The American Architectural Foundation - The AAF is a national nonprofit organization that seeks to educate individuals and community leaders about the power of architecture to improve lives and transform the places where we live, learn, work, and play.

The American Institute of Architects - Based in Washington, D.C., the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has been the leading professional membership association for licensed architects, emerging professionals, and allied partners since 1857. Through education, legislative and regulatory development, professional education, and research, the AIA and its more than 83,500 members express their commitment to excellence in design and livability in our nation’s buildings and communities.

American Planning Association - The need for planners to shape a community vision has never been greater. The American Planning Association brings together thousands of people — practicing planners, citizens, elected officials — committed to making great communities happen.

APA is a nonprofit public interest and research organization committed to urban, suburban, regional, and rural planning. APA and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, advance the art and science of planning to meet the needs of people and society.

The Art Institute of Chicago - The purposes for which the Art Institute of Chicago is formed are: to found, build, maintain, and operate museums, schools, libraries of art, and theaters; to provide support facilities in connection therewith; to conduct appropriate activities conducive to the artistic development of the region; and to conduct and participate in appropriate activities of national and international significance;

To form, conserve, research, publish, and exhibit a permanent collection of objects of art of all kinds; to present temporary exhibitions that include loaned objects of art of all kinds; and to cultivate and extend the arts by appropriate means;

To establish and conduct comprehensive programs of education, including presentation of visual artists, teachers of art, and designers; to provide educational services in written, spoken, and media formats;

Chicago Architecture Foundation - The Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public interest and education in architecture and design. CAF presents a comprehensive program of tours, exhibitions, lectures, special events, and adult and youth education activities, all designed to enhance the public’s awareness and appreciation of Chicago’s outstanding architectural legacy.

Chicago History Museum - The Chicago History Museum cares for, showcases, and interprets millions of authentic pieces of Chicago and U.S. history. Their ability to illuminate the past is a reminder of what really happened once upon a time, sheds light on the present, and compellingly informs the future.

Chicago Public Library - Since first opening its doors to the public in 1873, the Chicago Public Library has maintained its status of one of the City's most democratic of institutions — providing all Chicagoans with a free and open place to gather, learn, connect, read and be transformed. The Chicago Public Library will feature MAKE NO LITTLE PLANS: DANIEL BURNHAM AND THE AMERICAN CITY in its One Book One Chicago program in Fall 2009.

The 79 locations of the Chicago Public Library are at the forefront of providing innovative library services, technologies and tools Chicagoans need to achieve their personal goals and to establish the City's role as a competitive force in the global marketplace. Since 1989, the City of Chicago and the Chicago Public Library have opened 52 new or renovated neighborhood libraries — unprecedented public library growth. These new libraries are that special third place — beyond home and work — where people come to improve their lives, nourish their intellect or simply to be entertained. The library is where people of all ages and backgrounds gather freely. Through its rich and current book collections, state of the art technology and cultural and public partnerships, the Chicago Public Library is a thriving, engaged leader in Chicago's diverse neighborhoods.

Chicago Public Schools - Mission Statement: The Chicago Public Schools will be the premier urban school district in the country by providing all our students and their families with high quality instruction, outstanding academic programs, and comprehensive student development supports to prepare them for the challenges of the world of tomorrow.

Mayor Richard M. Daley - Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley has earned a national reputation for his innovative, community-based programs to address education, public safety, neighborhood development and other challenges facing American cities. Time magazine, in its April 25, 2005 issue, said Daley "is widely viewed as the nation's top urban executive."

A former state senator and county prosecutor, Daley was elected Mayor on April 4, 1989, to complete the term of the late Harold Washington, and was re-elected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007 by overwhelming margins.

The Chaddick Institute - located at DePaul University in Chicago, advances the principles of effective land use, transportation and community planning. Founded in 1993, the institute offers planners, attorneys, developers, and entrepreneurs a forum to share expertise on difficult land-use issues through workshops, conferences and policy studies.

Photo: 

Flashpoint - The Academy of Media Arts and Sciences, is committed to the advancement of higher learning in the field of digital arts and entertainment technologies.

Surrounded by peers and educators with a passion for the future, students at Flashpoint can pursue two-year programs in Film/Broadcast Media, Recording Arts, Visual Effects/Animation and Game Development. But education is just the starting point. The desire to do things differently, to offer solutions that are revolutionary and bold, is more than our mission; it is at the core of our very culture.

Friends of the Parks - Friends of the Parks (FOTP) is a 501(c)(3) designated park advocacy organization, dedicated to preserving, protecting, and improving Chicago's parks and forest preserves for all citizens. Since 1975, FOTP has increase private and public commitment to Chicago's parks through establishing park advisory councils, developing new parks, renovating playlots, and presenting public workshops and lectures to create and informed citizenry.

The Museum of Science and Industry - Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, one of the largest science museums in the world, is home to more than 35,000 artifacts and nearly 14 acres of hands-on exhibits designed to spark scientific inquiry and creativity.

National Building Museum - The National Building Museum is much more than a repository of things, beautiful and intriguing though they may be. It is above all a forum for the development, exploration, and exchange of ideas. Created by an act of Congress in 1980, the National Building Museum has become one of the world’s most prominent and vital venues for informed, reasoned debate about the built environment and its impact on people’s lives. The Museum's exhibitions, educational programs, and publications are well regarded not only for their capacity to enlighten and entertain, but also as vehicles for fostering lively discussion about a wide range of topics related to development, architecture, construction and engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban planning.

National Coalition to Save Our Mall - The National Coalition to Save Our Mall is a national, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt education and research organization working to preserve the National Mall as the Monument to Democracy it is intended to be.

U.S. Commission of Fine Arts - The U. S. Commission of Fine Arts was established in 1910 to meet the growing need for a permanent body to advise the government on matters pertaining to the arts; and particularly, to guide the architectural development of Washington. Legislation for the creation of the Commission was approved on 17 May 1910. Initially, the Commission was authorized to advise on the location of statues, fountains and monuments in public areas in the District of Columbia. On 25 October 1910, President William Howard Taft issued an Executive Order authorizing the Commission to advise on plans for public buildings erected by the Federal Government within the District of Columbia. Subsequent legislation (the Shipstead-Luce Act of 1930 and the Old Georgetown Act of 1950) extended the Commission's authority to regulate the height, exterior design and construction of private and semipublic buildings in designated historic areas.

U.S. Senator Richard J. Durbin - Senator Dick Durbin was elected by his fellow Democratic senators in December 2006 to the post of Assistant Majority Leader, also known as Majority Whip. It is the Senate's second highest ranking position. In 2004, Durbin was elected as Minority Whip. Durbin's election to leadership marked only the fifth time in history that an Illinois senator has served as a Senate leader.

Durbin, a Democrat from Springfield, is the 47th U.S. Senator from the State of Illinois and the first Illinois senator to serve on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee in more than a quarter of a century. He is the state's senior senator and convenor of the bipartisan Illinois delegation.

Urban Land Institute - ULI–the Urban Land Institute is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit research and education organization supported by its members.

Founded in 1936, the institute now has more than 40,000 members worldwide representing the entire spectrum of land use and real estate development disciplines, working in private enterprise and public service.

As the preeminent, multidisciplinary real estate forum, ULI facilitates the open exchange of ideas, information and experience among local, national and international industry leaders and policy makers dedicated to creating better places.

The mission of the Urban Land Institute is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide.

WETA - WETA's mission is to produce and broadcast programs of intellectual integrity and cultural merit that recognize viewers' and listeners' intelligence, curiosity and interest in the world around them.

As an independent and not-for-profit public broadcaster and producer, WETA provides its viewers and listeners with quality, compelling programs and serves a broad community with educational projects and Web-based initiatives.

WTTW - WTTW's mission is to provide accessible programming – relevant and distinctive, enriching and engaging – for diverse audiences in Chicago and its communities, and around the country.

Their goal is to extend WTTW's content by making it accessible on a variety of media platforms – television, radio, print, online, and events. With a unique commitment to local content, Network Chicago strives to inform, inspire, educate, and entertain.