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2010
2009
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CHICAGO, September 22, 2008 – The National Recreation Foundation, a nonprofit charitable foundation established to promote and develop leadership, programs and facilities through recreation and parks, has awarded Sid Epstein its 2008 Robert Crawford Award. The Crawford award honors an individual who is “truly outstanding in his or her commitment to the service of youth of the country.”
Epstein is chairman emeritus of Epstein, the Chicago-based global architecture, interiors, engineering and construction firm. In bestowing the award, the National Recreation Foundation cited Epstein’s work in founding Chicago Youth Centers (CYC). Today, CYC serves 5,000 Chicago youth annually at nine Chicago inner city locations and Camp Rosenthal in southwest Michigan.
The CYC centers give children a continuum of care with programs for Early Childhood Development, After School and Team Leadership Development. The centers follow a Youth Development model that builds on individual strengths while developing the critical assets needed for a successful life. One measurement of the programs’ success is the high percentage of youths in the program who graduate from high school, with 65% going to college and the remainder finding employment.
“Sid successfully maintained the commitment of the CYC to everyone who needed the resources provided by the centers, even in neighborhoods rife with poverty, violence, drug use, unemployment and struggling schools,” noted (NRF spokesperson). “The CYC proves every day what Sid always believed: that given a chance, children can succeed.”
“Fifty years ago, I was concerned about the welfare of low income children in the West Side where I grew up and the closing of two youth clubs in the underserved North Lawndale area,” said Epstein. “Elliott Donnelly shared my concerns and we banded together to save these clubs as well as a club on the South Side. Together, we founded Chicago Youth Centers.
The award comes with a $10,000 prize, which Epstein is donating to Chicago Youth Centers, plus a direct $40,000 grant to Chicago Youth Centers.
About Epstein Epstein was formed in 1921 and provides architecture, interior design, engineering, and construction services worldwide. Headquartered in Chicago, the firm maintains offices in Los Angeles, California; New York, New York; Warsaw, Poland; and Bucharest, Romania. Epstein consistently ranks among the leaders by well-known industry media including Engineering News Record, Building Design + Construction and Midwest Construction. The firm is well-known for its commercial, industrial, high-rise office, residential, municipal, and transportation projects. Epstein is also a leader in sustainable design, developing "green” solutions and technologies across all building types. More information is available at www.epsteinglobal.com.
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