Throughout the last month, I had the opportunity to intern with the Kids First Chicago (K1C) policy team. Through Smith College’s Mindich Fellowship, I am interning with K1C to learn more about the Chicago education policy climate and the workings of a nonprofit organization. One of the most meaningful aspects of my internship experience was observing parents in Task Force meetings. I was moved by their commitment to educating themselves and advocating for improving schools citywide.
While at K1C, I observed the policy team collaborate directly with parent leaders on the Equitable Funding and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Task Forces. During regular check-ins, the team reviews content while it is in development, and communicates with parents on their ideas for how to facilitate meetings, with parents taking ownership of presenting material. In addition, the policy team partners with parents on independent actions, such as preparation for speaking engagements. Parents are at the forefront of K1C’s efforts because of this collaborative style. Additionally, I had the opportunity to observe several meetings for both the Equitable Funding and SEL Task Force meetings. It was interesting to see the structure and dynamics of each meeting, considering what I learned from witnessing the planning process in policy team check-ins.
I had the opportunity to assist the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Task Force with research. My research consisted of finding schools across the city with strong SEL programs and creating an invite list of school leaders with whom parents and officials can interface. I suggested ten principals from schools all across the city with strong SEL programs. Though varied, they all incorporate SEL into their instruction and school culture. My work will help parents learn from school leaders who support strong SEL programs and provide a space for parent leaders and administrators to provide insights to CPS officials. I presented my findings in a report that went out to the policy team. I learned how to refine a search and was struck by how different schools approach SEL. I was surprised to find that schools with the same CPS Supportive Schools rating* had different methods and levels of SEL implementation. I am very excited to see how this event comes together, and am eager to witness the partnerships formed between parent advocates and stakeholders.
In task force meetings, I immediately noticed the centrality of language accessibility in the community engagement process, in this case for monolingual Spanish speakers. All materials were available in both English and Spanish, and there was an interpreter present to ensure that everything spoken or written was translated as well. I thought that this was a powerful gesture that broke down the language barrier and allowed more people to participate fully in advocacy work. This makes for a more powerful movement because more parents can learn and work together. I am leaving this internship wanting to know more about how organizations can make their advocacy work accessible to more people, especially those left out of decision-making conversations. Through K1C’s task forces, I have seen the power of inclusive advocacy work. In one task force meeting, I heard parents’ reflections on a speech that one parent gave fully in Spanish on the Springfield advocacy day. There was a consensus among the participants that the speech was powerful and impactful, even more so because it was delivered in Spanish. This interaction demonstrates the connections formed between English and Spanish speakers in a dual-language space.
I am coming away from this internship with a broader understanding of how a nonprofit organization works to activate families and works directly with them to amplify their power.
Going forward, I will continue exploring different areas of policy. For example, I am interested in exploring public policy behind universal design implementation in organizations and beyond.
I hope to pursue a JD and/or MA in Public Policy–this internship has reinforced my passion for policy work and nonprofit work. I strive to adopt what I have learned in my classes to forge a more equitable, inclusive Chicago, where everyone has access to spaces where change can be made. Upon completing my internship, I find myself one step closer to that goal.
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*CPS's Office of Social Emotional Learning (OSEL) Supportive Schools Certification: “OSEL recognizes schools that have prioritized creating supportive school environments and promoting a positive school culture through the Supportive Schools Certification Process involving teams of staff, students, families, and community members.”