Chicago Literacy Alliance Leases West Loop Space for New Literacenter
First-in-the Nation Collaborative Work Space for Literacy Groups to Open Spring, 2015
CHICAGO, Feb. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicago Literacy Alliance, a nonprofit association representing more than 90 Chicago-based literacy organizations, has completed a lease on 38,000 sq. ft. of space on three floors at 641/651 West Lake Street in Chicago. The space will be called Literacenter. It is the first collaborative workspace in the United States for groups advancing literacy initiatives.
Literacenter's Grand Opening will be in Spring, 2015.The building is owned by Loft Development Corporation; Larry Serota and Scott Becker of Transwestern represented The Chicago Literacy Alliance.
Literacenter will provide office space, meeting rooms, lounge and event spaces, back office services and educational programming for the Chicago Literacy Alliance's member organizations. Groups that will be using Literacenter are established Chicago and national organizations:
- AARP Experience Corps
- American Association of Pediatrics Reach Out and Read
- Chicago Cares
- Chicago Citywide Literacy Coalition
- Children's Literacy Initiative
- Communities in Schools Chicago
- East Village Youth Program
- Hooray Learning
- Literacy Works
- Open Books – retail book store, program space, and offices
- Reading in Motion
- RIF in Chicago
- Schuler Scholar Program
- SitStayRead
- Story Bus
- Working in the Schools (WITS)
- …plus 70 other organizations for which literacy is either their core mission or an important element of their overall mission
"Chicago's literacy needs are great and the many groups serving those needs are diverse," said Stacy Ratner, Chicago Literacy Alliance Board Chair. "Literacenter will provide all our member groups with a common home base—not just spaces for meeting together, but programming, education and services to help them lift up their own organizations. We know that active collaboration among groups improves outcomes, and is an important criterion to foundation, corporate and government funders and grant-makers. Our mission with Literacenter is to enhance every member group's individual and collaborative success. "
Ratner added that the Chicago Literacy Alliance's member groups serve more than 400,000 individuals throughout Chicago area each year. Services run the gamut from early childhood and pre-school programs that help children get ready to read, to literacy programs for incarcerated youth and adults, English as a second language, adult literacy programs, in-school literacy activities, and book grant programs.
"No child or adult can reach their potential without being proficient in reading. Literacy is fundamental to every other skill and to understanding the world we live in. Our schools and communities need support helping individuals achieve this most basic life goal. Literacenter will have a multiplier effect on the positive impact our community literacy agencies make. We're going to help Chicago become the Number One Literacy City in the country – meaning a community that is 100% literate," concluded Ratner.
About the Chicago Literacy Alliance (www.chicagoliteracyalliance.org):
The Chicago Literacy Alliance, founded in 2009, is an association of more than 90 agencies and groups operating in and around the city of Chicago that help meet literacy needs for people of all ages and backgrounds. The Chicago Literacy Alliance is dedicated to increasing the combined impact of the community's literacy agencies by providing opportunities for creative and effective collaboration.
For more information on Literacenter, go to www.Literacenter.org
Contact:
Mike Ban, Executive Director
Chicago Literacy Alliance
[email protected]
773-388-8382
SOURCE Chicago Literacy Alliance
Related Links
http://chicagoliteracyalliance.org
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