The Public Square at the IHC partners with Christopher House to offer adult literacy discussion groups focused around current events.
CHICAGO — Café Society, a weekly current events discussion series hosted by The Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council, has expanded to offer English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. In partnership with Christopher House, one of Chicago’s premier family resource centers, Café Society recently began offering this free adult literacy class to individuals who are looking to develop their reading, writing, and conversational English skills all while discussing current events. The ESL Café Society uses the weekly Café Society topics as the focal point for reading, writing, and discussion.
These sessions take place every Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Christopher House – Logan Square (3255 W. Altgeld, Chicago). Registration for Christopher House Café Society discussions will take place Wednesday, April 2 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 PM at Christopher House – Logan Square (3255 W. Altgeld, Chicago).
Walk-ins are welcome anytime, but pre-registration is encouraged. This program is free and open to the public. For further information, contact Amy Rhoades at Christopher House at 773.472.1083.
WHAT IS CAFÉ SOCIETY?
Café Society is a project designed to foster a more robust civil society, more cohesive and interactive communities, greater media literacy and a more informed and engaged citizenry through weekly coffee shop conversations about contemporary social issues. It taps the growing coffee culture as a vehicle to promote conversations between strangers (a cornerstone of democratic practice) about relevant social issues, with a focus on the theme of citizenship, broadly defined, and critically examined.
The discussions are open to anyone interested in talking about issues in the media and their relevance to the community. Topics are posted on www.thepublicsquare.org each Friday. The conversations are led by trained facilitators who keep the action lively, but friendly.
Recent topics of conversation include:
- The Cook County Tax Hike: Needless or Necessary?
- What Does It Mean To Be “The Black Candidate”?
- Is the Media Sexist?
- What Should an Athlete Look Like? Disabilities and the Olympics
The Public Square at the IHC currently runs five Café Society sites in the Chicago area and one in Carbondale.
Café Society locations:
Wednesday
12:30-1:30 p.m., Chicago Cultural Center’s Randolph Street Café, 77 E Randolph St
7-8 p.m., Pause, 1107 W. Berwyn Ave. (Berwyn and Broadway)
Thursday
7-8 p.m., Caffe De Luca, 1721 N. Damen Ave.
7-8 p.m., Valois, 1518 E. 53rd St.
7:30-8:30 p.m., Panera Bread, 1126 E. Walnut St., Carbondale, IL*
*Meets on the first Thursday of every month
Friday
5-6 p.m., Ron’s Barber Shop, 6041 W. North Ave., Oak Park
ABOUT THE PUBLIC SQUARE AT THE ILLINOIS HUMANITIES COUNCIL
The Public Square at the IHC fosters debate, dialogue, and exchange of ideas about cultural, social, and political issues with an emphasis on social justice. Programs promote participatory democracy by creating space for public conversations.
For more information about The Public Square at the IHC, please visit www.thepublicsquare.org or call 312.422.5580.
The Illinois Humanities Council is an educational organization dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. Through its programs and grants, the IHC promotes greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. Organized as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1973, the IHC is now a private nonprofit (501 [c] 3) organization that is funded by contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations; by the Illinois General Assembly; and by the NEH.
D A R E T O K N O W
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