Manley to Host Back to School Fair, Works to Provide Support to Students

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – In order to help ensure that children and their families have the resources they need to start the school year off right, state Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, is partnering with state Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel to host a Back to School Fair.

“With summer break coming to a close, now is a great time to begin preparing for the upcoming school year,” said Manley. “Whether it’s learning about educational opportunities, mental health services, or just trying something from our food truck and having fun, my Back to School Fair is sure to have something for everyone.”

Manley’s Back to School Fair will be held on July 29th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the University of Saint Francis’s St. Claire Campus, 1550 Plainfield Rd. in Joliet. At the event, there will be a variety of organizations on-site that will provide information, resources, or recreational opportunities to attendees to help prepare them for the new school year. A list of participating organizations can be found on Manley’s Facebook page.

One of Manley’s top priorities since entering the General Assembly has been ensuring that students in Illinois have the support they need to excel. Earlier this year, she helped pass legislation that will require all public schools to offer full-day kindergarten, providing young students with an educational foundation early in their schooling that will set them up for success. Manley also supported a state budget that will provide school districts with hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding, allowing schools to give students a quality education without having to raise additional taxes on local homeowners.

“As a community, it is our duty to ensure that our next generation has every possible opportunity to be successful, and that starts with providing them a quality education,” said Manley. “Whether it’s through events such as my Back to School Fair or my work in Springfield, I remain committed to exploring all possible avenues to secure our students the resources they need to thrive both in the present and the future.”