VOCEL

This month, our team participated in a powerful 3-day staff retreat filled with team building, joyful connection, and visionary planning for the next year ✨

A huge shoutout to our friends at the Chicago Children's Museum for hosting us! Spending time in their curiosity classroom built entirely around play was the perfect place for our team to collaborate, plan ahead, and have fun!

Head to vocel.org/staffandboard to meet the team driving this work forward! 💐

~🌸~

Este mes, nuestro equipo participó en un inspirador retiro de 3 días lleno de dinámicas de equipo, conexiones alegres y una planificación visionaria para el próximo año ✨

¡Un agradecimiento enorme a nuestros amigos del Chicago Children's Museum por recibirnos! Pasar tiempo en su "curiosity classroom", un espacio diseñado totalmente alrededor del juego, ¡fue el lugar perfecto para colaborar, planear el futuro y divertirnos!

¡Ve a vocel.org/staffandboard para conocer al equipo que impulsa esta gran labor! 💐

Continuing our Illinois AEYC Growing Futures Conference speaker spotlight series! Next up in our lineup are Jesse Ilhardt, Executive Director, and Raha Dempsey, Managing Director of Strategy.

They’ll be leading a breakout session titled: Fostering Staff Collaboration, Talent Development + Retention Through Play ⭐

Adding sessions to your schedule? Make sure to add this one, and stay tuned for our third and final presenters reveal!

📍 Ruby (Ballroom) 2nd Floor
📅 Friday, October 16, 2026 from 3:15 - 4:45 PM

Catch us out in the community! 🎈 We’re bringing playful learning resources and fall program details to two upcoming events in Chicago:

📍 CPS Parent Resource Fair + 📍Aetna Better Health of IL Health & Resource Fair

Register for the CPS Parent Resource Fair here: https://tinyurl.com/ydjayxkf

Swipe to see more information on both events! Come say hi, grab free resources for your family, and discover how to join our upcoming fall programs. ✨

~💫~

¡Acompáñanos en la comunidad! 🎈 Estaremos compartiendo recursos de aprendizaje a través del juego e información sobre nuestros programas de otoño en dos próximos eventos en Chicago:

📍 Feria de Recursos para Padres de CPS +📍Feria de Salud y Recursos de Aetna Better Health de IL

Regístrese para la Feria de Recursos para Padres de CPS aquí: https://tinyurl.com/ydjayxkf

¡Deslice para ver más información sobre estos dos eventos! ¡Ven a saludar, lleva recursos gratuitos para tu familia y descubre cómo unirte a nuestros programas de otoño! ✨

✨ Last call for tickets! ✨

Join VOCEL at Rockwell on the River on October 8th to celebrate our impact at An Evening for Play - a joyful and play-filled benefit dinner where you, your friends, and colleagues can help make transformative early education a reality for kids citywide. Together, we’ll invest in our young children’s futures and fuel Chicago’s next generation of leaders.

🎟️ Final tickets still available via the link in our bio – grab yours now!
Can't make it to the event? You can still support Chicago's early learners by making a donation here: https://tinyurl.com/jf8se54a 💛

Early Childhood Educators: We’re gearing up for a new year of our VOCEL Educators Learning Community, and we’d love for you to join us! 📚✨

Whether you’re joining us virtually or in person, mark your calendars for next week for our Session 1 Materials Pick-Up & Kick-Off Meet & Greet! Drop by the office to grab your materials, pick up classroom supplies, meet the team, and grab a snack 🥨

Swipe to see our schedule for the full schedule of the sessions for the year!

It’s not too late to join! We are still accepting teachers into this year's cohort. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/spe2hbhx 🌟

VOCEL is heading to the Illinois AEYC Growing Futures Conference on October 16! We have six team members presenting across three sessions this year.

Kicking off our speaker lineup are Deb Perez, Director of Partnerships, and Nelly Ventura, Director of Programs, VOCEL Families. They will lead a session titled "Building Ecosystems of Care: Supporting Playful Partnerships." 🌱

If you're attending Growing Futures this year, make sure to check out their session and say hello!

📍 Governor (Classroom) 3rd Floor
📅 Friday, October 16, 2026 from 8 - 9:30 AM

Happy Latine Heritage Month! | ¡Feliz mes de la herencia latine!✨

Looking for fun, free, and family-friendly ways to celebrate with your little ones right here in Chicago? Here are a few: | ¿Buscan formas divertidas, gratuitas y familiares para celebrar con sus peques aquí en Chicago? Aquí les dejamos algunas opciones:

📚 Chicago Public Library: Explore curated book lists for kids filled with stories that celebrate Latine culture, family, and joy! | ¡Exploren listas de libros infantiles llenas de historias, cultura y alegría latine!

🎭 Chicago Park District: Enjoy free family events, music, dance, and cultural performances in parks across the city! | ¡Disfruten de eventos familiares gratuitos con música, baile y presentaciones culturales en los parques de la ciudad!

👉 View full reading lists and event schedules here: | Vean las listas de libros y los eventos completos: https://tinyurl.com/mu7r84xk

Welcome and welcome back, VOCEL families! 🎉 Today kicked off a brand-new round of child-parent play classes, and we are excited to see returning friends and see new faces.

¡Bienvenidos y bienvenidos de nuevo, familias de VOCEL! 🎉 Hoy comenzó una nueva sesión de nuestras clases de juego para padres e hijos, y estamos emocionados de verlos otra vez y ver caras nuevas.

Come learn through play with us! Spots are still open for you and your little one (ages 0–4). Enjoy a free, bilingual, and joyful space (plus take home free essentials for your household)! ⭐

¡Acompáñanos a aprender jugando! Todavía tenemos lugares disponibles para ti y tu peque (de 0 a 4 años). Disfruta de un espacio gratuito, bilingüe y lleno de alegría, ¡además de llevarte suministros esenciales gratis para tu hogar! ⭐

📲 Ready to play? Sign up here | Regístrese aquí: https://myvocel.us.formtitan.com/ftproject/ft6033d4c12c5e4b01b7528a80d5e042f7

Meet your VOCEL Educators Learning Community facilitators! 🍎✨

Our Director of Teacher Development, Haley Ford, and Manager of Educator Supports, Ryan Edwards, are leading our Learning Community this year. This is a space built specifically for early childhood (pre-k-2nd grade) teachers to dive into play-based learning, nurture their own mental health and social-emotional growth, and connect with peers all over the city!

👉 Interested or know an early childhood educator? Send them this post or visit our link in bio to apply today! 💫

TRY THIS apple painting art activity! 🍎🎨 | ¡TRATA ESTO: pintando con manzanas! 🍎🎨

Apple stamping is a way to help little ones (0-4) develop grip strength, explore new textures, and practice fine motor control using everyday items from your kitchen. Tap save for your next creative afternoon! 🍎💫 | El estampado con manzanas es una actividad para ayudar a los niños (0–4 años) a desarrollar fuerza en sus manitas, explorar diferentes texturas y ejercitar la motricidad fina usando elementos sencillos de la cocina. ¡Guarda este post para tu próxima tarde creativa! 🍎💫