Education
We envision a Chicago that serves as a national model where all students—no matter their race, neighborhood, or socioeconomic background—have access to high-quality, positive school experiences.
Achieving this vision requires investment in leaders and organizations that remove systemic barriers, positioning students who are historically marginalized to achieve the successful life outcomes they seek.
Through our education grantmaking strategy, we partner with community and sector changemakers to close opportunity gaps along the Pre-K to college and career continuum for Black and Latine Chicago students.
Focus Areas
Early Childhood Education:
Growing the opportunity for all students to be ready for learning by investing in high quality Pre-K and early grade initiatives as well as the family and community connections critical to development.
Effective Educators and Leaders:
Accelerating school improvement and student outcomes by investing in the preparation, development, and support of their educators and school leaders, with an intentional focus on racial equity.
Postsecondary Success:
Increasing the number of students graduating prepared for college and career success and persisting in their chosen path by reducing the barriers to access, affordability, and completion.
Conditions for Success:
Investing in organizations and initiatives that improve the conditions needed for success in the field, including those that provide and utilize data, research, and analysis; share best practices; engage and elevate the voices of those closest to the issues; or increase capacity for innovation.
Additional Commitments
Through the Education portfolio, we maintain an additional commitment to high quality and equitable arts education in Chicago. We also fund and work alongside teams from five CPS high schools and non-profit partners to support students to and through college with a set of dedicated interventions collectively called Chi-Rise.
