♪♪ >>> HELLO AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING "CHICAGO TONIGHT" .

COMING UP, AN AMBITIOUS PROPOSAL FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.

>>> REVISITING ONE OF CHICAGO'S EARLIEST CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

>>> SOCIAL IMPACT GIVING.

WHAT IS IT?

>>> COMING UP, WE WILL TALK TO TATTOO ARTIST RYAN HENRY.

>>> THE LITTLEST LEARNERS MIGHT SOON BE GETTING MORE FUNDING.

>>> "CHICAGO TONIGHT: BLACK VOICES" IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY FIFTH THIRD BANK.

>>> WE BELIEVE THAT WHEN DIVERSE VOICES ARE HEARD, WE GET STRONGER.

"CHICAGO TONIGHT: BLACK VOICES".

TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE CHANGE.

>>> FREE PUBLIC EDUCATION STARTS AT THE KINDERGARTEN LEVEL.

REVEALING JUST HOW CRITICAL THE LONG-TERM OUTCOMES ARE.

EXPANDED ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND THIS PROPOSED PROGRAM IS PART OF THE 2024 PLAN, ADDING A TOTAL OF 20,000 SLOTS.

HERE IS SOME OF WHAT THE GOVERNOR HAD TO SAY.

>> THIS IS COMPOSED OF PRE-K, CHILDHOOD, INTERVENTION, GIVING MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES GREAT ACCESS AND CONSIST OF A WORKFORCE MADE UP LARGELY OF WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR.

WE WANT TO GET PEOPLE ACCESS TO PRESCHOOL AT EVERY STAGE.

>>> WE ARE DISCUSSING WHAT THIS COULD MEAN FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN ILLINOIS.

A POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER AT THE CAROL ROBERTSON CENTER FOR LEARNING, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

APRIL, HOW WOULD YOU SAY THAT ILLINOIS COMPARES TO OTHER STATES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION?

>> WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON THIS FOR A LONG TIME AND WE HAVE BEEN INVESTING MORE OVER THE YEARS.

>> WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO EARLY EDUCATION, THAT FAMILIES EXPERIENCE?

>> THE PRIMARY BARRIER TO ACCESS IS NOT HAVING THE RESOURCES.

MODERATE INCOME WORKING FAMILIES CANNOT MEET THE PRICES OFTEN CHARGE FOR HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION.

>> THIS INCLUDES IMPROVING EDUCATION WAGES.

>> THIS WILL BE EXTREMELY IMPACTFUL.

MY OWN CHILDREN, THEY WERE FOUR MONTHS AND TWO YEARS OLD AND IT HELPS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE WELL COMPENSATED.

>> IN THIS TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM, TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT WHAT THAT DOES AND WHAT IT IS.

>> WE ARE TRYING TO BE REALLY RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES.

THERE IS ALSO ENDORSEMENT FOR BILINGUAL EDUCATION.

REALLY, SUPPORTING EDUCATORS.

>> YOU GUYS ARE NODDING YOUR HEADS.

WHAT KIND OF DIFFERENCE MIGHT THAT MAKE?

TO RETAIN THOSE EMPLOYEES, THE MAJORITY OF THESE WOMEN, HAVING THEM PUSH THAT TRAINING AND GET THAT EDUCATION, TO DO THAT.

>> AND WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF HIRING?

>> REALLY, THOSE OLD NOTIONS OF CHILD MINDING.

WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THESE CAREERS, THAT INCLUDES EDUCATION.

SO, THIS CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW IN EDUCATION WITH COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES.

>> HOW CAN THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL IMPROVE THESE SERVICES?

>> WHAT IT TAKES FOR HIGH- QUALITY EDUCATION, TEACHER TRAINING, AND THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, TO INCREASE THE WAGES WITH HIGHER EDUCATION PAYMENT, THAT IS THE SAUCE THAT IS NOT SO GREAT.

SO SECRET.

>> WHAT BENEFITS TO CHILDREN POTENTIALLY GAME?

>> OFFERING EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE WITH A FOCUS ON INFANTS AND TODDLERS.

>> WHAT ACCESS MIGHT THAT MEAN, VERSUS THOSE WHO MIGHT BE PAYING MARKET RATES?

>> IS VERY IMPACTFUL WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT SOME FAMILIES CAN MAINTAIN.

WITH THESE EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAMS, THIS MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE ALL THE TIME, AND THERE'S THAT DECISION OF DOING WORK, DO I STAY HOME, AND THEN, YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT CHILDCARE.

>> RIGHT, AND THEN THERE IS AN INCOME CAP, RIGHT?

SHOULD SMARTSTART BE ENACTED, WHAT ARE YOUR METRICS OF SUCCESS?

>> ONE OF THE METRICS WILL REALLY BE VISUALIZING EQUITY.

I THINK THE INVESTMENT IN QUALITY PROGRAMS AND PROVIDERS TO BUILD UP THEIR OWN INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORTING THE WORKFORCE.

THE QUESTION IS HOW WE ARE DISMANTLING SOME OF THESE INEQUITIES AND THAT PUSH THAT WE ARE SEEING.

>> HOW IS THINKING INVOLVED IN PROVIDING CHILDCARE TO AGE GROUP FIVE?

>> THE TRAJECTORY OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION RESTS ON YEARS OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

RESEARCH TELLS US THAT THESE ARE CRITICAL AGES, SO WE HAVE TO MOVE AND CREATE THAT SYSTEM FOR PRACTITIONERS.

WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THAT EARLY EDUCATION AS PART OF IT.

YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH CHILDREN HERE.

I THINK THAT'S A BIG THING THAT IS REALLY GOING TO HELP OUR CHILDREN AND AS THEY FOCUS ON READINESS.

NOW THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT, WE CAN SEE THOSE OUTCOMES.

>> WE HAVE A LITTLE LESS THAN A MINUTE LEFT.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE LEARN.

>> THE QUESTION IS WHAT ARE THE MECHANISMS AND HOW ARE THEY FAIRLY DISTRIBUTED.

>> THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HOPE WE CAN TALK ABOUT.

FOR NOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>>> THE ROBERT TAYLOR HOMES WERE AT ONE POINT THE LARGEST DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTRY, WITH THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES.

EVEN ADMITS TO THAT CHAOS, CAN THEY HELP THE CHILDREN WHO LIVE THERE FLOURISH?

WE ARE TELLING THE STORY OF THAT PROGRAM WITH SOME OF THE FIRST STUDENTS.

>> WE ARE GOING TO BRING THE SERVICES WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE.

WE WERE IN ROBERT TAYLOR HOMES, ONE OF THE BIGGEST HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE COUNTRY.

>> WHAT HAPPENED WAS IT IGNITED DESTRUCTION, AS THEY TORE DOWN THE BUILDING, A CRIME AND DRUG WAR.

WHAT SERVICES THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT TO BE AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY WERE SHUT DOWN.

WE RE-EMERGE, AS I SAY, ROSE UP OUT OF THE ASHES.

YOU SEE THAT RESILIENCE AND THE CAPACITY IN SUCH DIRE SITUATIONS TO COME THROUGH, PARTICIPATE, TO SAY, I DON'T CARE WHAT IS GOING ON.

WE ARE NOT GOING TO GIVE UP.

>> THIS WILL BE RELEASED DIGITALLY AND YOU CAN HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT ON OUR WEBSITE.

WE HAVE MORE, RIGHT AFTER THE THIRD THIS.

>>> THE NUMBERS DON'T LIE.

THERE IS THIS LOCAL FOUNDATION AIMING TO MAKE DIVERSITY MORE EQUITABLE.

WE ARE TALKING TO AN OFFSHOOT OF THE MacARTHUR FOUNDATION.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I THINK YOU MIGHT BE MUTED.

YOU HAVE DESCRIBED THIS, WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

>> THIS LEADS THEM TO FOCUS ATTENTION ON ORGANIZATION, ON ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WELL KNOWN.

WE WANT TO SHAKE THIS UP.

>> CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT THAT MODEL?

>> THE FIRST THING IS THAT WE HAVE AN OPEN CALL PROCESS.

WE WORK WITH AN INDIVIDUAL WHO SAYS THAT THEY HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, A STRONGER INTEREST IN DEMOCRACY AND THAT WE DESIGN A PROCESS WITH TRANSPARENT CRITERIA THAT MIGHT BE USED, WE MIGHT HAVE EXTERNAL EXPERTS AND THEN THE ORGANIZATION GET FEEDBACK THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

THE DONOR WILL THEN CHOOSE A PROJECT TO BE THE GRANT RECIPIENT.

THE MINIMUM GRANT IS $10 MILLION.

THIS IS REALLY A CHANCE TO DO THE WORK AND FIGURE OUT HOW THEY ARE GOING TO FUND THE NEXT YEAR.

THIS IS PART OF THE PRESSING PROBLEMS THAT WE FACE.

>> IT'S AN AVERAGE OF 50,000 FOR 18 MONTHS, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT.

THIS IS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT DONATION AMOUNT, RIGHT?

>> WE ARE SETTING UP AN INVITATION-ONLY PROCESS WITH THE FOUNDATIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE.

THAT MEANS THAT IF YOU ARE NOT PART OF THAT NETWORK THAT HAS THOSE CONNECTIONS, IT MAY BE DIFFICULT FOR YOUR GREAT IDEA.

WITH THIS PROCESS WE CAN IDENTIFY PEOPLE WHO MAY OTHERWISE BE OVERLOOKED.

>> THE TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY THESE GROUPS WERE SELECTED.

>> LET'S START WITH COMMUNITY TONIGHT.

FROM THE KELLOGG EQUITIES OF 2013, THIS PROJECT THAT PROMISED TO REDUCE RACIAL INEQUITY NEEDED TO BE INTERPRETED TO BE GLOBAL, SO IT'S A BIG STATEMENT FOR THE ORGANIZATION HERE IN CHICAGO TO BE A GROUP FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THROUGH COMMUNITY HEALING, THROUGH ENGAGEMENT, AND USING THAT AS A WAY OF CREATING A HEALING PROCESS.

IT'S AN EXCITING PROSPECT AND I THINK IT IS ONE THAT WILL BE APPRECIATED AND THAT IS HOW THEY ENDED UP ARRIVING TO THE TOP.

AND THEN THE DOCUMENT IS NETWORK IS ANOTHER ONE AND WAS ALSO A RECIPIENT OF A $10 MILLION AWARD WITH THE GOAL OF SENDING PEOPLE TO DO LOCAL NEWS COVERAGE BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO LEARN HOW GOVERNMENT WORKS.

>> MANY PHILANTHROPISTS A THEY HAVE TROUBLE GIVING AWAY MONEY.

WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?

>> IN MANY CASES, THESE ARE ARE STILL MAKING THEIR MONEY FROM RUNNING THEIR BUSINESS AND ARE WORKING ON SETTING UP THEIR OWN INFRASTRUCTURE.

WE CAN HELP TO BUILD THAT VOICE AND WE CAN HELP SOURCE THE PROJECT.

WE DEVELOPED A RIGOROUS EVALUATION AND WE FEEL VERY CONFIDENT ABOUT THIS THAT WHENEVER WE RUN ONE OF THESE, IT TURNS UP MORE GOOD IDEAS.

WE CAN PUT THOSE IDEAS IN FRONT OF OTHER FUNDING, FROM NOT JUST THE ORIGINAL DONOR BUT OTHER DONORS THAT WE HAVE BROUGHT IN THAT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE FOUND ON YOUR OWN.

>> IT'S KIND OF JUST MAKING PHILANTHROPY REALLY EXCITING.

>>> UP NEXT, GETTING INK.

STAY TUNED.

>>> A LOCAL ARTIST IS RECEIVING NATIONAL RECOGNITION.

HE USES INK, BUT HIS CANVAS?

SKIN.

LOOKING AT THE ART OF TATTOOING.

>> TO GROW AND EXPAND MY BRAND AND BE RESPECT DID IN THE INDUSTRY, GOING INTO OWNING A SHOP.

I AM HERE AND HAVE BEEN HERE FOR FIVE YEARS.

>>> IT WAS HALFWAY THROUGH HIS 14 YEAR CAREER WHEN HE AND HIS ARTWORK WERE SHOWCASED ON THIS SHOW.

>> THE LAST 15 YEARS, IT HAS BEEN SO MUCH MORE SOCIALLY ACCEPTED, WITH THE NEWER GENERATION, UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS ARTISTIC EXPRESSION.

>> SO, I DID A SAYING, AND IT WAS A PRETTY BIG THING.

>> IT DEFINITELY DID NOT HURT AT ALL.

I LIED, IT DEFINITELY HURT A LITTLE BIT.

TOTALLY.

>> TATTOOING AS A WHOLE ENTIRE CULTURE.

WE HAVE AN ENTIRE CULTURE OF ARTIST AND ART CONNOISSEURS, ART COLLECTORS.

>> EXPLORING THE CRAFT AS A MAINSTREAM ART.

>> IT'S THE SAME AS GETTING A PAINTING THAT YOU MIGHT PUT ON YOUR WALL, INSPIRING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD.

>> IT WASN'T UNTIL I GOT A TATTOO THAT I BETTER UNDERSTOOD THE DESIRE FOR THE ART FORM.

>> I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT IT DID NOT HURT AT ALL.

THEY RECENTLY HAD AN ART CONTEST THAT WAS DESCRIBED TO BE PERFECT FOR TATTOO ARTIST.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN GET A TATTOO, CHECK OUT THESE RESOURCES.

>>> THAT IS OUR SHOW FOR THIS WEEKEND.

IF YOU ARE WATCHING US ON SATURDAY NIGHTS, JOIN US AT 10:00 ON "CHICAGO TONIGHT".

FROM ALL OF US HERE AT "CHICAGO TONIGHT" , THANK YOU FOR SHARING PART OF YOUR WEEKEND WITH US.