ECSE PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
Highlights
If you have ever watched a movie in the park, taken part in a fishing or camping program or marveled at the beautiful artwork created by youth in our parks, then you are already familiar with some of the responsibilities of the Department of Environment, Culture and Special Events (ECSE). This department creates and implements the District's outdoor and environmental education programs, coordinates programs for the District’s twelve cultural centers, provides leadership in the development of after-school, youth employment and summer programs and produces special events and activities for the whole family. Some of the District's highlights from these creative minds include:
Arts Partners in Residence
Arts organizations that use CPD space in exchange for providing free programming.
Camp Chicago
A comprehensive summer day camp program emphasizing fitness, creative exploration, and old-fashioned fun.
Concerts in the Parks
A long-standing Chicago tradition of live, outdoor, summer concerts at dozens of parks in neighborhoods throughout the city.
Cultural Center Initiative
Twelve Chicago Park District locations serve as neighborhood centers for intensive study of arts disciplines and also serve as sites for performances, exhibitions, and partnerships with numerous cultural organizations including the Joffrey Ballet, The Museum of Contemporary Art and Ravinia Music Festival.
Dance Card
Lunch-time dance parties for seniors held in neighborhood parks during late summer and fall.
Fish ’n Kids
An introduction to the art and science of fishing for youth throughout Chicago.
Gallery 37 in the Parks
A summer arts apprentice program in neighborhood parks for teens.
Halloween Procession
A fantastic display of costumes imagined and created by children in our parks.
Harvest Garden
A three-season gardening program where kids plant, grow and harvest organic plants.
Hidden Treasures Tours
Beginning in spring and continuing throughout fall the Chicago Park District’s Hidden Treasures tours reveal that natural and cultural treasures are found not only in far-off, exotic lands, but also right here in Chicago's parks. Whether by bus, boat, bike, train or foot, each tour showcases little known jewels and provides historical background and current developments of the city's spectacular parks.
JazzCity Concert Series
A partnership with the Jazz Institute of Chicago that brings world-class jazz musicians to Chicago’s neighborhood parks.
Junior Citizens Banquet
A scholarship program that celebrates the contributions that teens make to our parks.
Junior Earth Team
An environmental apprenticeship program in neighborhood parks for teens.
Kraft Great Kids Initiative
A partnership with Kraft, Chicago Public Libraries and Afterschool Matters that brings additional resources to selected parks (Great Kids Centers) and extra activities to unstaffed parks during the summer (Kidsmobile).
Mayor Daley’s Holiday Sports Festival
A three-day festival of tournaments, physical challenges and active fun held at McCormick Place during the holiday season.
Movies in the Parks
All summer long the Chicago Park District offers over 100 FREE concerts and movies in neighborhood parks across the city. From salsa and reggae to Shrek and Harry Potter, the Concerts and Movies in the Park series offers Chicago families a fun, affordable way to enjoy summer evenings with their neighbors in the parks.
Nature Oasis Explorers (formerly known as Outdoor Explorers)
An after-school hiking and outdoor exploration program that takes place in parks during fall, winter and spring.
Nature Oasis Family Program
A series of hikes, overnighters and hands-on exploration of Chicago Park District Natural Areas.
Nature Oasis Outings
Focusing on four natural areas within the District (Gompers, Humboldt, Jackson, and Washington), Nature Oasis invites children and families to learn surprising things about the nature that surrounds them in the city. Day campers explore these areas using binoculars, tree identifiers and bug catchers, while families have the opportunity to take canoe trips, participate in guided nature walks, and even camp out overnight!
Outdoor Classroom
A series of field trips for students and staff development opportunities for teachers that encourages them to use our parks to teach environmental science.
Park Kids
ParkKids is an afterschool program, for grade school children, provides children safe, high-quality activities during the after school hours. Park Kids gives children time to do their homework, then challenges them with physical activites d creative projects that are necessary for healthy development.
Park Voyagers
A partnership with Museums in the Park that brings museum educators to parks and neighborhood families to museums.
Pumpkins in the Park Fun Run
A 5K spectacle of costumed runners held in Lincoln Park during the Halloween season.
Readers @ Play
A partnership with the Chicago Public Library for their Summer Reading Program.
Senior Games
A week-long series of athletic competition for seniors held in the late summer.
Senior Luncheon
A celebration for 2,000 seniors that recognizes the contributions that seniors make to our parks.
Stewardship Days
A field trip destination for day campers where kids explore nature with environmental professionals.
Teen Achieve
An opportunity for teens to learn about environmental internships and apprenticeships available during the summer.
Teen Arts Expo
An opportunity to showcase the cultural talents of teens and inform them about further opportunities.
Theater on the Lake
Summer 2004 marks the 52nd anniversary of the Chicago Park District's annual theater festival. From traveling road shows in the 1950s to community theater, to the current critically acclaimed presentation of professional Chicago theater, TOL makes theater accessible. Housed in a historic building at Fullerton and Lake Michigan, Theatre on the Lake offers nine professional comedies, dramas and musicals in nine weeks during June, July and August.
Under Illinois Skies
A three-day camping trip to Illinois State Parks for youth who have completed Urban Campers.
Urban Campers
An opportunity for youth to camp overnight in their parks while learning camp crafts and practicing stewardship.
Words @ Play
A partnership with the Chicago Children’s Humanities Festival that teaches children to write and perform poetry.