In June, Jodee Craven will be saying farewell to a position near and dear to her heart as HUB Project Grant Manager.
The HUB Project, which stands for Helping Us Build stronger, smarter, and healthier communities, is an extended learning program offered to students in the Rochelle Elementary School District.
Craven has been managing the program from its start over five years ago when the district learned it had been awarded a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant. All throughout, there have been many proud moments for Craven.
“I think honestly the thing I am most proud of is the fact we are still here almost six years later. If you had told me in February of 2013 that in March 2018 this is what the program would look like, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Craven said. “It was difficult getting this up and going…I’m proud of that and the program as a whole.”

On a wing and a prayer
Craven recalls the challenges the new program faced, from creating enrollment and parent forms and handbooks, policies, and procedures to identifying students that would be invited into the program. There was also a mountain of documents required at the federal and state levels.
The first year made for long days for students, sometimes not getting off of the bus until close to 7 p.m. The 21CCLC grant specifies the district has to provide opportunities 12 hours a week outside of school hours to those enrolled in the program.

Craven said the following year there was some major changes in the program, including offering morning hours and hiring full-time site coordinators. By then the program was staffed with certified district employees.
“In the second year we gained ground and started firing on all cylinders,” Craven reflected. “We started focusing on providing high quality academic interventions, enrichment programming and opportunities for students they typically wouldn’t have if not for the program.”
For year three, Craven focused on fundraising to fill the gap from the original grant. Tyson Foods generously stepped in with a grant for $40,000 to cover expenses. The following year, the program received a grant for $100,000 from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois. The mentoring program also began during year four with the help of several volunteers.

Building a base
Craven spoke gratefully about the individuals, businesses, and local organizations that have offered their expertise to the students along the way. These include partnerships established with the Rochelle Area Community Foundation, Tyson Foods, and the University of Illinois Extension.
She also mentioned the teachers.
“These teachers, that’s the other piece of this. They are taking time away from their families to extend their work day to work with these students,” Craven said. “We have teachers that have done this year in and year out…if we didn’t have this we wouldn’t be operating at the high quality level we are at right now.”
The students enrolled in the program are offered a variety of activities, lessons, and field trips. They have taken cooking classes, learned horticulture, made rockets and robots, just to name a few. Craven talked about the Girl Scout troop formed with students from the HUB Project and their camping trips and field trips.
“I’m proud of what we’ve been able to expose our at-risk students to and the opportunities we have provided these kids,” Craven said. “These experiences build confidence and their base knowledge.”
Earlier this year, third and fourth grade students in the HUB Project applied for a grant for a refrigerator at Central School. The group is now a finalist and recently traveled to Rockford to speak in front of the grant committee to talk about their project. The committee will determine the awards sometime in April.
Craven can’t help but think of all of the lives impacted with the program, knowing the positive interactions are making a difference with so many youngsters.
“You want the best for them. No matter where you stand politically, what your thoughts are on federal funding for programs…my feelings are I would always rather spend the money on students and offer them really positive enriching opportunities and safe places to be after school in the hopes we are making a difference and it will impact their life,” Craven said. “I don’t see a downside of after-school programs if it’s helping students with the direction their life could potentially head.”
For Craven, resigning is bittersweet. Her husband, Jamie, is the former Supt. of Rochelle Township High School, now Supt. of DeKalb High School as of this school year. The move will allow more time with the family and although she will be working as a grant evaluator for another district, she says Rochelle, the HUB Project, the students, teachers, and the families will always be in her heart.
“I am going to miss the students...many have been with the program since 2013. I’ve been cheering them on, watching them grow. To see some of their successes has been really rewarding,” she said. “I’m really going to miss it.