action. In that meeting, we learned that CPS has created a robust process for recommending school actions. This process includes establishing a steering committee that is representative of the school community, including a student representative. The steering committee would be required to follow specific outreach and engagement procedures, including recording participants and attendance throughout. Based on the level of engagement throughout the community process, the requirements CPS has established for recommending school actions, and the history between the two schools, our office will be making the following recommendations to CPS: We will push again for CPS to reconsider the student-based budgeting model that is bad for our neighborhood schools; We will ask CPS to reconsider the SQRP rating model and address the concerns around equity as it pertains to this rating system; We will ask for additional support from CPS to create robust articulation between the two schools, including more opportunities for students at both schools to engage with each other and the administrations; We will advocate for additional resources for Eugene Field so they can more effectively market the school to neighborhood families, especially prospective parents who are just beginning to look into schools for their children; and We will continue to engage with the two schools with activities and actions to bring healing to the two communities. Our office launched this process in December 2019 in response to a grassroots effort from the Unite the Fields organization. Our office took on a community process to ensure transparency and accountability in our ward's decision-making process. What became clear throughout the process is that our community deeply cares for our students and wants to provide them with strong neighborhood schools. When seeking schools for their students, parents want continuity, stability, and cohesion. Our office will continue to work with our local school communities and CPS to advocate for the resources and services they need to be first-choice schools. We know that this topic is extremely personal to many, so thank you for engaging with our office around it. While we plan on making these recommendations to CPS at this juncture, it doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t support other proposals or community actions in the future. We would support the formation of a steering committee that can explore potential community actions that follow CPS’s requirements. Thank you again to everyone who participated in this process over the past year. The Fields Community Meeting October 27 Our office will host our final meeting for the Fields Schools Community Process on Tuesday, October 27, from 6-7:30 pm. People interested in attending the virtual meeting can pre-register at bit.ly/fieldszoom . During the final meeting, our office will share the results of the last survey we asked people to complete. We will also share some of the feedback we received during the last two meetings. Finally, we will share the recommendations and feedback that we will be presenting to CPS. The Fields Community Meeting September 29 Our office will host a meeting for the community process around the Fields schools on Tuesday, September 29, from 6-7:30 pm. To join the meeting, go to bit.ly/fieldszoom . During our meeting on September 23, we began the process of evaluating the proposals and ideas that have been submitted through the community process to date. September 29 will be a continuation of that work. You can view the notes from the September 23 meeting by clicking here . Participants will also have the opportunity on September 29 to submit any additional ideas that were not previously identified. We are still asking that stakeholders complete the Fields Schools Visioning Survey online (en español aquí ) to share their feedback and ideas. This will help inform any final recommendations made to CPS. The survey will close on Friday, October 9, at 5 pm. Our office will host a final meeting after the survey closes to share the results of the survey and community feedback with the Fields' communities. We will then present the information to Chicago Public Schools so we can make recommendations that will create strong and sustainable neighborhood schools in the 49th Ward. The Fields Community Meeting September 23 In December 2019, the 49th Ward office undertook a community process to help vision and brainstorm ideas for the Fields Schools (i.e., Eugene Field and New Field). During the process, we identified strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities that these schools face. With a slight pause in the spring due to the COVID-19 crisis, the process resumed in August with an adjusted timeline. During the process, stakeholders submitted ideas and proposals to help support these schools. During the next community meeting, we will review the ideas that were generated during the community process. Participants will also have the opportunity to submit any additional ideas that were not previously identified during the meeting. We will then present this information to Chicago Public Schools so we can make recommendations that will create strong and sustainable neighborhood schools in the 49th Ward. To join the virtual community meeting at 6 pm on September 23, go to bit.ly/fieldszoom . Those who are unable to attend the meeting on September 23 may still complete the Fields Schools Visioning Survey online (en español aquí ) to share their feedback. For an overview of the community process to date, please visit the 49th Ward website . The Fields Community Process Update On August 19, our office hosted a meeting to resume the community process around the Fields schools. During the meeting, Principal Dobbins shared some of the matriculation work Eugene Field is partnering with New Field on to have a seamless and cohesive transition for students entering the fifth grade. We also heard from the Fields communities and Rogers Park residents regarding some of their concerns they have around our neighborhood schools, including the student-based budgeting model and the decrease of school-aged children in the neighborhood. Our office is finalizing the date for the next community meeting, where folks will have the opportunity to bring recommendations for consideration. Please keep your eye on this space, where we will announce the next meeting date. Additionally, we will share a Google Form for folks who are unable to attend the meeting but would still like the opportunity to share an idea or recommendation. Finally, please note that the infographics we previously shared in our newsletter inadvertently had switched out the "strengths" section for the schools. A corrected version of those SWOT analyses is available below. The Fields Community Process Resumes August 19 The 49th Ward office is resuming the community process on the future of the Fields schools. In March, the community process was forced to take an abrupt hiatus in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We want to thank community members who were engaged with us on this issue previously and who provided the necessary space for our office to respond to the emergency of the global pandemic. However, knowing that this community process continues to remain a priority for our parents, we are looking to pick it back up. As a reminder, during the last meeting, our office asked participants to complete SWOT analyses of both of the schools. The results of those analyses are below: Since having to halt the community process, our office has contacted Chicago Public Schools to discuss resuming it. During our meeting on August 19, we will discuss the revised timeline for the community process and review the engagement to date. The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 19 at 6 pm via Zoom. Online preregistration is required at bit.ly/THEFIELDS . Complete a SWOT Analysis As we continue in the community process to vision solutions to support our Fields schools, we have asked residents to take a moment to complete a SWOT analysis for each school. This includes identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for each school. These can be internal or external factors. Please make sure to complete a SWOT analysis for each school. These analyses will help continue the process of identifying and visioning solutions to create strong, first-choice neighborhood schools. Feedback Overview During the second community meeting, the 49th Ward office asked stakeholders to complete a feedback form (a digital version of this was also made available). Below you will find a breakdown of the responses we received on that feedback form and some common themes that we identified. Our office ran into some issues with getting these sent home in kids' take-home packets through CPS. We are currently working with them to find ways to increase the number of respondents to help inform this process. Attend the Community Meeting The 49th Ward will host its third community meeting to continue the discussion on New Field and Eugene Field. During the meeting, we will go over responses to the feedback form from the previous meeting. We will also begin brainstorming and visioning ideas during the third meeting based on the feedback we've received so far. The next meeting will take place on Monday, January 27, at 5:30 pm at Eugene Field Elementary, 7019 N. Ashland . As we continue in the community process, meetings will alternate between Eugene Field and New Field. Spanish translation and childcare services will be available during the meeting. Submit Your Feedback In December, the 49th Ward office hosted its second community meeting on the future of the Fields Schools. During the meeting, we outlined the process and goals we'd like to see from this community-driven dialogue. Beginning in January, we will ask stakeholders to vision and brainstorm ideas. This will help build the foundation to identify solutions to support these two schools and the challenges they face in February and March. Beginning in April, we will present the community with proposal presentations and an opportunity to complete a survey before submitting a final report to CPS. At the December meeting, we asked participants to complete a feedback form to begin to identify their relationship to the schools, the reasons they want to be a part of this community process, the challenges their school(s) face, and things they would like to change at their school(s). The feedback form has now closed, but we will be going over the responses during the January 27 meeting.