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Mission
Northwestern Settlement nurtures, educates, and inspires children and families in need to take personal responsibility and attain self-sufficiency.
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The
Worn Doorstep
In
February 1990,to celebrate the Centennial Anniversary of Northwestern
University Settlement Association, a history committee was established
by the Board of Directors. The committee was assigned the task of
locating and securing the archives of the Settlement. The task was
completed under the dedicated leadership of Mrs. Ellerth Overboe.
The committee then engaged a writer, Mark Wukas, to produce a compilation
of those archival materials as an informal history of the Settlement.
The project was completed and the result, a book titled "the Worn
Doorstep", first published in October 1991, can be viewed on this
web site. For further information please contact the Settlement.
The Beginnings
of a Settlement Movement
Toward the end of the 19th century,
a new movement for social justice emerged. Its approach was straightforward:
men and women who wanted to do something about poor social conditions
went to "settle" in the worst affected areas and worked with their neighbors
to improve the situation. The "Settlement movement" was born in
London, England, which at that time was the world's largest city with
about 4 million inhabitants. Large parts of the urban population
experienced very poor working conditions, unemployment, bad housing, and
serious health problems. It is here, in 1873, that the 30-year old
curate, Samuel Barnett, and his wife, Henrietta Rowland, came to live
in St. Jude's parish, one of the poorest of the East End of London.
The Barnetts (pictured to the left)
organized practical parish activities and worked to alert others to the
dismal conditions in their area as Barnett became increasingly concerned
with the causes of the poverty all around him. He turned to the
universities for help in meeting the larger issues of poverty. His
aim was not to attract philanthropic gifts but to attack the root causes
of poverty, which Barnett saw as based in the division of society into
classes. He proposed the establishment of a University Settlement in his
parish so that privileged students and disadvantaged local residents could
live as neighbors and improve local conditions together.
The Universities
Settlement in London was established in 1884 and named Toynbee Hall (pictured to the
right) for historian Arnold Toynbee, a key supporter at Oxford University.
Early work included adult education courses and university extension lectures,
children's country holidays, art exhibitions, literary and dramatic societies,
assistance to Jewish immigrants, and the training of teachers and social
workers.
The Settlement idea quickly spread to the United States, Canada, Japan
and Europe, and in the next three decades hundreds of Settlements were
established. The basic approach of building bridges between different
social classes and groups through common effort in poor neighborhoods
was the same in all these centers, but the methods and contents of the
work was adapted to suit the specific neighborhood.
Advocates of the
Settlement movement, like Samuel Barnett and Arnold Toynbee in the UK,
and Lilian Wald, Harriet Vittum, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jane
Addams in the U.S., influenced the social policy arena. Among the
many achievements in changing public institutions, they promoted fair
salaries for workers and improvement of poor neighborhoods, turned feminism
into a social force, advocated the concept of juvenile court, brought
about recognition of the child as a person with rights, and developed
vast programs to integrate immigrants and promote multiculturalism.
From: C. Johnson, Strength in Community:
an introduction to the history and impact of the International Settlement
Movement. International Federation of Settlements: 1995)
Resource Links:
HISTORY
OF SETTLEMENT LEADERSHIP
PRESIDENTS 1891-2002 |
| Henry Wade Rogers (N.U. President, 1890-1900) |
1891-96 |
| Mrs. Henry Wade Rogers (Emma Winner Rodgers) |
1896-01 |
| William A. Hamilton (Acting President) |
1901-04 |
| William Hard |
1904-06 |
| Towner K. Webster |
1906-11 |
| William A. Vawter |
1911-20 |
| Alfred H. Granger |
1920-26 |
| Frank S. Cunningham, Jr. |
1926-28 |
| William H. Barnes |
1928-36 |
| Donald P. Welles* |
1936-39 |
| Louis E. Leverone |
1940-43 |
| Clyde O. Bedell |
1944-46 |
| Mrs. B. J. Mix (Armella) |
1947-48 |
| Harold O. Barnes |
1949-52 |
| George Dorr Wolf |
1953-56 |
| William M. Allison |
1957 |
| Edward W. Emery |
1958-63 |
| Charles R. Sprowl |
1964-69 |
| Frank L. Linden, Jr. |
1970-73 |
| Nelson D. Stoker |
1974 |
| George T. Drake |
1975-77 |
| Robert H. Burnside |
1978-83 |
| Earl D. Larsen |
1984 |
| Carl von Ammon |
1985-87 |
| Robert A. Sprowl |
1988-91 |
| Daniel W. Vittum, Jr. |
1992-99 |
| Patricia M. Johnson |
2000-05 |
| Glenn A. Dalhart |
2006 - |
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*Dates henceforth
reflect information provided by Northwestern University Settlement in annual reports filed with the Illinois Secretary of State.
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Philosophy (1891-2002)
Established in 1891, Northwestern University Settlement Association has
never stopped working to assist the West Town/Humboldt Park communities
in Chicago. Our House, modeled after Toynbee Hall in London, (the
origin of the Settlement movement in 1884) is the oldest Settlement in
the City of Chicago to remain in continuous operation. We are also
one of the few traditional Settlement Houses remaining in the entire country.
The original Settlement concept of Toynbee Hall was to build a large house
in the middle of a community and to recruit university faculty and graduates
to work and live at the House. The staff and volunteers were to
function as neighbors in the community and become a focal point to gather
resources from a broad area, which would empower community residents to
make changes in their lives and the environment in which they lived.
The concept became known as the University Settlement Model.
Faculty and administrators of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois
originated our Settlement. The Settlement was developed as an independent
not-for-profit corporation with no governance or funding from the University.
The purpose of our Settlement is to assist families and individuals in
overcoming the obstacles of poverty and inadequate resources, so that
they may lead more fulfilling and productive lives. We provide help
for the immediate short-term crisis, as well as support, knowledge and
opportunities to improve their lives over the long-term.
Providing alternatives is the central focus of the philosophy of Northwestern
University Settlement. The needs of hunger and shelter are met with
food and assistance with housing expenses. Limited expectations,
lack of information, and isolation are countered by new learning experiences
that promote self-confidence, motivation, and an increased awareness of
opportunities in the world beyond the local community.
Core programs at the Settlement include: Emergency Assistance, Head Start,
Elementary After School Programs, Teen Programs, Resident Camping, Performing
Arts, and Adult/Family Social Gatherings. This basic set of programs
has been the centerpiece around which many other programs and services
have, and continue to develop, over the years. These programs are the
primary draw to bring neighbors to the Settlement and ultimately involve
them in a variety of existing and newly developed opportunities.
In recent years, the relationship of the camp and arts programs to neighborhood
schools has enabled the development of our AmeriCorps program. The
active involvement of Emergency Assistance and After School Youth programs
provided the draw for partnerships with Northwestern University Law School
and Scholarship & Guidance Association. The combination of programs,
relationship to community, and reputation of the Settlement made possible
the development of Noble Street Charter High School. Partnerships
and specialized programs (sometimes short term) change over time, but
the strength and stability of our core programs is the foundation, which
allows for evolution and new growth.
Key Elements Of Philosophy
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All staff members are
expected to have responsibilities in multiple program and support
areas to facilitate a holistic team approach to our work. All
staff members should respond to any neighbor who enters our front
door regarding any problem, situation or inquiry about programs or
services.
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The goal of the Settlement
worker/neighbor relationship should be self-sufficiency, strength
and option enhancing.
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Our goal is to create
an environment that encourages volunteers and staff to see people
as having opportunities and options rather than problems or deficits.
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All of the programs/departments
are interwoven and interdependent so as to provide a continuum of
services and ongoing communication. Our management structure
is not a traditional pyramid; rather, it tends towards that of a matrix.
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The Settlement is a fluid
organization that is constantly learning, changing, and evolving as
needs, circumstances, and opportunities change within the greater
community. The acceptance of evolution and change is imperative
in maintaining the Settlement's vitality.
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The Settlement incorporates
extensive networking with neighborhood schools, police, other social
services, and established as well as emerging community organizations,
which facilitates the ever-changing development of partnerships, programs
and services.
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We believe that creation
of specialized services should be avoided if we can facilitate providers
(agencies) reaching out to our targeted community.
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All Settlement staff
members are generalists and part of a team that uses multiple skills
to facilitate empowerment and opportunity for neighbors. We
do not place much importance on titles and embrace open and constant
communication.
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Rules and guidelines
are grounded in the belief that people will behave with basic honesty
and trustworthiness. If in doubt, we will always lean towards
belief in the person.
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All facilities are seen
as resources, which can facilitate programs and opportunity.
Frequently, the Settlement brings facilities to the partnership table,
which then enables the creation of programs in collaboration with
other entities.
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All facilities must be
seen as role models for the community at large just as the staff members
are role models for participants.
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The foundation for the
entire organization is board leadership and commitment to philosophy,
sound financial management and up-to-date infrastructure.
Settlements across the country, as well as worldwide,
maintain contact with one another through the United Neighborhood Centers
of America and the International Federation Of Settlements. Links
to these orgaizations are below:
International
Federation Of Settlements
United
Neighborhood Centers of America
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