District 214 Community Education

Step onto the original path of "The Main Street of America" with our "100 Years of Route 66 - Chicago Neighborhoods" tour. This journey isn't just about the road; it's about the soul of Chicago and the vibrant communities that shaped its legendary start. As the fabled highway celebrates its centennial in 2026, join us as we journey from its official start across from the Art Institute of Chicago on a narrated guided tour. Travel through the heart of the city's history, past architectural gems like the Rookery Building, iconic eateries such as Lou Mitchell's, and the historic Old St. Pat's Church. Our route continues down Ogden Avenue, taking you through vibrant and historically significant neighborhoods like Tri-Taylor, Little Village, and North Lawndale. Along the way, you'll discover hidden gems, including the new Route 66 mural at LuLu's, the legendary Ferrara Candy Company, and a site integral to the Civil Rights movement, the Dr. King legacy apartments. The tour culminates at the historic Berghoff restaurant, where you will savor a delicious lunch and toast to the enduring legacy of Route 66.

Journey to South Bend, Indiana, for an unforgettable day trip! This tour is a perfect blend of history, fun, and delicious treats, all conveniently located within the impressive, brand-new Continental Divide Park campus. Our adventure begins at the Indiana Dinosaur Museum. Marvel at life-sized dinosaur sculptures and ancient fossils. The museum's engaging exhibits and rare specimens offer a fascinating glimpse into prehistoric life that will captivate visitors of all ages. Next, enjoy lunch at The Public House Restaurant, located inside the park and known for its "Upside-Down Burger." Cap off the day as you indulge your sweet tooth with a guided tour of the South Bend Chocolate Factory. The tour includes a tasting and time to shop, along with a museum visit showcasing a large collection of chocolate memorabilia, including a 1,300-year-old Mayan chocolate pot. It's a perfect day filled with unique experiences, all in one great destination!

Start your springtime with a dazzling display of color after the long winter doldrums! At the Chicago Orchid Show, step into a paradise of over 10,000 breathtaking blooms. The Chicago Botanic Garden's indoor galleries are transformed into a spectacular, themed world of orchids, featuring towering installations and a dazzling array of orchids from around the globe. This is your chance to see some of the world's most exquisite and rare flowers in one unforgettable setting. Following our vibrant tour of the orchid show, we'll head to Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant for an exceptional lunch. Our final stop is the unique and enchanting "Jungle of Niles." More than just a plant store, this destination is a true plant-lover's paradise and a one-of-a-kind experience. Wander through a lush, tropical landscape filled with an incredible variety of rare and common houseplants, plus a family of resident animals.

Have you ever said, "I used to love doing theater in high school," or "I miss acting but life got in the way"? Whether you're brand new, returning after a break, or looking to sharpen you skills, this welcoming 8-week class is for you. Led by The Theater Lab Producer, Patrick Zielinski - an actor, director and writer with over 25 years of esperience - This course explores monologues, scene work, subtext, improvisation, and ensemble techniques. All levels are welcome, and no experience is necessary. At The Theater Lab, we believe in collaboration, inclusion and most importantly, fun. Join a supportive community of fellow creatives and rediscover the joy of acting.

The Arlington Jazz Exchange (AJE) is an all-volunteer sub-group of the Arlington Heights Community Concert Band (AHCCB) featuring 17 instrumentalists and 1 vocalist, dedicated to the study and performance of big band jazz music. All AJE concerts are free of charge, but ticket reservations are still required.

Discover the rich history and vibrant cultures of two of Chicago's most iconic immigrant communities on this unique guided tour. From the stunning architecture of the Polish Triangle to the delicious flavors of Greektown, you'll experience a day filled with art, history, and incredible food! We'll start our day at the historic Polish Triangle, the heart of Chicago's Polish community. As we explore this vibrant area, you'll see why it's a hub of Polish-American culture. At the Polish Museum of America, see remarkable exhibits on Polish art, folk costumes, and historical artifacts. In Chicago’s Greektown, visit a lively neighborhood bursting with Hellenic culture. Tour the Hellenic Museum, dedicated to preserving and sharing Greek history and culture. We'll gather for a traditional family-style lunch at the legendary Greek Islands Restaurant, where you'll savor authentic dishes in a lively, welcoming atmosphere. Experience the best of Chicago's Polish and Greek heritage in one unforgettable day!

Core Aquatics is a competitive swim team for swimmers ages 6 years old through high school. We believe in starting from the foundation and focusing on stroke proficiency while incorporating all racing aspects. The team centers on maximizing efficiency as the foundation to competitive racing and building speed through technique precision. Our Fall/Winter information packet can be found here. Season Dates: The short course yards season begins Tuesday September 2nd for our Silver and Navy practice squads and Sunday September 14th for our STP, Orange, and Blue practice squads. Our regular season runs through February 20th with Championship season, for those who qualify, running into March. Athletes must obtain Championship qualifying times to continue to Regionals, Age Group Champs or Senior Champs. There will be a modified practice schedule beginning the week of February 23rd 2026 for those moving on to a championship meet. For our Navy (High School swimmers) we offer 1⁄2 season options that do not coincide with their high school season. We also offer additional pre-season (for girls) and postseason (for boys) options for those swimmers whose HS season ends after their High school conference and who would like to continue training outside their designated season. Swimmers New to Core: All interested swimmers who have not been a part of Core will need to register for an evaluation. Evaluations will be held Sunday August 18th and 25th between 10:00 am and 1:00pm for our Fall/Winter season. Evaluation times will be on a first come first serve basis and run every 15 mins. Your swimmer will work one on one with a coach from our staff who will observe all four of their competitive strokes and competitive swim knowledge prior to placing them on a practice squad. At the end of the evaluation, your child’s report will be emailed to you along with links to our registration page. Please click here to complete the evaluation sign up. You will receive an email from Coach Drum confirming your evaluation time and location and provide more information about the evaluation. USA Swim: All swim team members must also be members of USA Swimming. There is an $87 per year additional fee for the annual membership. This $87 fee will need to be paid after September 1st; a registration link will be sent out by the head coach on September 1. Please note pool space in District 214 is in extremely high demand, and Core Aquatics does not always get priority for scheduling. Please note schedules will change. It is important that athletes and their families check and follow the Core Aquatics website practice calendar and not the dates listed on Eleyo at sign up: those dates are a general guide with most up to date information available on our website. We are a competitive USA Swim club. Our Swim team is divided into four practice squads that are grouped solely on ability level and not age. Swimmers compete based on their age but practice based on their current skills and abilities. Our coaching staff will decide which practice squad best fits your swimmers current skill level. New members will undergo our evaluation process to determine which practice squad they will register with. Returning members should sign up for the same squad they were previously on unless a coach invites them to practice on a different squad. Members are not entitled to pick a squad that fits their schedule or that they think they should practice on. Coaching staff is always available to discuss goals for moving to the next practice squad but ultimately the coaching staff’s reserves the right to decide which squad and lane swimmers practice in. Our practice squads are as follows: Orange – Broken into Orange 1 and Orange 2. Proper mechanics are required with an emphasis on racing and competing. This squad is open to graduates from our Swim Team Prep program or swimmers who can demonstrate ability to swim all four competitive strokes as well as show confidence diving from the blocks. Orange 2 swimmers spend about 90% of practice working on stroke technique and 10% on endurance, while Orange 1 adds a little more endurance to their foundation. In order to qualify for our Orange practice squad swimmers will be asked to demonstrate a broken 400 swim (100 easy free, 100 kick, 100 pull and 100 IM) with ease and technically correct. Blue – Broken into Blue 1 and Blue 2 - the Blue Squad focuses on stroke technique and endurance as key aspects for advancing all four competitive strokes. This practice squad is open to swimmers who can demonstrate an ability to legally swim all four competitive strokes for 100+ yards, including proper turns, and diving off the blocks. Blue swimmers spend 75% of their practices working on stroke technique and 25% building both aerobic and anaerobic endurance. Swimmers must demonstrate drill knowledge and be able to read a workout with guidance. Silver – Broken into Silver 1 and Siver 2 - the Silver Squad features continued race training and development of advanced swim techniques. Open to swimmers who can demonstrate an ability to legally swim all four competitive strokes for 200+ yards, including proper turns, streamline, and diving off the blocks. Silver swimmers must be able to swim 1000+ yards of freestyle nonstop. Silver swimmers spend about 50% of their practices working on stroke technique and the other 50% working on both aerobic and anaerobic sets with an emphasis on power and precision. Dryland workouts will be incorporated into daily swim practices beginning around November. Swimmers typically swim 3,000 - 4,000 yards throughout a 1.5 hour practice. To be considered for our Silver practice squad, swimmers must be able to demonstrate all competitive swim components, be legal in all 4 strokes, read and understand a workout with ease, be familiar with swim meet structure and events, and have former team experience. Navy – Broken into Navy 1, 2 & 3 – The elite Navy Squad is for senior level and advanced swimmers training for success at the high school level and beyond. This practice squad is on an invitation only from the Head Coach and Lead Senior Coaches. Our Navy squad requires additional commitment to training and dryland opportunities. Our Navy Squad often gets separated into three separate practices where workouts will meet the swimmer at the level they join us at. Swimmers are expected to be on time for all practices and committed to train at a high level for the duration of the season. We also offer our pre-competitive program “Swim Team Prep”. In this program members focus and prepare to be future competitive swimmers who wish to compete and train in a swim team style. Members must have made it to the Swordfish level of our Learn 2 Swim class or be proficient in both freestyle and backstroke and can swim at least 25 yards of both strokes without stopping. Skills and then drills are taught to enhance stroke technique and teach breaststroke & butterfly, starts, and streamlines. Practices are run in a swim team style with sets, drills, starts and finishes. Coaches are not consistently in the water with swimmers, but may occasionally be in the water to help with a skill.

In Core Aquatics Water Polo, practices and competition are focused on skill level appropriate experiences and groupings. There is a progression from house league games to American Water Polo (AWP) league games and regional tournaments. Coaches use drills and practice routines aligned with best practices that help prepare athletes for success. All players must pay a $50.00 yearly membership fee through the American Water Polo website, americanwaterpolo.org. Beginner groups focus on developing newcomers between 10 - 15 years old who have limited water polo experience. High school level groups focus on developing players with at least one season of high school competition. Important Note: All players must pay a $50.00 yearly membership fee through the American Water Polo website, americanwaterpolo.org.