The P.O.L.O Club at Booth: Bringing families with little ones together

As I venture out in pursuit of the MBA, I realize there are so many variables that I have to balance out to arrive at the perfect equation for my 2 years at the business school. Two years is a big time in ones life, and I want to make sure that these two years are equally enjoyable for my wife and my little daughter. So one of the key things that I am looking at, while selecting schools, is the support and network available for families with kids.

 

Most schools do have a partners club and in most cases the partners club does organize activities for families with kids as well. While researching the Chicago Booth School of Business I came across a sub-club of the Booth Partners Club – they call it the P.O.L.O Club (Parents of Little Ones). With the help of the Partners Club, I was connected to the co-chair of the P.O.L.O club. She e-mailed  me a brief overview of the activities and events organized by the club, and happily agreed to speak with me to  answer my questions about the club. By the end of it I was convinced that my family will be able to enjoy our time at Booth.

 

For those of you who might be interested, here are some of the activities initiated or supported by the P.O.L.O Club:

-          Organize play-dates for children

-          Organize activities for women, including a weekly “day out for Moms” (Dad’s have got to take care of the kids some time, school or no school. And BTW, even though there are male significant others this club comprises of females only)

-          Family parties and events celebrating special occasions

-          Overall, it networks parents who are undergoing similar experience and helps make stronger bonds between families