Student Engagement & Supports
Across Chicago, schools are expanding access to the supports students rely on every day—from mental health services to community-based resources. Sustaining and strengthening this work requires continued investment in the systems and partnerships that help students stay engaged, connected, and on track.
We work with Chicago Public Schools to provide the supports students need to show up ready to learn—addressing physical, emotional, and environmental needs, and strengthening connections between schools, families, and communities.
Compassion Fund
When students’ basic needs are met, they are better able to engage, attend, and succeed in school. The Compassion Fund provides flexible, rapid support to students, families, and schools facing immediate challenges.
Through the Compassion Fund, partners help provide:
- Direct financial relief for families experiencing sudden hardship
- Hygiene and wellness resources through in-school care closets
- Back-to-school support, including supplies and access to critical services
- Seasonal and community-based support, helping families navigate moments of heightened need
Philanthropic investment ensures schools can respond in real time—meeting urgent needs so challenges outside the classroom don’t become barriers to learning.
Student Engagement & Attendance
Students are more likely to succeed when they feel safe, supported, and connected to their school community. CPS is strengthening a comprehensive approach to student engagement that combines academic, social-emotional, and community-based supports.
- Wraparound supports for newcomer students, including language access, tutoring, and mentoring to support a successful transition into CPS
- Community school partnerships, connecting students and families to afterschool programs, healthcare, and workforce resources
- Targeted supports for students with disabilities, ensuring equitable access to rigorous learning environments
- Social-emotional and behavioral supports, including restorative practices and trauma-informed interventions
- Re-engagement pathways for off-track students, including innovative school models designed to reconnect students to learning
CPS has made meaningful progress in reducing punitive discipline and expanding supportive interventions that keep students engaged in school. Continued investment helps expand these approaches—ensuring more students have access to the relationships, resources, and environments that support consistent attendance and long-term success.
Philanthropic investment strengthens the conditions that keep students connected to school—so more students can attend consistently, engage fully, and continue progressing toward graduation.
