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Vivian Loseth: "The Mother of the SDP in Chicago"
Vivian Loseth, Dr. Comer, Michelle Adler Morrison, and Della Ezell  | In a taped message on YouTube, Dr. James P. Comer pays tribute to Vivian Loseth who he calls the "mother of the School Development Program in Chicago." Vivian is retiring as CEO after more than 30 years of service at Youth Guidance, one of Chicago's oldest and most established social service agencies.
Dr. Comer recalled the first time he met Vivian:
The first time I went to Chicago to give a talk, the first person to come up to me said, 'You need to come to Chicahhgo,' with that deep Alabama drawl. And I said 'No way. It's too difficult.' Vivian encouraged us to come to Chicago, insisted that we come to Chicago. She made our day. She's the mother of the SDP in Chicago. We would not have made it without her 15 plus years ago, and we greatly appreciate her because she validated in Chicago the importance and the significance of the work and demonstrated its effectiveness.
Youth Guidance supported implementation of the Comer Process in the Chicago Public Schools and serves as the Midwest Comer Training Center. Youth Guidance provided implementation support to the Lowndes County Schools in Alabama in a recent grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
On May 22, 2010 Vivian was honored at the Youth Guidance annual gala, "A Legacy of Service - Inspiring Bright Futures," at the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park Hotel. Proceeds from the gala will provide academic and youth-development programs to at-risk children and teens in Chicago public schools.
In 2004 during the the School Development Program's 35th anniversary celebration, Vivian received the SDP's Award for Excellence in Educational Leadership for a
lifetime of dedication to children and families. She
has been honored at the Congressional Black Caucus and was named Social
Worker of the Year in 2007 by the Chicago District of the National
Association of Social Workers - Illinois Chapter.
To make a tax-deductible donation to Youth Guidance in Vivian Loseth's honor, please click here.
To watch Dr. Comer's tribute to Vivian, please click here.
Michelle Adler Morrison  | Michelle Adler Morrison Tapped as New Youth Guidance CEO
Veteran social worker and Youth Guidance chief program officer,
Michelle Adler Morrison, will assume the position of chief executive
officer on July 1st. As chief program officer Michelle oversaw all
agency programs and worked with Vivian Loseth to develop and maintain external
networks. Prior to her appointment as chief program officer, Michelle
was a Youth Guidance program manager for the Comer Program and
Community Schools initiatives, a YG Comer Program facilitator, and
therapist at several Chicago Public Schools.
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In Chicago, the Comer School Development
Program has boosted reading and math test scores, using parent
involvement as a core tenet.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
Mom Congress, Georgetown
University
May 3, 2010 |
New Videos Added to SDP's YouTube Page
www.youtube.com/comersdp
Dr. Abie Benitez
Principal
Rose Evans
Comer Facilitator
Columbus Family Academy
New Haven, Connecticut
Georgette Gregory
Principal
Ardmore Elementary School
Springdale, Maryland
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Our Mission
The School Development Program is committed
to the total development of children and adolescents by helping parents,
educators, and policy makers create learning
environments that support children's physical, cognitive, psychological,
language, social and ethical development.
Our Vision
Our vision is to help create a
just and fair society in which all
children have the support for development that will allow them to become
positive and successful contributors in family, work and civic
life.
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