Proviso Township High School District 209 is actively looking for volunteers to continue their big steps in moving the district forward through community engagement for this Saturday’s Community Engagement Walk.
Cori Hobbs, parent and community engagement coordinator for Proviso East, said the walk is a way of “reaching people where they are.”
“Under the leadership of Superintendent [Krish] Mohip, he talked about launching a wide-range and proactive community registration campaign,” Hobbs said. “We understand that our registration numbers are currently lower than we like, so it is more than just paperwork, it is about building bridges and meeting the community and parents where they are.”
The “people-centered” initiative aims to connect families before the 2025-26 school year starts as part of a district-wide “We Are Proviso” back-to-school campaign.
Volunteers and D209 staff will be walking through local neighborhoods and sharing information regarding resources as well as promoting registration and student support services.
The district held the first Community Engagement Walk on Saturday, July 12 and were able to canvas the Bellwood and Maywood communities, said Hobbs.
The event had about 50 volunteers including teachers, staff, security members and students, Hobbs said. Hobbs said they received positive feedback regarding the approach, which allowed for the district to have a stronger presence in the community.
“The door-to-door is a more proactive approach,” Hobbs said, adding that parents are still registering and enrolling in traditional ways, like coming into the school, but it is still not enough. “We are [making phone] calls and calling parents individually.”
But organizers are hoping for a larger volunteer turnout this Saturday to be able to reach other communities in the D209 communities.
“We are looking to hit the other 10 [communities] that Proviso has,” Hobbs said.
“This is to ensure that families are being registered but also combine that outreach effort with on-the-spot support, to answer questions, guide parents through the online form and connect them to our school resources.”
The next walk is scheduled for Saturday, July 26 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Volunteers will be meeting at the district office, 8601 W. Roosevelt Rd. in Forest Park and will canvas designated neighborhoods to distribute signs and back-to-school materials while wearing “We Are Proviso” shirts in hopes of “shifting public perception.”
Anyone interested in volunteering is encouraged to reach out to Hobbs directly at chobbs@pths209.org and 708-834-3982 or Kristine Vandenbroek at kvandenbkvandenbroek@pths209.org.
