LABOR/HEALTH/EDUCATION

Obama Requested $1 Million For The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urban Teaching and Leadership Center In 2006, Obama requested $1 million for the UIC College of Education is the major supplier of new teachers for the Chicago Public Schools. The College Is recognized for its commitment to prepare high quality teachers and leaders to work in high-poverty, predominantly minority, schools. It is a leader in the preparation of both special education and bilingual teachers; over one-third of the College’s graduates take jobs in schools with predominantly Latino populations. The funds requested will be used to support the direct costs associated with the establishment of the Center. Other Federal grants and private contracts and donations are expected to support specific activities associated with the work of the Center. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $500,000 For Kids Voting USA. In 2005, Obama requested $500,000 for Kids Voting USA is a non-partisan, non-profit organization, working to secure the future of democracy by preparing young people to become educated, engaged voters. It aims to influence young citizens early in their lives and often throughout their development, and arms them with valuable knowledge in the classroom and applied at the polls. Funds for the program will be used to establish and manage a Kids Voting program in the Chicago region. These efforts will include the creation of Illinois-specific materials, the provision of materials and support to teachers, students and school administrators, outreach to local communities and organizations, and the recruitment of an advisory board. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $200,000 For The Teen Challenge Faith-Based Drug Abuse Treatment And Prevention Program In Illinois. In 2006, Obama requested $200,000 for the Teen Challenge, a faith-based drug abuse treatment and prevention program that operates statewide. After completion of the program, 72 percent of Teen Challenge graduates continue their education, 75 percent are employed, 87.5 percent do not require additional treatment for substance abuse, and 92 percent report good-to-excellent health. Vocational training is essential to successful drug abuse treatment, and this program produces graduates with job skills that allow them to become self-sufficient and return to their communities as productive members of society. To expand the scope of their work throughout Chicago, additional funding is requested to pay for the enrollment of an additional 30 individuals per month. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $3 Million For The Safer Foundation. In 2006, Obama requested $3 million for the Safer Foundation. Established in 1972, the Safer Foundation is the nation's leading community-based provider of employment, educational, and social services for ex-offenders, helping them become productive, law-abiding members of their communities. Safer provides a variety of direct, outcome-based services to former offenders, including supportive services, education, job placement assistance, pre-employment training and substance abuse prevention. Safer is expanding its own capacity to provide services in the highest-need communities within Chicago and several counties throughout Illinois. The State-wide Partnership to Reduce Recidivism initiative would need $9 million over the next 3 years, with $3 million in FY 2007. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $500,000 For Goodwill Industries Of Metropolitan Chicago. In 2006, Obama requested $500,000 for the Goodwill Industries Of Metropolitan Chicago. Investment in this two-year pilot program will bring pre-employment services to communities where little or no service exist. In doing so, this would improve the workforce skills for individuals with little formal education, reduce unemployment, and reduce criminal recidivism. Pre-employment skills training is a 90-hour educational program focusing on appropriate behaviors, attitudes, and communications in the work environment. Skills training include lessons in computer literacy, decision-making, planning, personal finance, and anger management. Participants receive interactive instruction in completing job applications, writing resumes, and interviewing with employers. Finally, support services are provided to participants while they are enrolled in services as well as after employment begins. Continued support for this program is crucial to providing a means for those interested in entering the workforce. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $335,000 For The Chicago Zoological Society Of The Brookfield Zoo To Support Its Excellence Through Diversity Program. In 2006, Obama requested $335,000 for the Chicago Zoological Society of the Brookfield Zoo to support its Excellence Through Diversity program. $335,000 for the The Chicago Zoological Society is recognized throughout the State of Illinois and the country as a leader in promoting biological diversity and providing outstanding recreational and educational opportunities for its two million annual visitors. A newly initiated year-long strategic planning process has set the goal of increasing diversity throughout the Board, staff, volunteers, and guests. Staff diversity is an ongoing challenge for the Chicago Zoological Society, especially in the area of science. This multi-prong program will specifically address this challenge so they can better assist minority students and young professionals in obtaining the skills and training necessary to pursue a career in a zoological setting. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $1 Million For National-Louis University To Support Its Center for City Schools' Secondary Reading Initiative. In 2006, Obama requested $1 million for the National-Louis University to support its Center for City Schools' Secondary Reading Initiative. Since 1994, the Center for City Schools' Secondary Reading Initiative has been a major provider of teacher deployment, parent involvement, leadership training and instruction-driven school reform for dozens of Chicagoland Schools. The Center promotes education which respects teachers and students own thinking and the prior knowledge they bring to their training, and recognizes that successful learners must be helped to take initiative and create new knowledge themselves. In addition, the Center works to improve communication between schools seeking help and the many educators at National-Louis with in-depth knowledge regarding the particular needs of urban teachers and learners. The ensure the continued impact of the Secondary Reading Initiative, it is important that funding be continued in the coming year. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $500,000 For The Salud Latina Resource Center To Support Its Community Health Programs. In 2006, Obama requested $500,000 for the Salud Latina Resource Center to support its Community Health Programs.The role of Salud Latina/Latino Health has become interwoven with the need to effectively develop resources in response to critical concerns raised by the sudden awareness of health disparities affecting Latinos. Due to this urgent need, these programs would provide technical assistance to state public health and county health departments, strengthen the capacity of the Salud Latina Resource Center to engage public offices and community providers, increase the capacity of Latino organizations to participate as stakeholders in state and local planning on human health services, and promote the development of collaborative relationships among research and Latino community-based organizations to improve surveillance and other data systems that monitor health status and outcomes in Illinois. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $2 million For The Illinois State University Institutes For Mathematics And Science Teachers Program. In 2006, Obama requested $2 million for the Illinois State University Institutes for Mathematics and Science Teachers program. As the second-largest teacher education institution in the United States, graduating approximately 1,000 students a year in teacher preparation, Illinois State University is uniquely positioned to assist Illinois in producing more math and science teachers. The proposed Institutes for Math and Science Teachers will specifically recruit students from diverse backgrounds and throughout the state to pursue math and science degrees. Research has repeatedly pointed to teachers as the key to improving student achievement, and the creation of a highly qualified teacher force through the help of this program would be instrumental in increasing the number of students interested in pursuing a degree in math or science. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $2.5 million For Illinois State University’s Chicago Teacher Education Pipeline Programs and Partnerships Program. In 2006, Obama requested $2.5 million for the Illinois State University to support its Chicago Teacher Education Pipeline Programs and Partnerships program. In response to calls for schools to prepare our urban teachers, Illinois State University and Chicago Public Schools initiated the first Professional Development School site at the Eli Whitney Elementary School. Eight Chicago Teacher Education Pipeline students are completing a full year of in-service residency in addition to senior-year methodology coursework taught onsite. Yearlong residency programs such as this one will help provide future teachers with rich opportunities to observe, reflect, and deal with problems associated with establishing their own classrooms - including management strategies that do not translate well from text-based theory. Expansion of this program would allow this partnership to increase urban teacher recruitment, improve urban teacher preparation, and improve teacher retention in the hard-to-staff inner-city schools. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $500,000 For The Illinois Downstate Assistive Technology Evaluation, Training And Device Loan Program. In 2006, Obama requested $500,000 for the Illinois Downstate Assistive Technology Evaluation, Training and Device Loan Program. Through the establishment of the Illinois Downstate Assistive Technology Evaluation, Training and Device Loan Program, individuals with disabilities will have greater access to qualified staff to assist them with their needs. Individuals with disabilities will also be able to borrow assistive technology devices to ensure that it best meets their needs. Establishment of this downstate program would ensure those with disabilities in Southern Illinois are provided with quick access to assistive technology that could drastically improve their lifestyle. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $1.2 Million For The ACCESS Community Health Network Behavioral Health Care Activities. In 2006, Obama requested $1.2 million for the ACCESS Community Health Network to support its Behavioral Health Care. ACCESS Community Healthy Network operates freestanding community health centers in underserved communities throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. It is their mission to provide high quality primary and preventive health care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. ACCESS' would establish a primary care team to collaborate with a behavioral health team to jointly identify and treat a variety of behavioral health issues found in our patients. Services offered would include screening for depression and prenatal depression; assessment and diagnosis of mental health disorders; individual and family therapy; pastoral counseling, medication management; and linkage to inpatient mental health treatment facilities. Funding would go towards a three-year demonstration on the potentially positive impact of providing behavioral health care in a primary care setting. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama requested $200,000 For the Knowledge Is Power Program’s (KIPP) Ascend Charter School in Chicago. In 2006, Obama requested $200,000 For the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) to support the KIPP Ascend Charter School in Chicago. The KIPP Ascend Charter School, which opened in the summer of 2003, is modeled on the two original KIPP Academies and has grown to serve the fifth through eighth grade in middle school. KIPP schools are tuition-free, open enrollment, college prep public middle schools, and the students are accepted regardless of prior academic record or socioeconomic background. 100 percent of KIPP Ascend students are African American or Latino, 90 percent qualify for the free and reduced meal program. In order to continue serving students in this high-need community and maintain their stellar student achievement record, $200,000 in federal funding is needed to help ensure that these talented students in Chicago are able to continue on the path to college and life-long success. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $2.2 Million For The Center For Neighborhood Technology’s Information For Communities Project. In 2006, Obama requested $2.2 million for the Center for Neighborhood Technology’s Information For Communities Project. For over 20 years, the Center for Neighborhood Technology has been one of the leading developers of community information systems in the United States. They have built an array of tools that are instrumental for residents and institutions to understand and benefit from their changing community. Four major functions of this program will include filling community information gaps through newspapers and radio, strengthening relationships between businesses, organizations and the community residents, support arts and education in the community, and encouraging new networks and services that could alert residents to housing opportunities or even reduce health and environmental risks in the area. Support for this community information system would help to serve the everyday needs of urban families and their neighborhood institutions, thereby improving the quality of life in the community. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $2 Million for Chicago Public Schools’ CPS Reading Initiative (CRI). In 2006, Obama requested $2 million for Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to support its Chicago Public Schools Reading Initiative (CRI). CRI provides the district with a framework for building capacity at the school, area, and district levels. In line with this research, the emphasis is on Word Knowledge (Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, and Vocabulary), Comprehension, Fluency, and Writing. To deepen the knowledge of the CRI components and to bring more consistency to instruction within the district, the CPS Office of Literacy introduced the High Quality Literacy Instruction Handbook in the fall of 2004. This handbook presents descriptions of teacher and student behaviors that should be observed when a teacher is implementing recommended instructional practices with high fidelity. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $250,000 For The Chicago Park District’s Obesity Prevention-Affordable Fitness Centers. In 2006, Obama requested $250,000 for the Chicago Park District’s Obesity Prevention-Affordable Fitness Centers. To help reduce obesity and related health problems in Chicago neighborhoods, the Chicago Park District in 2005 launched a 5-year project to install or update fitness centers at approximately 30 Park District field houses, primarily in low-income neighborhoods. The project is intended to make fitness opportunities available in neighborhoods where residents don’t have other convenient options for fitness and don’t have the financial means to join private health clubs. The concept is an innovative idea that cities and park districts across the country can replicate in the national fight against obesity. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $1 Million For Alton Memorial Hospital To Support Its Riverbend Stroke Center. In 2006, Obama requested $1 million for the Alton Memorial Hospital to support its Riverbend Stroke Center. Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the United States today, and a leading cause of long-term disability. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 45 seconds and someone dies of a stroke every 3 minutes. Evidence now shows that early detection and treatment greatly reduces morbidity and a study in the Journal of American Medicine reported that patients who receive care in a designated Stroke Unit versus a general medical unit had a 17% reduction in deaths. A stroke center at the Alton Memorial Hospital, with nearly 900 professional staff and 222 beds, would greatly benefit the River Bend area of Illinois. A 3-hour window of treatment is ideal for stroke victims, and the closest treatment facility is currently 150 miles away in Peoria. A stroke center at Alton Memorial would not only reduce morbidity, but also improve long term outcomes for stroke patients in the River Bend area. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $1 million For The Lakeview Museum To support Its K-12 Education And Outreach Program At The Central Illinois Regional Museum. In 2006, Obama requested $1 million for the Lakeview Museum to support its K-12 Education and Outreach at the Central Illinois Regional Museum. The Museum Collaboration Group and Lakeview Museum are designing and constructing a new state-of-the-art museum in downtown Peoria. Total museum space will exceed 111,000 square feet and features an innovative design that triples the current amount of exhibit space. In order to plan, design and implement additional educational components the museum provides to K-12 students from throughout the region and state. Such components would include exhibits, classroom equipment, technology infrastructure and enhancements to the museum's successful outreach programming. Funding will also go to support the first African American oral history center in downstate Illinois and the new facility will serve the educational needs of over 25 Central Illinois counties, including some of the most scarcely populated and low-income communities. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $500,000 For McHenry County’s Job Readiness Program. In 2006, Obama requested $500,000 for McHenry County’s Job Readiness Program. Over the past decade, McHenry County has seen a dramatic increase in the Latino population, and demographics show that almost 50% of this population do not have a high school diploma or GED. This has created a need to reach out and recruit this under-served population into the local workforce development system. This will assist them in obtaining the education and skills they will need to become productive, gainfully employed County residents. McHenry County has a current program budget for out-of-school youth, but additional funding would allow them to better serve the rising population and provide opportunities for approximately 50 additional youth per year. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $300,000 For The Lawson House YMCA’s Targeted Case Management Service For Veterans. In 2006, Obama requested $300,000 for the Lawson House YMCA’s Targeted Case Management Service for Veterans. The Lawson House YMCA is the housing flagship Y of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, and is the largest and longest-serving provider of single-room occupancy supportive housing in the Midwest. Additional funding would allow the Y to fund two case managers and cover related expenses over three years to expand and enhance case management services for veterans and other extremely low-income residents of the YMCA's five supportive housing buildings. Specifically, the grant would fund additional case managers to: Identify all veterans living in the Y's 1,500 units; Educate veterans and other extremely low-income YMCA residents about disability and other benefits; Advocate for veterans at all five facilities; Build partnerships to secure more job opportunities and referrals to training; and Assist veterans and other low income residents with public benefits and link them with available community services. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $4 million For The Children’s Memorial Medical Center’s Electronic Medical Record Project. In 2006, Obama requested $4 million for the Children’s Memorial Medical Center’s Electronic Medical Record Project. The Children's Memorial Medical Center is Illinois' only freestanding acute care hospital dedicated exclusively to children, serving 102,000 children throughout Illinois in the past year. The hospital has now committed to an Electronic Medical Records initiative that includes both the hospital and its physicians. The purpose is to provide clinicians electronic access to 100% of the data required to treat patients in order to improve patient safety, patient-centered coordination of care, patient satisfaction, and communication with referring physicians. Sophisticated health information management is critical to the future of medicine and funding for this initiative would help make that a reality for Illinois health care. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $1 million For The Chicago State University (CSU) HIV/AIDS Policy And Research Institute. In 2006, Obama requested $1 million for the Chicago State University (CSU) and its HIV/AIDS Policy and Research Institute. The institute supports local outreach, education, prevention and research efforts related to curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS among the disproportionately affected, African American population. Data confirm HIV as a leading cause of death for African Americans, in almost every age group (from one-year to 65 years and older). Moreover, the rate of incidence is higher for African Americans than any other racial group. In response to the growing HIV/AIDS crisis in the African American population, CSU has undertaken a bold and comprehensive approach to assist with efforts in the South Side of Chicago. The effort is endorsed and supported by the Illinois Department of Health and the General Assembly. Federal resources are needed to continue the effort and to ensure evaluation and replication of the project. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $1 million For Chicago State University’s (CSU) Establishment Of A School Of Pharmacy. In 2006, Obama requested $1 million for Chicago State University’s effort to establish a School Of Pharmacy. Chicago State University (CSU) is well on its way to establishing the School of Pharmacy, which will prepare competent pharmacy practitioners who are committed to patient care, reflect humanistic values, embrace change and contribute to the renewal of the profession. Currently, there are two schools offering professional programs for pharmacy in Illinois and according to the National Association of Chain Drug Stores there are over 7000 pharmacists needed across the country - in chain stores alone. In addition to filling this national need, it would offer an important opportunity for interested students on the far south side of Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Support for this program would make CSU to only predominately African-American school in the Midwest with such a program. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $500,000 For The University Of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Online Science Teacher Certification Program. In 2006, Obama requested $500,000 for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Online Science Teacher Certification program, which provides opportunities for individuals to complete a science degree and get their science certification through an online program at the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS). It will help address the shortage of qualified science teachers in the school districts throughout Illinois, which need more highly qualified teachers to meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. In addition, the online program will provide this educational opportunity to individuals who are not able to participate in traditional campus programs due to family and work responsibilities. UIS has established a successful online math and teacher certification program and funding would go directly towards mirroring this success for the Online Science Teacher Certification program. [Obama Request Letter To Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $250,000 For McHenry County’s Mental Health Court. In 2006, Obama requested that McHenry County receive $250,000 to support its Mental Health Court. McHenry County is experiencing a quickly growing population of offenders who have mental disorders, and circulate in and out of the criminal justice system. Jailing individuals whose offenses are related more to the symptoms of mental illness perpetuates the cycle of offenses and incarceration, rather than providing the appropriate treatment for these individuals. This request would allow for additional specialized staffing for the Court, including a Program Coordinator, Probation Officer, Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Social Worker and Psychiatrist. This will not be viewed as an on-going entitlement, but a means to initiate a program that the County is confident will pay for itself over time. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $450,000 For Swedish American Health System’s Davis Junction Rural Health Center Clinic. In 2006, Obama requested that Swedish American Health System receive $450,000 to support its Davis Junction Rural Health Clinic. SwedishAmerican is a not-for-profit, locally owned and operated health care system dedicated to excellence in healthcare and compassionate service for the rural communities it serves in Illinois. The Davis Junction facility is a primary care clinic serving the residents of Davis Junction and over 150 square miles surrounding Davis Junction in Ogle County. It currently serves the community through a 1,700 square foot temporary trailer that houses two exam rooms. These conditions are insufficient to serve the health care needs of the community as they are cramped and outmoded for the 5,000 appointments per year and 20 per day, with only one attending doctor. The cornerstone of the Davis Junction expansion and improvement is the replacement of the trailer with a permanent facility to better serve the community’s manifold health needs. The new clinic would be 4,500 square feet and contain four exam rooms, thereby doubling the clinic's capacity and ability to serve its patients. It would also provide space for radiology equipment and allow the community to receive radiology screening without having to travel to other providers for these important services. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $360,000 For Library And Technology Learning Center At Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. In 2006, Obama requested that Cristo Rey Jesuit High School receive $360,000 to support its Library and Technology Learning. Cristo Rey provides a college preparatory education to over 500 youth in a densely populated, high-need area of Chicago where the neighborhood public high school is struggling with a 59% graduation rate. Gangs, drugs and violence plague the neighborhood. In order to provide tools that will be a resource for the entire community, Cristo Rey is seeking to better equip its Library and Technology Learning Center and provide a much needed space for students and community groups to congregate. Funds would be used to purchase books, periodicals, tapes, on-line databases, computer hardware, printers, an electronic security system and furniture for the space. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $800,000 For A Training And Resource Center Of The Swedish Covenant Hospital. In 2006, Obama requested that that Swedish Covenant Hospital receive $800,000 to support its Training and Resource Center. Covenant Hospital is a 320-bed urban community hospital, the only independent non-profit hospital serving the culturally diverse north side of Chicago. Founded in 1886 by missionaries of the Swedish Evangelical Covenant Church, the hospital employs more than 2000 staff members, whose demographic make-up mirrors the cultural diversity of the communities served. The Hospital has established plans to implement a staff-training program and Community Health Resources Center to provide much needed access and assistance to the culturally diverse communities on the near north side of Chicago which is served by the Hospital. As part of the initial implementation and training, Swedish Covenant Hospital will provide an eight-hour educational program for each employee. The training will prepare the employee on the concept of patient-centered care with an emphasis on patient education. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $300,000 For An Extended-Day And Extended Year Academic Program At The Chicago Jesuit Academy. In 2006, Obama requested Chicago Jesuit Academy receive $300,000 to support its Extended-Day and Extended-Year Academic. The Chicago Jesuit Academy is a tuition free college prep middle school for disadvantaged students on Chicago's West Side, and they are interested in augmenting their traditional academic program through an extended-day and extended-school year to better provide additional educational resources to the West Side community. The extended-day and extended-year aspects of the Academy help address two critical challenges faced by incoming students: literacy skills several grades below grade level and deficiencies in basic math skills. The program will also include supplementary intensive tutoring and supplementary supervision of homework in reading and math to bring these students up to grade-level performance in subject areas. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $900,000 For An Early Childhood Professional Development Center At Saint Xavier University. In 2006, Obama requested that Saint Xavier University receive $900,000 to support its Early Childhood Professional Development Center. The importance of quality early childhood programs to the well-being of a child's positive growth and development has been well established and documented. A shortage of well prepared teachers of young children who understand and demonstrate appropriate interactions, curricula, and the relationship of theory to practice is well documented in Illinois. Due to the growing need to expand and prepare early childhood teachers and to increase the skills of existing teachers of young children, Saint Xavier University would like to expand its current demonstration site for early childhood teacher education to best meet the demand in the southwest Chicago metropolitan area. Currently, the University has a collaborative partnership with the Chicago Public Schools and the community to provide administrative and professional development to teachers and administrators at the Barbara Vick Early Childhood and Family Center, which is a Chicago Public School. Saint Xavier University is requesting federal funds to expand and enhance the preparation of early childhood teacher, the professional development of early childhood teachers, and services to young children. The School of Education at the University would establish an Early Childhood Professional Development Center that would increase the number of infants, toddlers and families that can be served in the area. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $700,000 For Youth Conservation Corps, Inc. For A GED Program. In 2006, Obama requested that Youth Conservation Corps., Inc. receive $700,000 to support its GED Program. Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) is an organization with the mission of developing youth and young adults into productive citizens, working, participating and living in Lake County, Illinois. YCC provides alternative education for GED or high school diploma, college preparation, vocational training, life skills, counseling, workforce skills training, career development opportunities, job placement, and follow-up with graduate services. Sustaining the Youthbuild Program in Lake County will help 16-24 year old high school drop outs obtain their GEDs, and teach construction skills, while building affordable housing in Waukegan, Illinois. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $1.8 Million For The Illinois Department Of Public Health To Conduct A Men’s Health Pilot Project. In 2006, Obama requested that Illinois Department of Public Health receive $1.8 million to support its Men's Health Pilot Project. This would enable the State of Illinois to design and implement a comprehensive health and social services model to address men's health issues with and emphasis on underserved males. The funding would be used to build Men's Health Program infrastructure, establish a statewide network of services to underserved men, and provide technical assistance and training to established agencies for outreach, screening and health education. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $700,000 For Expansion Of The Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant Project By The Illinois Department Of Public Health. In 2006, Obama requested that Illinois Department of Human Services receive $700,000 to support its Expansion of the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant Project. This program would expand an existing pilot project that provides training, consultation and technical assistance directly to child care practitioners. This money would allow expansion to 17 additional sites around the state. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $500,000 For The Uhlich Children’s Network To Support Its Adolescent Mental Health Service Support Program. In 2006, Obama requested that Uhlich Children's Advantage Network receive $500,000 to support its Adolescent Mental Health Service Support program. For more than 140 years, the Uhlich Children's Advantage Network (UCAN), has helped thousands of Chicago's children and families cope with the devastation of domestic violence. UCAN clients receive a combination of individual, group and family therapy designed to meet their needs and develop health interpersonal relationships. Children participate in therapy weekly and remain involved until they have reached a point of clinical success. Clinical goals include: empowering victims to make positive choices; reducing the risk of subsequent victimizations; upon completion of services, each patient will be able to identify who to contact for safety should victimization, or the risk thereof, occur again; and each participant will have a better understanding of tools to discourage unsafe situations from happening to them. Federal funding to support the UCAN mental health services to clients in the child welfare system is critical to stopping the cycles of violence and abuse in families, and assisting in the prevention of future victimizations. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $2.5 Million For The Children’s Hospital Of Illinois’ Replacement Project. In 2006, Obama requested that the Children's Hospital of Illinois receive $2.5 million to support its Children's Hospital of Illinois Replacement Project. The Children's Hospital of Illinois is a public, non-profit hospital that is part of a 6 hospital non-profit health system. Unfortunately, the Hospital's facilities are decades behind in size and design and are unable to properly accommodate the very real needs of pediatric physician specialists and the young patients they serve. In response, the Hospital is undertaking this $224 million project to replace the current building with a state-of-the-art Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit that will include 18 procedure rooms, and a total of 143 inpatient beds. Federal support would be key in helping the Hospital make this much needed transition. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $942,400 For Cyber Seniors, Inc.’s Senior Power Program. In 2006, Obama requested that Cyber Seniors, Inc. receive $942,400 to support its Experience Senior Power Program. Cyber Seniors teams at-risk children and disadvantaged senior citizens for computer and job skills training, to bridge the digital divide and eradicate the cycle of poverty. This intergenerational teaching approach builds adoptive grandparent relationships for youngsters with few positive role models, providing both generations with new skills and a sense of community. Federal funds will be used to maintain and expand the Cyber Seniors Experience Senior Power Program in five locations throughout the Chicago area. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $5 Million For Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Prentice Woman’s Hospital. In 2006, Obama requested that Northwestern Memorial Hospital receive $5 million to support its Prentice Woman’s Hospital. The current Prentice Women's Hospital is the largest birthing center in a 7 state region with nearly 10,000 babies born annually. This is partially due to population growth in the area, resulting in a 100% increase in deliveries since 1985, and this 1970s facility is now reaching maximum capacity. Northwestern Memorial Hospital has begun construction of a new Prentice Women's Hospital to replace the current facility and provide comprehensive care for women of all ages, and will include a comprehensive array of state-of-the-art services for women's contemporary health needs. Since its current quarters cannot support future technological needs and anticipated growth to more than 10,000 deliveries by 2010, funding to support construction costs would greatly aid in meeting the demand from this growing community. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $1 Million For Catholic Charities’ St. Leo Residence For Veterans And VA Clinic And Resources Center. In 2006, Obama requested that Catholic Charities receive $1 million to support its St. Leo Residence for Veterans and VA Clinic & Resource Center. The St. Leo Residence for Veterans is a project that would house 141 veterans, provide supportive services and counseling with the goal of making them self-sufficient, require each veteran to seek/obtain/maintain employment, and maintain strict guidelines about sobriety as a condition of occupancy. Services will include medical health care, mental health counseling, Veterans Benefits Administration, Veterans Resource Center and an employment training program operated by the Dept. of Labor. In addition, Catholic Charities will provide case managers to work with the veterans in the Residence. Funding for this Center would go towards construction of apartments and running the outpatient clinic and resource center. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $650,000 For A Real-time Writers And Captioning Program At Sparks College. In 2006, Obama requested that Sparks College receive $650,000 to support its Real-time Writers and Captioning program. Sparks College is seeking funds to train the technological workforce to provide captioning and other services mandated by the 1996 Telecommunications Act to approximately 1 million deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in Illinois. These funds will assist with continuing curriculum development, technology upgrades, promoting the program and scholarships. Funding will work to curb the shortage of captioners in the workforce and ensure that the highly skilled captioners necessary to meet the mandates will be available in the community and across the state. In addition, this funding will train individuals in a high-tech center career that will provide high paying jobs not only in the community but also throughout Illinois and across the nation. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $5 Million For Loyola University’s Center For Public Service. In 2006, Obama requested that Loyola University receive $5 million to support its Center for Public Service. The Primary focus of the Center for Public Service will be leadership, highlighting the impact that individual men and women can have upon a civil society, through their dedication to public service. The Center will promote public service through career and internship development, certificate programs, publications, as well as special events and lectures. It will also highlight significant contributions to the public good made by individual Illinois leaders. Functioning much like a presidential or congressional library, the Center will sponsor research and scholarship, special exhibits, conferences, a speaker series, internships, workshops, publications, and public outreach programs focused on civic education and public discourse. Funding is needed for office equipment, computers, printers, copiers, scanners, shelving, a conference center and meeting space, fire and security systems, carpeting, lighting, electrical and other related construction costs. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $500,000 For The Children’s Health Fund’s Chicago Children’s Health Project. In 2006, Obama requested that Children's Health Fund receive $500,000 to support its Chicago Children's Health Project. The Children's Health Fund is a private, non-profit organization that develops and supports innovative pediatric programs to meet the health care needs of medically underserved children nationwide. The Health Project is affiliated with local Universities, and is a specially-equipped mobile medical van the serves twenty-one schools in the Chicago area, providing physical examinations, well and sick child care, immunizations, and health and developmental screenings. Referrals to subspecialty care at the University of Chicago hospitals are also available. Funding will allow the Children's Health Fund to expand and enhance the provision of mental health services to patients at the Chicago Children's Health Project. The availability of comprehensive mental health screening, referral and counseling services furthers the organization's goal of providing a full range of medical and psychological services to at-risk youth who would otherwise have little or no access to these services. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $2 Million For The Illinois Primary Health Care Association’s Electronic Health Records Project. In 2006, Obama requested that Illinois Primary Health Care Association receive $2 million to support its Electronic Health Records Project. The Illinois Primary Health Care Association (IPHCA) is undertaking an effort to assure the clear, concise retention and communication of patient-specific information among providers and payors in a manner that protects privacy. The goal of this effort is to promote quality, reduce costs, prevent medical errors and facilitate the detection of emerging disease. Funding will go towards equipment costs, software, training and implementing the transition. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $5 Million For The City Colleges Of Chicago To Support Project ALIGN. In 2006, Obama requested that City Colleges of Chicago receive $5 million to support its Project Align. Project ALIGN is a high school/college partnership with the primary goal of improving the readiness of students from the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) - many of whom are minority and economically disadvantaged - to succeed in college. Project ALIGN has established permanent discipline councils in mathematics and English comprised of CPS high school teachers and faculty from the seven City Colleges and five partner universities. The project aims to improve instruction in each of the core disciplines at all 105 Chicago high schools, as well as the remedial offerings of the City Colleges of Chicago. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $6 Million For The Midwest Emergency Department Services’ Rural Emergency Access Safety Net Program. In 2006, Obama requested that Midwest Emergency Department Services receive $6 million to support its Rural Emergency Access Safety Net Program. Downstate Illinois faces a severe problem in the area of emergency healthcare access and service delivery for thousands of citizens spread throughout numerous rural counties. Funding could ensure that many of downstate Illinois' emergency health care needs are properly addressed. Specifically, they have devised the Rural Emergency Access Safety Net Program which would aid in: 1) Recruitment and retention of qualified emergency care practitioners through fellowships and stipends, and 2) Obtaining essential life-saving medical equipment. Funding would cover program costs for approximately 3 years. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $200,000 For The Guardian Angel Community Service’s Before-And-After School Enrichment Program. In 2006, Obama requested that Guardian Angel Community Services receive $200,000 to support its Before-and-After School Enrichment Program. The Guardian Angel Before-and-After School Enrichment Program was established to provide a low-cost day care to families in which both parents work. They offer program participants, children in grades K through 6, tutoring, mentoring and a safe environment in the morning from 6:00am to 8:30am and in the afternoon from 3:00pm to 6:00pm. During both sessions, they provide help with homework, social skill development, self-esteem building, and an appreciation and awareness of different cultures. The program fee is very inexpensive compared to other day care programs in the area, but the fee still poses a problem for many of the families they serve. Funding would go towards lowering the current costs these families are facing. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $162,000 To The Cristo Rey Jesuit High School For Its Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Work Study Internship Program. In 2006, Obama requested that Cristo Rey Jesuit High School receive $162,000 to support its Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Work Study Internship Program. Funding for the Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Work Study Internship Program will go towards financing 6 work study positions at local non-profit organizations. This will ensure a first class college preparatory education and work study program is accessible to needy young people, while also providing valuable support staff to worthy non-profits in their Chicago neighborhood. The program initially served as a financial proposition to pay the costs of running the school, while exposing the students to the many real world and academic benefits of a job. However, it has evolved into an innovative means of providing students with crucial hands-on, white-collar work experience, while simultaneously empowering them to take an active part in financing a major portion of their education. As a result of working in a business environment, students acquire desirable job experience and marketable skills, develop a network of business contacts, gain exposure to a wide variety of career opportunities, refine a strong work ethic and increase their self-esteem. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $1.95 Million For The Will County Health Department To Support Its Mentally Ill Substance Abuse Programs. In 2006, Obama requested that Will County Health Department receive $1.95 million to support its Mentally Ill Substance Abuser Programs. Will County is the second fastest growing county in Illinois, and one of the top five fastest growing counties in the United States. Due to this population growth and the displacement of individuals with special needs, there is a critical need to expand mental health and substance abuse services in the County, and there is a complete absence of Mentally Ill Substance Abuse Programs in the area. Funding for this program would provide supportive and case management services that are intended to assist and empower the client in obtaining and maintaining access and linkage to mental health and other resources needed to assist the client in living and functioning in the community. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $312,202 For Helen Wheeler Center For Community Mental Health’s Child And Family Services Program. In 2006, Obama requested that Helen Wheeler Center for Community Mental Health receive $312,202 to support its Child and Family Services Program. The Helen Wheeler Center (HWC) is a not-for-profit outpatient behavioral health clinic that serves the residents of Kankakee County in Illinois. The HWC is funded by the IL Department of Human Services, the Office of Mental Health, and the IL Department of Healthcare and Family Services, as well as the United Way of Kankakee County. HWC is seeking technology to adapt to the funding changes in or service delivery system and to streamline daily activities to allow for the maximization of the delivery care. They need to capacity to update their billing system, streamline clinical recordkeeping, and develop a system by which the two can interface in order to maximize productivity and efficiency and expedite the billing process. Current funding levels are not sufficient to meet this need. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $250,000 For The Beecher hall At Illinois College. In 2006, Obama requested that Illinois College receive $250,000 to support its Beecher Hall. Beecher Hall was dedicated in 1829 as the first higher education building in Illinois. As the oldest college building in Illinois, Beecher Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is an official Underground Railroad Site on the National Park Service's "Network to Freedom." It is a historically significant structure that is significant to the College campus and the area, and funding is important to ensure the restoration and preservation of this landmark. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $1 Million For A Center For Communicative Disorders At Augustana College. In 2006, Obama requested that Augustana College receive $1 million to support its Center for Communicative Disorders. The Center serves numerous patients who are afflicted with communicative disorders, and plays an invaluable role in the ability of the College to recruit and retain high quality teachers/scholars committed to ongoing, active and original research. Federal funding would go towards meeting the critical renovation and upgrade needs to the facility for its infrastructure base for the CSD Program and the Center for Communicative Disorders, including clinic rooms, lab space, equipment, and handicap access. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $400,000 For The Carr Center Second Floor Renovation Of Seguin Services. In 2006, Obama requested that Seguin Services receive $400,000 to support its Carr Center Second Floor Renovation. Seguin Services is a 501c3 organization that serves about 230 adults with disabilities in our residential programs, 325 adults with disabilities in our community employment and training programs, and 160 children with disabilities and other special needs, all from the greater Chicagoland area. Their mission is to support adults and children with disabilities and other special needs, enabling them to be productive, valued members of society. They have a have need for federal funding for their Carr Center Second Floor Renovation project. This project will provide state-of-the-art classrooms, labs, and computer technology to assist the 370 low-income adults and children with developmental disabilities in job skill building and job finding. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, 4/5/06]

Obama Requested $2.5 Million For The Center For Excellence In Health Professionals Education At Governors State University. In 2006, Obama requested that Governors State University receive $2.5 million to support its Center for Excellence in Health Professions Education. Governors State University is uniquely qualified to develop this Center for a number of reasons. First, healthcare professional education has been central to the University’s offerings since it was founded more than 35 years ago. Second, GSU serves a diverse population of working adults, many of whom are first generation college attendees. Third, in keeping with the University’s mission, Governors State strives to remain accessible and affordable, with the lowest university tuition in the Chicago area. In addition, Issues in Black Higher Education ranked Governors State 15th in the nation among majority institutions conferring graduate degrees to minority students.

TRANSPORTATION/HUD

Obama Requested $200,000 For The Peoria County’s Get The Lead Out Program In Peoria County, Illinois. In 2006, Obama requested $200,000 for the Get the Lead Out program in Peoria County, Illinois. Funding was specified for equipment and costs related to the physical lead removal program for domestic dwellings and structures in order to reduce the occurrences of childhood lead poisoning in low-income families most affected by this problem. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Transportation, Treasury, HUD, 7/14/06]

Obama Requested $200,000 For The City Of Rock Island’s The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center. In 2006, Obama requested $200,000 for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center in Rock Island, Illinois. Funding will be used for renovation and construction on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center serving the surrounding low-income community. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Transportation, Treasury, HUD, 7/14/06]

Obama Requested $200,000 For The Decatur Lakefront Development Project. In 2006, Obama requested $200,000 for the Decatur Lakefront Development project. Funding was specified for construction and development of the lakefront area with the purpose of promoting economic development of the currently diminished area. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Transportation, Treasury, HUD, 7/14/06]

Obama Requested $200,000 In Funding For The Shawneetown Community Center And Children’s Park. In 2006, Obama requested $200,000 in funding for the Shawneetown Community Center And Children’s Park. The funding was specified for construction of a children's park, including a play station and adjoining community center to serve as the centerpiece for redevelopment of the largest town in Gallatin County, one of the poorest counties in Illinois. [Obama Request Letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Transportation, Treasury, HUD, 7/14/06]

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