Kaitlyn Sobun

EXPL 291

Prof. Green & Haarman

02/21/19

Organization Action Research Paper

The organization involved in this community based research is the Chicago

Friends School. This institution is growing and is extremely beneficial to the surround

areas and communities. In order to help the school grow, it is important to understand a

couple pieces of information about it. To begin with, the history of this school can be

used to further understand the organization through exploring its journey from start to

present day. Along this journey, the school has created a vision and mission statement.

This shows the organization's goals and aspirations. It also gives an insight into the

organization's representation and brand. A strategic plan offers a roadmap to expansion

and success of the organization’s future. This plan can be realized through community

based assets which can be easily be organized into a map that divides the community

into categories. This map allows the organization to not only learn of assets but also

utilize them in their own progression and growth.

Chicago Friends School first opened their doors in 2010. This institution was

created to bring a Quaker place of education to the city of Chicago. The first location of

the school was in North Center. Over six years, Chicago Friends school grew from the

original one-room schoolhouse to a twenty nine student school that served the grade
kindergarten through fifth grade (Chicago Friends School). Currently located within a

Lutheran church within the Rogers Park neighborhood, the school plans to continue to

grow and broaden their horizons. This organization serves the many areas within the

North Side of the city. As identified by Karen Carney, these areas include Rogers Park,

Evanston, Lincoln Square and Uptown. The Quaker vision of education can be seen in

the Chicago Friends School vision as well as the mission statement. The mission is as

follows: “Chicago Friends School, rooted in the Quaker values of peace, equality,

simplicity, integrity, community, and service, is dedicated to the education of children in

an evolving, supportive and diverse community, resulting in academic excellence and

spiritual depth” (Chicago Friends School). The vision statement states that the school

promotes the students’ academic, creative, social and emotional growth. Through the

Quaker values, the school seeks to build each child’s character. Peace, integrity,

equality, community, and simplicity are listed as the Quaker values embedded within

this institution.

In order to continue the growth of the school and its Quaker values, a strategic

plan for the years 2018-2021 has been released on the school website. The premise of

this plan is growth. The school breaks down the necessary growth into three categories.

The three categories that were chose are capacity, visibility/recognition and experience.

The first goal is growing human and financial capacity. As of right now, the school

currently employs a school head, four teachers, one administrative assistant, a

marketing advisor, and a weekly custodian. This means that volunteers take on a big

part in this institution. Volunteers include college students, parents and members of
other community organizations. In order to grow the human capacity, the strategic plan

has outlined a timeline of steps to be taken. Increasing marketing and admissions

advisors, volunteers, board members and benefits and compensation for full-time staff,

are listed as the steps that should be taken. Financial capacity growth is also an

important part of this plan. The school’s goal is to maintain affordability while adding to

its educational programs. Financial advisors, tuition restructure, and increased

philanthropy are all cited as a means to reach a sustainable debt-free institution. To

help achieve the previous goal, the visibility and reputation of the school must grow.

This will be done by creating a marketing plan and brand as well as pursuing

relationships with parent in the surrounding communities and potential “feeder” schools.

As for reputation, Chicago Friends School is focused on recognition from the Illinois

State Board of Education and accreditation from the Independent Schools Association

of the Central States. The third and final area of growth addressed in the strategic plan

is experience. The plan identifies diversity, programs and facility growth under this

category. Diversity will be addressed through community outreach and relationships.

Programs will be addressed through new classes like arts, sciences, foreign language

and electives. Improvements to current facilities are also dictated. This includes

technological infrastructure as well as a facility that can continually sustain future growth

(Chicago Friends School).

All of the goals listed in the strategic plan would benefit greatly by identifying the

assets based within the community. This can be done by using the Asset Based

Community Development Model. By dividing the community into groups, this model
strategically organizes resources that are available. Karen Carney, Head of Chicago

School, identified Rogers Park as the surrounding community. Rogers Park’s culture,

individual community members, associations, physical assets, institutions, and local

economy will be included within the asset map. These six items will be discussed below

organized under to separate headings.

Culture, Individual Community Members & Associations

Rogers Park is extremely culturally diverse. Rogers Park native and

photographer Joshua Lott called it a “cultural stew” that is essentially made up of

“​Orthodox Jews, African immigrants, Pakistani shop owners, aging Marxists” (A Photo

Homage to Rogers Park). His photographs depict the range of individuals that reside in

Rogers Park. The community is full of youth, older adults, parents and students. Within

these groups, lie the entrepreneurs, activists, and skilled members of the community.

Entrepreneurs have the Rogers Park Business Association which focuses on building

business and strengthening the community. Activists like Raul Montes has become an

ally in recent history to raise money and awareness on the crime and violence in Rogers

Park (Suntimes). There are many associations within this community as well. Centro

Romero, Ethiopian Community Association, Family Matters, Friends of Rogers Park

Library, Good News Partners, Howard Area Community Center, Housing Opportunities

for Women (HOW), Lawrence Hall Youth Services, Metropolitan Asian Family Services,

Misericordia Home, Northside P.O.W.E.R, ONE Northside, RP Builders Group, RP

Business Alliance, Northside Community, Development Corporation, Rogers Park/West

Ridge Historical Society, Northside Community Resources, Rogers Park Garden Group,

Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare are just a few of the associations that can be found within

this neighborhood (Community Organizations and Volunteer Opportunities).

Physical Assets, Institutions & Local Economy

Within the community there are a plethora of physical assets and institutions.

There are Chicago Public schools, charter schools and private schools within Rogers

Park. There is also a Chicago’s City school and a private university. There are also

three libraries. The physical assets include multiple public beaches, playgrounds and

gardens. All of these physical assets are highly accessible due to the amount of public

transportation within the area. The local economy is currently booming. There have

been incentives put in place by the city and DevCorp North to bring business to the

area. The area is currently “brimming with commercial, retail, and development

opportunities”. (Investing in Rogers Park) This increase of business had also increased

the amount of homebuyers which also helps the local economy.

The future for the Chicago Friends School is bright and beneficial. This

organization brings a meaningful education option to the North Side of the Chicago. As

the first Quaker school in Illinois, there is so much room for growth for this organization

through hard work. This school is a major asset to the community and the community is

a major asset to the school.

 Works Cited
A Photo Homage to Rogers Park. (2016, June 1). Retrieved from

https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2016/Rogers-Park-Joshua-

Lott/

Chicago Friends School. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://chicagofriendsschool.org/

Community Organizations and Volunteer Opportunities. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.ward49.com/community-resources/community-organizations-and-volu

nteer-opportunities/

Investing in Rogers Park. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://rpbg.org/index.php/explore/opportunitities/investing-in-rogers-park

Rogers Park Business Alliance. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://rpba.org/news/

SunTimes. (2018, October 14). Community Activist to Raise Reward for Info on

Rogers Park Killer. Retrieved from

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/community-activist-to-raise-reward-for-inf

o-about-rogers-park-killer-497522721.html