TulsaPeople
Lauren chatted with Anna Holton-Dean of TulsaPeople to discuss the launch of Tulsa ErinchED for the 2024-2025 school year.
“We are in the midst of writing our next chapter,” Sivak optimistically explains. “In the 2023-2024 school year, 163 leaders facilitated over 225 clubs across 40 schools and reached 2,598 youth via this program. Through Tulsa EnrichED, we can leverage a $3,000 investment to provide 15 youth 28 weeks of after-school programming. That’s an average cost of $200 per youth! “
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NPR
Lauren chatted with Beth Wallis of StateImpact Oklahoma to talk about the decline in expanded learning experience with the phasing out of ESSER fudning.
“Many of Tulsa’s afterschool programs are supported by an organization called The Opp. Leaders there say ESSER funds allowed The Opp to expand its program offerings from seven school sites to 63. It supports 450 programs across those schools. But once the ESSER funds are gone, that will shrink to just 75 programs, unless they can find funding on their own.”
Want to support the The Opportunity Project? Consider making a donation!
Tulsa News on 6
Lauren sat down with Tess Maune at News on 6 to talk about the importance of investing in expanded learning across Tulsa.
“At The Opportunity Project, we believe that young people succeed and our communities thrive when we invest in afterschool and summer school programming.”
Want to support the The Opportunity Project? Consider making a donation!
Tulsa News on 6
Lauren sat down with Jonathan Cooper at News on 6 to talk about why she volunteers with the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma
“I have worked for nonprofits for over a decade and I know firsthand that people power is the best way for a nonprofit to be able to deliver its programming and services. My wife and I care deeply about helping our neighbors in need and addressing food insecurity.”
Want to support the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma? Consider volunteering!
Defy Podcast
Lauren was invited to be a guest on the Defy Podcast where she spoke about storytelling and pay equity.
“If you are an arts organization who has made it out of this very trying time: how do you double down and define what it means to take care of your artists, what it means to take care of your people?”
Block Club Chicago
“Friends of Theodore Roosevelt High School, in Albany Park, organized free online cooking classes, called the Roosevelt Dinner Club, to offer students and families a place to meet, and in doing so fulfilled another urgent need for its remote high schoolers: connection. Lauren Sivak, president of Friends of Roosevelt, said the group was trying to think about how to leverage the talents of their members, one of whom was a sous chef at several highly rated restaurants. They came up with the idea of cooking with families over Zoom, and more than 20 families participated. “The mental health pressure that young people and their families are facing is unprecedented,” she said.”
Read the article here.
Rebellious Magazine
2nd Story was highlighted in Rebellious Magazine as an arts organization that has found success since pivoting to virtual programming.
“One of the things that has made these virtual events successful is that we are not trying to mask the medium, we are embracing Zoom for its reach and functionality.”
Read the article here.
Chalkbeat Chicago
Lauren sat down with Chalkbeat Chicago to discuss the recent upswing that Roosevelt High School is currently experiencing.
Read the full article here.
Block Club Chicago
Through her work with the Friends of Roosevelt High School, Lauren was quoted in Block Club Chicago speaking about Roosevelt High School’s incredible growth over the last several years.
Read the full article here.