Palenque LSNA
Palenque LSNA is a catalyst for Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities and allies to take care of one another and take strategic action for systemic change and a just, resilient, and joyful future.
“I saw a window opening. i saw a million windows opening.”
—Former Parent Mentor
Palenque LSNA is a catalyst for Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities and allies to take care of one another and take strategic action for systemic change and a just, resilient, and joyful future. Our tagline is: Liberating Spaces through Neighborhood Action. Palenque LSNA (formerly known as Logan Square Neighborhood Association) is a community-based organization building power for education, immigration, and housing equity, particularly in the Avondale, Hermosa, and Logan Square neighborhoods of Chicago, and leads and collaborates with coalitions for policy change across the city and state.
Palenque LSNA is a woman of color led organization that centers the voices and experiences of the primarily Latinx, indigenous, and immigrant leaders who guide our work. We channel our power and energy through Palenque. Historically, Palenque is an example of Black, Brown, and Indigenous resistance and solidarity—spaces where radical liberation could both exist and thrive. Palenque describes a spirit of resistance, solidarity, and self-reflection, intentionally centering Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities.
We believe that through the love of our community, all people can lift their voices in collective power, lead with strength, and shape our neighborhood with vitality. We work to improve local public schools by transforming them as centers of community, developing parents as leaders, and providing integrated supports to both students and their families. We lead innovative efforts on immigrant integration and we are developing a bilingual/bicultural workforce and curricula that provide career opportunities for traditionally isolated residents, while our youth leaders nurture restorative justice and inspire community healing. Palenque LSNA stewards policies that protect tenants’ rights and support diverse communities, as we believe preventing the displacement of residents and the loss of affordable housing stock is crucial to our other efforts targeting the root causes of poverty.
To ensure the voices of all neighborhood residents are heard, every piece of our work is done in deep consultation and partnership with leaders in the community, including clergy, principals, teachers, parents, youth, and other leaders. 45 community institutions including schools, churches, block clubs, and agencies are members of Palenque LSNA, helping us engage thousands of people in organizing and programs. Additionally, Palenque LSNA is a leader in deep city- and state-wide coalitions in order to achieve our collective goals.
our programs and services
Parent Mentor Program, a nationally-recognized leadership development model that trains 125+ parents— most Latinx and African American—to work daily in 12 local public schools, impacting 2,500+ students annually.
Parent Engagement Institute that trains and builds capacity for Parent Mentor program replication on a regional and national level—now growing to 1,660 Parent Mentors are working in 245 high-poverty public schools nationwide, impacting 35,000 students.
Community Learning Centers that provide academic and cultural enrichment opportunities to 220 school-age children at McAuliffe elementary and kelvyn Park high school.
Youth leadership, service learning, and work-force development opportunities. The inaugural Chicago Public Schools Sustainable Community Schools initiative provided a $500,000 investment for comprehensive bilingual/bicultural wraparound supports in 2018-19, renewed in 2019-20.
Immigration Team that organizes and provides DACA, citizenship, and other legal services, while also urging for welcoming communities and immigration reform. Palenque LSNA has engaged eight schools to join in our Welcoming School models and business corridors and conducts Know Your Rights trainings to nearly 1,000 people.
Intergenerational Campaign for Affordable Housing that most recently helped enact the 606-Pilsen Demolition Permit Surcharge Ordinance, a permanent measure designed to make it harder to convert multi-unit properties into luxury single-family homes, preserving naturally occurring affordable housing in Logan Square and Pilsen.
Quality of Life Planning Initiative for the Hermosa and West Logan Square neighborhoods.
