The Exelon African-American Resource Alliance (EAARA) - Chicago Chapter has made a scholarship opportunity available.  EAARA is accepting applications for the 2018 Frank M. Clark/John T. Hooker Scholarship! They will award twenty-seven scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each to support students who are currently attending or plan to attend a 2-year or 4-year college or university in the Fall of 2018.  
                                                                
Eligibility requirements:
 
•    African-American currently residing in ComEd’s Illinois service territory
•    Attends or plans to enroll in a 2-year or 4-year accredited college or university
•    Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale
 
Application packages are due on or before midnight CST on June 3, 2018. Click the application link below and submit all materials per the instructions to insure your submission receives full consideration. Incomplete and/or late submissions will not be considered.
 
CLICK HERE TO START THE APPLICATION
 
Access the application at http://comed.com/2018EAARAScholarship
 
Questions can be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SPRINGFIELD – As the national call for more school resource officers grows, Illinois Senate Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) is working to ensure Illinois provides proper training for the all-in-one law enforcement, counselor and community liaison position.

Senate Bill 2925, which was approved by the Senate today, requires the Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to develop or approve a certified training program for school resource officers by Jan. 1, 2020.

Leader Lightford joined her colleagues during a walkout on March 14 in solidarity with young people across the country demanding action on gun control and safety in schools. Lightford is holding up a photo of Peter Wang, who lost his life while helping his classmates escape the recent Florida shooting.

“We want all school resource officers to have the proper training to be a supplement to our children’s education,” Lightford said. “They have tough jobs, and the only way to make them easier is setting training standards that prepare these officers for the situations they may face in a school.”

The training will be developed with consultation from organizations with expertise in the areas of youth and adolescent development, educational administration, child abuse and exploitation prevention, youth mental health treatment, and juvenile advocacy.

The legislation also allows law enforcement agencies to request a waiver of the training for any officers who may already be qualified as an SRO.

The proposal will now head to the House for consideration.

Caucus endorses ratification of Equal Rights Amendment

SPRINGFIELD –The Equal Rights Amendment is the first measure to earn the backing of the Senate Women’s Caucus, members of the bipartisan group announced today.

“The Senate Women’s Caucus came together to empower and amplify the voices of women throughout our state,” Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford, a Maywood Democrat and co-chair of the caucus, said. “It is fitting that the first piece of legislation endorsed by the caucus is the Equal Rights Amendment, which protects women’s constitutional rights and is one of the many women’s issues that is long overdue.”

SJRCA 4, the Equal Rights Amendment proposes to ratify the ERA to the U.S. Constitution and solidify equality for women. Women do not currently have guaranteed equal rights under the federal Constitution.