JEFFERSON PARK — Chicago Public Schools students can spend their spring breaks at about 120 churches as part of the district's Safe Haven program, officials announced Thursday.
Breakfast, lunch and enrichment activities will be offered at each place of worship from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through April 10.
Twenty more sites will join the 6-year-old program this year, thanks to $1 million in funding from the mayor's office, officials said. More than 21,000 students are expected to participate in the year-round Safe Haven program, according to a statement from Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office and CPS.
“Safe Haven is more than a program — it is part and parcel of our larger strategy to give every child in every neighborhood the safety and mentoring they need for the future they deserve,” said Emanuel, who is seeking another term in office Tuesday against Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia.
Junior Achievement, a nonprofit organization, will offer financial literacy workshops for students as part of the program.
Grammy-winning recording artist and poet J. Ivy will speak to students at select sites about the importance of male role models and leadership.
Noah’s Arc Foundation, an antiviolence organization founded by Chicago Bulls’ center Joakim Noah, will offer participants the chance to win a pendant by writing a 500-word essay on how to make their communities more peaceful.
For a complete list of locations, go to cps.edu/safehaven.
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