Academic Success
Across Chicago, schools are delivering strong results, with students leading gains among large urban districts in post-pandemic literacy and making meaningful progress in math. Sustaining this progress—and ensuring more students experience it consistently—requires continued investment in the conditions that make high-quality learning possible in every classroom.
We work with Chicago Public Schools to ensure every student experiences rigorous, engaging, and culturally responsive learning, supported by strong instruction, enrichment opportunities, and the tools schools need to drive academic growth.
Early Childhood Education
A strong academic foundation begins early. Chicago Public Schools is focused on ensuring students enter third grade as confident, supported learners with the academic and social-emotional skills needed to succeed.
- Developing strong reading, math, and foundational skills in the early years
- Connecting early learning experiences from pre-K through elementary school
- Equipping classrooms with developmentally appropriate resources
Philanthropic investment helps expand access to high-quality early childhood environments, reaching more students earlier and strengthening the foundation for long-term academic success.
Black Student Success
Chicago Public Schools remains committed to addressing long-standing racial inequities through the development and implementation of the Black Student Success Plan.
- Strengthening daily learning experiences through culturally responsive curriculum and instruction
- Increasing representation among educators, ensuring students see themselves reflected in their classrooms
- Expanding mental health and student supports to address the full range of student needs
- Deepening family and community engagement to strengthen connection and trust
- Using data and community insight to guide investment, directing resources toward strategies that close opportunity gaps and drive measurable progress
Philanthropic support plays a critical role in accelerating implementation, strengthening accountability, and ensuring this work reaches Black students at the scale required.
Computer Science Education
Preparing students for the future requires access to high-quality technology and opportunities to build digital and technical skills.
- Expanding access to technology, including maintaining a 1:1 student-to-device ratio across schools
- Building digital and technical skills, through computer science, STEM learning, and hands-on experiences like coding and robotics
- Sustaining and modernizing infrastructure, ensuring students and educators have access to up-to-date tools and systems
- Advancing innovative approaches to learning, including the integration of AI-supported tools to enhance instruction and personalize learning
As the district advances new approaches, including AI-supported tools that enhance teaching and learning, philanthropic investment helps ensure these innovations are implemented effectively and equitably across schools.
Arts Education
Arts education is a critical part of a well-rounded academic experience, supporting creativity, engagement, and student growth.
- Expanding access to arts programming, including music, visual arts, dance, and theater
- Strengthening in-school arts education, ensuring consistent, high-quality experiences for students
- Supporting arts educators, so schools have the capacity to deliver dedicated instruction
- Increasing enrichment opportunities, giving students more ways to engage creatively both in and out of the classroom
Philanthropic investment helps expand access to these experiences, ensuring more students can participate in the creative opportunities that support both academic success and overall well-being.
