The lushly illustrated pages of Daniel Finds a Poem by Micha Archer come to life on large displays along a half-mile path that encourages children and their families to explore their surroundings and their inspirations. As you follow the story, you’ll discover that nature and poetry are all around if you take the time to look and listen. 

Mayslake Peabody Estate, Oak Brook. All ages. Free. No registration. Through June 30, 2022. Click here for complete details.

With the temperature starting to warm up and hopefully the rain starting to taper off a little, it is a great time to get outdoors to the Palos Preserves. In August, 2021, Palos Preserves, which is a part of the Forest Preserves of Cook County, was designated as the largest Urban Night Sky Place in the world by the International Dark-Sky Association. Click here to read the announcement article. 

From ADDitude: "The Secret to Quality Time with Your Child? Let Them Lead the Way. Genuine and joyful family connections click when children are able to share their interests and 'call the shots.' Here, learn how to make the most of child-led time, and how to gently encourage your child, tween, or teen to want to spend time with you. Leave with ideas for ADHD-friendly things to do with kids of all ages." Read more here.

From ADDitude: "Q: How Can We Teach Accountability to Our Middle School Child? We are trying to teach independence and accountability to our middle school student with ADHD. But he forgets assignments a lot, doesn’t remember lessons, and generally fails more than we’d like. How can we help him take responsibility for his obligations and education without setting him up to fail or accepting his excuses?" Read more here.

Would You Rather Questions for Kids with ADHD: Conversation Starters (additudemag.com)

"How was your day?" Nothing inspires shrugs and grunts better than an uninspired question. To spark a real conversation with your kid, try asking one of these "would you rather" or "if you could" questions — plus find additional talking tips and sample language to foster connection »

Cinema/Chicago announced this year's CineYouth Festival with 71 international short films will be streaming in-person April 22-24 at FACETS Chicago (1517 W. Fullerton Ave.) and streaming globally from April 25-May 1! Tickets are free and open to the public.

This year's selection spans 10 short film programs featuring everything from mind-bending animation to nuanced portraits of home to our Opening Night program of new filmmaking voices from the Chicagoland area.

CineYouth is the Chicago International Film Festival’s annual film festival that showcases short films made by filmmakers 22 years old and younger from around the world. CineYouth encourages the talent of young filmmakers and supports diverse youth voices by providing opportunities to have their work showcased, to learn about filmmaking from industry experts, and to network with their peers.

Live events including panel discussions and livestream Q&As with filmmakers, to be announced soon.

Click here for complete details.

The Illinois Association for Gifted Children (IAGC) is asking for witness slips in support for of a gifted education bill that was just filed. We encourage you to take a couple of minutes and sign a witness slip before Tuesday of next week, February 22nd.  Detailed instructions below or see here for more information from IAGC. Please forward this information to others who may be willing to sign this important piece of legislation for all our advanced learners. 

-----

Dear Gifted Education Supporter:

Our first step is that HB5277 must now pass the Illinois House Education Committee this Tuesday, February 22, before it can go to a House floor vote. Illinois has a simple way for you to publicly show your support for the legislation::

HB5277 must now pass the Illinois House Education Committee this Tuesday, February 22, before it can go to a House floor vote. Illinois has a simple way for you to publicly show your support for the legislation::

The 11th annual One Earth Film Festival offers several free film screenings and discussions for children and youth ages three through young adult and up. These screenings are virtual/online, and all explore science and the environment in ways that speak to youth and reflect their interests. See complete details here.

From Field Museum 2/18 email . . .

Current high school students can get hands-on experience with many of the things that we do here at the Museum—from facilitating guest interactions to assisting in the Crown Family PlayLab, with plenty of exploration of the sciences in-between.

There is limited capacity for the teen volunteer program. All participants are expected to apply and interview prior to acceptance into the program. Our teen volunteers are outgoing, adaptable, and love learning about the world around them. Interested teens should demonstrate a strong interest in the sciences and/or early childhood education. Bilingual skills are a plus.

Applications close on March 14. Selected interview candidates are expected to interview in April. Teens will be notified of final selections by May 1st.

See complete details and apply here.