Published September 4, 2008                                                          

Hinsdalean to partner with
Robert Crown for next year

   Let’s face it — people sometimes giggle a bit when you mention the Robert Crown Center for Health Education.
   It’s the place where kids get “the talk,” and perhaps the giggle is a way for parents to express their relief that they don’t have to teach their children about the birds and the bees on their own. Professional help is just up the street.
   The Robert Crown Center does so much more than just teach kids about the facts of life, though. The 5 million schoolchildren who have participated in its programs over the past five decades have learned all about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Preventing substance abuse, improving self-image, maintaining a healthy diet and addressing teen depression are among the topics center staff teach.
   The center’s mission is to provide timely, innovative and visually stimulating health education to motivate youth to lead healthy, happy and safe lives. They start while kids are young — by teaching preschoolers how to develop healthy habits — and work with them through high school, ultimately teaching them how to stay drug-free.
   And yet, Robert Crown remains a bit of a hidden jewel here in Hinsdale. That’s why The Hinsdalean has selected the center for its 2008-09 Making a Difference Partnership.
   And the timing couldn’t be better, as the center is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
   We know there will be plenty to write about over the next 12 months. The center’s history is a fascinating story that features the support of some generous Hinsdaleans. We’ll tell you more about Valeda, the life-size talking invisible woman, and the makeover she’s getting for her 50th birthday.
   We’ll talk to experts who can share some insight on the various topics they teach, and we’ll let you know about the many volunteers who help the center serve 140,000 boys and girls from 600 schools each year.
   We’ll also fill you in on the center’s efforts to reach students where they live, such as in North Lawndale and Aurora. Finally, we’ll find out what the educators at Robert Crown think they will be teaching our children in the next 50 years.
   We invite you to join us this year and learn more about why the Robert Crown Center for Health Education is one of the agencies in Hinsdale that is making a difference.

— Making a difference is a yearlong partnership between The Hinsdalean
and the Robert Crown Center for Health Education, which works to teach
and motivate youth to lead healthy, happy and safe lives.