Office of Faith Based Initiatives (OFBI)
The Office of Faith Based Initiatives (OFBI), is committed and dedicated to bridging the gaps between Chicago Public Schools and the faith based communities of Chicago.
Our mission is to establish effective partnerships with faith based institutions city-wide. We understand the role of faith based leaders as valuable resources, and know that these partnerships actively engage the community and contributes towards the success of our students and schools. OFBI has several programmatic branches: Safe Haven (more details below), Crisis Training, The Church Adopt-a-School, and Capacity Building Training.
Safe Haven
The Safe Haven program is housed in the Office of Faith Based Initiatives of Chicago Public Schools and provides a “safe haven” for CPS students that is a reliable and no cost alternative place for students and parents during critical high violence periods in the city. The mission of Safe Haven to eradicate bullying and instill practices to combat youth violence and to engage students in workshops that focus on positive conflict resolutions, anger management, anti-bullying, and anti-violence.
Safe Haven is a partnership between CPS and the Faith Community. There are currently over 300 established partners. The program runs in 3 cycles: Afterschool (November - May); Spring Break (March/April); Summer Break (July-August). The program serves over 12,000 students annually.