Concordia Place: A Place for All

August 22, 2016

For over 30 years, Concordia Place, a multigenerational nonprofit, has provided education, enrichment, and wellness services to the Chicago community. Their mission to create involved communities for neighbors regardless of their age and income—a place for all—is exactly why we’re excited to be working with them this enrollment season.

Accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and having earned the Gold Circle ExceleRate award, a quality rating hallmark for early childhood education, Concordia Place is committed to excellence in early childhood education, teen leadership development, adult education, and senior wellness.

When asked how, Director Nyla Diab discussed their team of exceptional staff with degrees in education and additional endorsements, along with ever-changing practices and approaches that are responsive to the needs of those they serve. Such include low child-staff ratios; bilingual staff in classrooms; organic lunches and healthy snacks; and curriculums focused on language, problem-solving, motor development, and more.

blog-concordia-3

The organization offers interactive classes inviting parents to explore activities together and partnerships with companies such as Deloitte to provide extra assistance and opportunities for growth. As a result, nearly 90% of children enrolled meet or exceed developmental milestones before leaving for kindergarten. 

Nevertheless, Concordia’s efforts don’t end there. Their model is entirely inclusive, creating classrooms that are economically, culturally, and racially diverse. A sliding scale tuition plan and public support allows them to serve nearly 70% low-income families, 40% single parents, and furthermore launch programs and services for teenagers, adults, and seniors—even those beyond their classrooms.

Concordia Place also works with teens to develop leadership skills through innovative training and internship opportunities in their Ruckus Entrepreneurs program. The program integrates a social mission of developing environmentally-conscious teen leaders with a socially-conscious business venture. A social enterprise that develops and distributes teen-made body care products, Ruckus Entrepreneurs embeds in its philosophy the BOGO Project—with every purchase made, a product is donated to an organization that serves people in need.

We’re excited to be working with Concordia Place during their 35th anniversary as they invite new families to join their community! Find purpose in your everyday life and learn how you too can generate from Concordia Place to advocate, collaborate, and replicate throughout Chicago.

blog-concordia-2

Visit Concordia Place’s website http://concordiaplace.org to find out all this vibrant nonprofit does for Chicago.