TESTIMONIALS
"Jessica and Nina have guided over 2,000 of our police recruits through provocative conversations around the Black Lives Matter movement, helping them to distinguish fact from emotion. They have a gift for navigating difficult discussions that can lead to powerful self-reflection while surfacing collective wisdom."
Robin Robinson, Chicago Police Department, former Director of Community Affairs
"Face to Face enabled students to interact with police officers in a setting many of them never get to experience. The balance of activities from discussions to Q & A and conflict-resolution role play was perfect and everything flowed well. It's great to interact with kids on this level and many of them felt more comfortable with police officers after the experience."
Raymond J. Tracy, Officer, Chicago Police Department
Hen Kennedy, Chicago Public Schools, Resident Principal
"Jessica and Nina are some of the best leaders, educators and social activists I have worked with; I've never doubted their commitment and know-how. They create meaningful programs, embody professionalism and sincerely connect with everyone, both adults and young people....The work they do with youth and the community is truly transformational." Read more
Walter Taylor, Chicago Teachers Union Foundation, Director of Professional Development
"Jessica and Nina create and implement visionary programs that transform lives. The initiatives they brought to my classroom helped students find their voices and realize that they have the power and the responsibility to be positive change makers within the communities that they inhabit....Without Jessica and Nina, I would never have realized my capacities as a teacher, and my students would never have realized their capacities to be leaders for social change." Read more
"I met Jessica and Nina when I was an 8th grader at Richard Yates Elementary School in Chicago. I was trying to find ways to impact the world and Jessica and her partner Nina made the difference. My classmates and I learned that what we said and thought mattered and that we weren't too young to help others. They were always open to ideas and listened to everyone, especially to the kids. Even now I am inspired by the work that Jessica and Nina did and know that I can accomplish great things."
Marlon Fadragas, Chicago Math and Science Academy, Student
"Jessica and Nina bring years of experience working with students, community partners, as well as leaders in the for profit sector and governmental agencies....All for All Consulting is working with youth to [re]build community trust and accountability through civic programming in needed and often forgotten neighborhoods." Read more
Vanessa Alvarez, 312 Aligned, Founder
"Nina and Jessica are committed, experienced advocates for civic learning. Their past work on CRFC’s Lawyers in the Classroom program left a lasting impact on the schools, educators, and volunteer lawyers they encouraged to participate. And, most importantly, their insights enriched the program to maximize the educational value for the students."
Benjamin Kurtz, Kirkland & Ellis LLC, Partner
"I worked with Jessica and Nina for many years in a partnership with Northwestern Law and CRFC....They both have the natural ability to engage youth and provided excellent training to our law students so they too could have successful interactions with youth....They were always professional and responsive—a pleasure to work with. " Read more
Maureen Stratton, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, Clinical Assistant Professor of Law
"As a long-time colleague of Jessica and Nina’s, I have observed their team work with admiration. Nina’s legal training and experience as a writer, editor, and teacher of literature combined with Jessica’s solid background in civic education and more than a decade working with teachers and other professionals to improve their practice give this duo a deep well of skills and wisdom on which to draw." Read more
Laurel Singleton, Education Consultant
" Jessica and Nina are precisely the type of community-based leaders we need at this moment....Their professionalism, passion, and tenacity make them an extremely effective team, able to inspire people from seemingly dissimilar backgrounds and points of view toward a common set of goals....I’ve witnessed their unyielding commitment to providing those who often feel forgotten or powerless with the tools to become empowered, engaged, and responsible members of their communities." Read more