Oak Park Education Foundation

About Oak Park Education Foundation

At OPEF, we believe that every child should have the opportunity to pursue their dreams, explore their curiosity, and discover their true passions. We are devoted to creating and promoting initiatives that promote equity and inclusiveness, a sense of belonging, inspiration, real-world connections, innovation, community engagement, and fun. Our mission is to ensure that every child has the resources they need to develop their passions and find success. We offer initiatives that help children build self-confidence, practice collaboration, and hone their problem-solving skills, while also giving them the opportunity to explore their interests and work towards achieving their full potential. At OPEF, we strive to create a supportive environment that encourages children to take risks, be creative, and have fun. We believe that every child should have access to the same opportunities and be able to reach their highest potential. We are committed to providing the tools and resources that will enable children to pursue their dreams, explore their curiosities, and discover their true passions.

Programs

The classes, camps and experiences this business offers.

ART START

It gives children wider vocabulary. It introduces new perspectives, helps develop problem-solving skills and creates new opportunities for children to excel in school. As one first grader said, “It’s good to try new things because you never know what you’ll like.” Our artists also conduct special projects each year with 3rd-8th grade students. Over the last 17 years, more than 13,000 District 97 children have participated in Art Start.

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GEARED UP

Geared Up brings engineering, physical science, math and technology challenges to elementary school students. Geared Up uses LEGO motorized mechanisms sets to teach exciting hands-on lessons, with students testing their own ideas and working in teams of two. For example, one project has students experiment to determine which will roll further down a hill, a heavier cart or a lighter one. They also test bigger or smaller wheels to see if these affect the speed of the cart. Students make predictions, build carts and a ramp, measure weights and distances. They learn first-hand about friction, mass, moving energy and efficiency.

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SCIENCE ALLIANCE

Our exciting roster of visiting scientists includes environmental scientists from the EPA, a cardiologist from Children’s Memorial Hospital, an astronomer from IIT and an evolutionary biologist from the University of Chicago. Working side by side with these professionals, our students learn that science has many practical applications that smart, interesting adults in their community use in their work every day. Scientists, students and teachers in Science Alliance classrooms run experiments and take field trips together. Putting the scientific process into action inspires some students to consider careers in science, and inspires all students to look more closely and critically at the world around them.

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BASE CAMP -Experimentation Station

Conduct hands-on experiments with things gooey, strange, stinky, colorful, eruptive, surprising and always fun! Hypothesize about the science behind the reactions you see. You’ll finish camp with a lab book of experiments you can do again at home. Content will be the same each session. Please note that some experiments will involve small servings of candy (nut free), and we will make ice cream (with a non-dairy option). Ingredients can be provided upon request.

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