Join us in celebrating our 2017 graduates and our 100% high school graduation rate, which is approximately double the national average in foster care.
Our Second Annual All-Village Graduation Party
It’s commencement season for many throughout the nation, and at One Family Illinois, we are fortunate enough to mark this momentous time for our graduates in a special way.
On Friday, June 23, 2017, staff, children, Foster Parents, and our extended family (corporate partners and supporters) all gathered for a collective celebration of our 2017 graduates at our Lockport Village. It is an event, now in its second year, to honor the children, let loose with field games, and enjoy being together as a community. This year a book fair was sponsored by KPMG. Children were able to choose new books to take home for some exciting summer reading.
The guests of honor were our graduates: twelve from kindergarten, nine eighth-grade graduates, and seven high school graduates. Each child was recognized during an official graduation ceremony. Other honored guests in attendance included members from our Board of Directors, with opening remarks from Vice President Dave Hoffman, and supportive words from special guest speaker and author Paul Griffin.
We also celebrated the incredible support of corporate partners and sponsors who made the day possible and help our educational programming thrive throughout the year: Caterpillar Foundation; Chicago Blackhawks Community Fund, a McCormick Foundation Fund; HSBC; Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation; KPMG, Maestro Cares Foundation; Mission & Ministry, Inc.; Mosaic; Suburban Service League; Swissôtel Chicago;The Bohne Foundation; The Joliet Junior Woman’s Club; US Bank; and Wintrust Financial.
We are grateful to all who contributed and participated in this rather new but important One Family Illinois tradition, and we look forward to meeting again next year for this joyous occasion.
Send Words of Encouragement to our Graduates
According to statistics, only about 50% of children in foster care graduate from high school. That is why our 100% high school graduation rate at One Family Illinois is such a source of pride, and it’s something we are wholly dedicated to maintaining. More importantly, we commit to doing everything we can to see that all of our children matriculate to the next grade level, have the resources they need and deserve, and know that there is a community supporting them.
Your support is priceless. Even a simple gesture of supportive words has a lasting impression on our youth. Whether to those moving on to first grade or our high school graduates making plans for post-secondary education, we encourage you to send words of encouragement our youth can take with them long after they leave our Villages. We thank you and look forward to hearing from you!