Lincoln Park Preschool and Kindergarten

Our summer field trip to the North Park Nature Center is always a hit. A much needed morning exploring nature. 🌸🔍🌿

Welcome to the LPP Carnival. 🎡🎟️ Magician, pirates b***y, and circus theme free-play centers. There was something for everybody. ❤️💛💙

Thank you to John Measner for the fun magic show!🪄 We are all still talking about bird-dog!

This past April, Webster Pre-K teacher, Josh Rosen, had the privilege of traveling to Reggio Emilia, Italy for a Vacation with a Purpose. Vacation with a Purpose is a program available to LPP educators that funds and provides time off from the classroom to travel and volunteer with a non-profit organization.

Josh returned from this once in a lifetime experience and gave his colleagues at all 3 LPP campuses a professional development presentation on his experience, findings, and expertise with loose parts play.

“On my amazing trip to Reggio Emilia, along with being immersed in a new culture, I attended daily lectures from teachers and administrators, explored the Loris Malaguzzi International Center, visited the schools, and attended play workshops including The Ray Of Light Atelier. During this workshop, we were asked to use light, shadow, and different materials to “play without expectation” and “think with our hands.”
-Josh Rosen

Impactful Partnership: LPP & Spark Ventures
Lincoln Park Preschool & Kindergarten has worked in active partnership with Spark Ventures since 2016. LPP’s first impact travel experience with Spark was to Zambia in January 2017. Spark has been a steady and resourceful collaborator as LPP has worked to found a preschool and establish a library at Hope Community School. Spark has continued to guide LPP staff on impact trips to Zambia for the last 8 years, and the LPP Foundation continues to contribute time, talent and resources to Spark’s mission. At the center of the LPP & Spark partnership is a shared mission to sustainably forward the holistic growth and continued success of Hope Community School and their broader community.

From July 11th to July 24th, LPP staff members Ms. Geory, Ms. Morgan and Mr. Sean took the life-changing journey to Hope Community School in Zambia. Following in the footsteps of many colleagues before them in joining a Spark impact travel group. While in Zambia, LPP staff have a focused itinerary that prioritizes teaching and learning in the Hope preschool classrooms, collaborating on lesson plans with Hope staff and the afternoon reading program.
In addition, their schedule allows for sightseeing and being immersed in cultural experiences, including market visits, daily Bemba lessons, and excursions to Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Traveler Reflections
“Spark created a space for us to understand the community and school through a variety of opportunities. teaching, ceremonies, and home visits, all played a valuable role in understanding Hope School.” Ms. Geory, LPPGermania

“Hope Community School is the warmest community of happy teachers and happy kids who were so welcoming and ready to share and learn.”
Ms. Morgan, LPPWebster

“Learning the history of the school, their self-sustainability programs and seeing the tangible effects of their economic initiatives for the community of Twapia is so inspiring.”
Mr. Sean, LPP Belden

During their recent trip to Zambia, our travelers were thrilled to see the library building at Hope Community School sponsored by LPP! The new space is full of cozy reading spots for the little ones, plenty of space for the older students to study and a full time librarian to help find that perfect book.

This was also the space where the Reading Buddy program was held! Each traveler was paired with 1-2 older students from the school for dedicated time to practice pronunciation, reading aloud and even some fun craft activities!

Bon voyage! ✈️🌍 Our travelers are officially headed to Zambia. Thank you to all of the families who contributed to the many supplies our teachers are brining over. We appreciate your kindness and generosity! ❤️
Safe travels, Mr.Sean, Ms.Geory, and Ms.Morgan! 🇿🇲 And thank you to our founder+owner Sharon Kozek, for making this incredible annual trip possible!

Located in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Centro Infantil de los Angeles is a nonprofit organization providing high-quality daycare and preschool education to local children in need. The center provides a safe, caring environment for children with low-income parents who are working to create a better life for their families. Started as Casa de los Ángeles in 2000, the center was founded to create a free daycare where poor, working mothers have the comfort of knowing their children are safe and families are nurtured, respected and supported and can learn in a secure environment. In 2017, two organizations, Casa de Los Angeles and Centro Infantil San Pablo, with shared vision for the future joined forces to become Central Infantil, their combined resources and talents now make the biggest impact for children in San Miguel.

Lincoln Park Preschool & Kindergarten was first introduced to Centro Infantil de los Angeles by LPP Belden Director, Ashley Walker. Inspired by Centro and LPP’s shared mission, LPP staff volunteered at Centro through the Vacation with a Purpose program. Vacation with a Purpose is a program available to LPP educators that funds and provides time off from the classroom to travel and volunteer with a non-profit organization. The volunteer work done on Vacation with a Purpose is in alignment with the LPP Foundation’s mission of supporting child-centered organizations around the globe. Teachers apply for this program and when approved, they take this once in a lifetime opportunity to see a new part of the world, experience a new culture, support a deserving organization. Not only that, they are part of forwarding the LPP Foundation’s mission of serving and uplifting vulnerable women and children around the world.

To learn more about Centro Infantil de Los Angeles visit: centroinfantil.org

Happy Friday ❤️💛💙

Swipe to read more about Ms.Geory (LPP Germania), Ms.Morgan (LPP Webster), and Mr.Sean (LPP Belden)!

Lemonade Stands: inside and outside of the classroom 🍋, LPP pride day parade, and Rainbow Day Activities 🌈

J&SK at LPP Germania hosted a live lemonade stand and raised over $300 for Center on Halsted’s Youth Program! Thank you to all who braved the rain to stop and support the cause! ❤️💛💙

We have had a fantastic start to summer camp and are enjoying exploring our city!

Empowering Women & Children: LPP & Not Abandoned

With clarity of purpose in their shared mission to center the vulnerable and exploited, The LPP Foundation is a proud partner of Not Abandoned.

The mission of Not Abandoned is to facilitate sustainable freedom for the exploited by providing opportunities for empowerment through holisticprogramming. Not Abandoned does that and so much more, as they create opportunities for connection, community and hope for the world’s most vulnerable populations. Not Abandoned evolved from research trips that made clear Thailand had become the global hub of human trafficking, and the exploitation of women.

Now, nearly 30 years later, Not Abandoned is committed to offering emotional, physical, and spiritual support as women and children navigate establishing their freedom, health and creating a new life.

Ability Centers provide essential medical and rehabilitative care, physical and occupational therapy, education on how to improve at-home wellness and a sense of belonging. Acknowledging the difficulty experienced by vulnerable children and their families, the Moroccan government saw how a gap in care for children with disabilities was filled by Not Abandoned’s programs. A partnership was established to train Moroccan therapists and oversee care centers that amplify the care already provided. To date, Not Abandoned has started over 10 new ability centers in the Guelmim Region of southern Morocco.

Over the course of the last 20 years, LPP founder Sharon Kozek has been a champion of Not Abandoned, utilizing her time, expertise andresources, working alongside the teams in Thailand, and most recently this month, Sharon visited and supported the teams at the Not Abandonedability centers in Morocco.

Inspired by Sharon’s work with Not Abandoned, LPP staff have followed in her footsteps, taking their own trips to learn, support and work alongside the teams in Pattaya, Thailand.

To learn more about Not Abandoned, visit: notabandoned.org

To learn more about the LPP Foundation visit: lppschools.com/philanthropy