Kelly Anderson has been a member of Anima -Glen Ellyn Children's chorus for 13 years. Learn more about her favorite Anima memories and what she plans to do after graduation!

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all healthcare workers, first responders, and essential workers who are working tirelessly and courageously to care for those adversely affected by COVID-19, especially our Anima-GECC family members! You are keeping us safe and healthy, and because of you (and with the help of technology) we are still able to sing and learn!

Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000) was an American poet, author, and teacher whose work often dealt with the personal celebrations and struggles of ordinary people in her community. Born in Topeka, Kansas, Brooks’ family moved to Chicago when she was an infant and her poetry was greatly influenced by the city she called home. Brooks was the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (1950, for Annie Allen ). She was also a Poet Laureate of Illinois (1968-2000), Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress (1985–86), and the first African-American woman inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1976).

Augusta Read Thomas is a longtime Chicago-based composer. Named Chicagoan of the Year in 2016, Thomas was the longest-serving Mead Composer-in-Residence with the Chicago Symphony, working under Daniel Barenboim and Pierre Boulez.