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HACC participates in Women On Call event; featured on Huffington Post

February, 2012
Click here to read the Huffington Post’s coverage of the annual Women On Call event, with a slideshow featuring HACC and other nonprofits participating!

The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement Names Howard Area Leadership Academy Among Accredited Illinois Schools

12/20/2011
(CHICAGO, IL) — The North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA) has announced that Howard Area Leadership Academy (HALA) has again been awarded full accreditation. At the foundation of North Central Association accreditation is the voluntary decision by administrators and staff to meet established education standards, and schools agree to implement a demanding improvement process, which includes reviews and evaluations by an outside team of educators. HALA was first accredited by NCA in 2005 and has consistently demonstrated high expectations and performance through student achievement to maintain its status. Accreditation is for five years.

Bruce Rasey, Howard Area Community Center Executive Director, extends congratulations to the entire HALA school community: “It is extremely important that our school be one where quality in all we do is foremost on our mind. It is reassuring that this accreditation from an outside official source confirms our goal. Congratulations to all of our teachers and staff.”

Since 1996, Howard Area Leadership Academy has served as a leading provider of alternative education programming in Chicago. It is one of 23 members in the Youth Connection Charter School (YCCS). YCCS is the only chartered alternative education system that is solely dedicated to serving the growing population of dropout and at-risk students in Illinois. HALA is credit-based and offers the core academic subjects as well as computer instruction. The curriculum is tied to state learning standards and an after-school component offers a variety of academic and recreational opportunities to further assist young people to build their skills and obtain the support they need to succeed. Classes operate five days a week during the regular school year and offer a summer session.

The North Central Association Commission of Accreditation and School Improvement, the nation’s largest regional accrediting association, is a voluntary coalition of over 9,000 schools and over 1,000 colleges and universities in the 19 state region of the central United States. For further information about Howard Area Leadership Academy (HALA) or NCA accreditation, please contact Howard Area Community Center’s Director of Development, Janelle St. John, at 773/262-6622 x244 or by email at jstjohn@howardarea.org.

Annual Family Literacy Reading Night A Success

On November 17, 2011, 11 parents and 17 children participated in HACC’s Annual Family Reading Night. This year’s theme was Reading…Takes You Places. Families engaged in reading age appropriate books related to transportation and travel. After thirty minutes of reading together, the Family Literacy Staff read aloud to our participants and gave our parents the opportunity to read aloud as well. Next parents and children answered the prompt: Where will you go? Parents and children discussed where they will go i.e. to the store, to a friend’s house, to the forest, to Disney World, to the moon, etc. and how they will get there. Their responses are currently on display on a bulletin board in HACC’s Adult Education Department’s entrance. The highlight of the evening for the children was being able to play in a life-size school bus that was hand-made out of cardboard. The children had a blast pretending to ride and drive the bus. A potluck was also enjoyed by families and staff after the activity.

Upcoming Events

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Recent Events

HACC’s 21st Annual Gala was held October 14, 2011. Thank you to all who attended!

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To view photos from the event, visit our Facebook page, or download the Gala 2011 Post Event Press Release to find out more.

Women’s Board Fall Book Review

On Thursday, September 16, 2011, the Women’s Benefit Board of Howard Area Community Center hosted the 10th annual Book Review Luncheon at the Skokie Country Club. Over 200 guests enjoyed lunch in addition to Ms. Barbara Rinella’s memorable performance portraying the best-selling book Cleopatra. The event raised over $10,000 for HACC programs. As always, we want to thank our guests for supporting our efforts, and the Women’s Benefit Board members who made this event a success.