HIGHLAND PARK -- The Community Family Center (CFC) recently appointed three renowned leaders in the field of early childhood education to its Honorary Board. These members will serve as advisors to the Board of Directors and as ambassadors for the Community Family Center, which is developing a centralized facility for five local not-for-profit child care and family support agencies.

“We look forward to working with the Honorary Board and to their contributions in support of the Community Family Center,” said Herb Wander, Board President. “We feel privileged to be able to benefit from the expert advice and leadership offered by these members.”

DOLORES KOHL KAPLAN, founder of the Kohl Children’s Museum.
Dolores Kohl Kaplan is the founder, president and CEO of the Dolores Kohl Education Foundation. A catalyst for excellence in education, the foundation has developed numerous education and arts programs in the United States and abroad. Dolores Kohl’s work in early childhood education, which began in the 1970s as a fourth grade teacher in Highwood, IL, emphasizes literacy efforts for low-income urban families. In 1985, she founded the Kohl Children’s Museum in Wilmette at what formerly had been a bowling alley. The museum grew in popularity, prompting a move to a new 46,700-foot location in Glenview in 2005. Currently, Kohl Kaplan directs The Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards, which recognizes outstanding teachers of young children, and The StoryBus, an urban school literacy program. Dolores is a trustee of Ravinia Festival, Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago and Brandeis University. She was appointed by President Clinton as a member of the Commission on Presidential Scholars. She received an honorary doctorate degree from the Erikson Institute in 2008. Dolores Kohl Kaplan has been a resident of Highland Park for many years.

BERNICE WEISSBOURD, founder of Family Focus.
Bernice Weissbourd is an early childhood educator, well known as an initiator and leader of the family support movement. In 1976, she founded Family Focus, a not-for-profit agency providing comprehensive programs for children and their families from birth in diverse communities in the Chicago area. In 1981, Ms. Weissbourd created Family Support America, a national organization serving as a resource on family support programs and policies. Ms. Weissbourd has authored and edited numerous publications on family support policies and practices. She was a lecturer at the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration from 1994 to 1999. Ms. Weissbourd is past president of The American Orthopsychiatric Association, a congressional appointee to the National Commission on Children, former Vice President of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and a member of the Administration for Children and Families’ Advisory Committee on Services for Families with Infants and Toddlers, which established Early Head Start. She has served on numerous national boards and advisory committees. She is the recipient of many awards and honors, including, most recently, life-time achievement awards from Better Promises Foundation and Zero to Three National Center for Infants Toddlers and Their Families. Ms. Weissbourd frequently consults with local and national media on child and family issues.

BARBARA T. BOWMAN, co-founder of the Erikson Institute.
Barbara Bowman is a Co-Founder and Professor at the Erikson Institute and Chief Officer of Early Childhood Education for the Chicago Public Schools. In addition, she is a consultant to the US Secretary of Education. She has authored over 50 publications, including articles, book chapters, and edited volumes. Ms. Bowman is co-director and investigator on projects in the Erikson Center for the Study of Young Children: Race, Class, and Culture. She is a frequent speaker and her specialty areas are early education, cultural diversity, and education of at-risk children. Barbara Bowman has served on numerous professional boards, including the Family Resource Coalition and the National Association for the Education of Young Children, of which she was President (1980-82). She chaired the Committee on Early Childhood Pedagogy for the National Research Council. She is on the boards of the Great Books Foundation, the Chicago Library Foundation, and Roosevelt University. Barbara Bowman attended Sarah Lawrence College and the University of Chicago, where she received a MA degree in 1952. She holds honorary degrees from Bank Street College, Roosevelt University, Dominican University, Governors State University and Wheelock College.

About the Community Family Center
The Community Family Center (CFC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a centrally-located home for five early childhood education and family support programs that are currently housed in scattered makeshift spaces. The City of Highland Park is partnering with the CFC to re-use the Karger Center, which is functionally obsolescent and in need of substantial capital investment. The remodeled building will have improved and much-needed additional space for services that include daycare and early childhood education, training for homecare childcare providers, and family support and counseling services. Participating agencies in this project are Family Network, A Family Focus Center; Family Service: Prevention, Education & Counseling; Highland Park-Highwood Home Child Care Association; Highland Park Community Nursery School & Day Care Center; and Tri-Con Child Care Center. The proposed building is estimated to cost $10.5 million plus a fund for operations and maintenance. For more information or to make a donation, contact Andrea Kressman, Executive Director, at 847-433-5846 or comfamilycenter@sbcglobal.net or visit: www.communityfamilycenter.org

Submitted by Community Family Center