K-12 Education

We demonstrate our commitment to urban education by developing and investing in programs and initiatives that serve children from pre-K through high school and by working with teachers and principals to improve our city’s school system.

As a champion for quality preK-12 education for students throughout Chicago, UChicago extends its core educational mission through a range of programs designed to provide our city’s youth with the broad-based academic knowledge and well-developed study skills they will need to succeed in college and beyond.

We provide mentoring, tutoring, and other academic support to help Chicago Public Schools students thrive in high school and prepare for college. We also operate a top-tier neighborhood charter school with three South Side campuses, and we work with educators to improve school quality and achieve better outcomes for students throughout the Chicago Public Schools system.

In addition, our civic leadership programs and community collaborations offer UChicago scholars and students deeper insights into urban issues while helping to build new generations of thoughtful, well-prepared community leaders.

News

05/26/2021

After an unprecedented year, Chicago Public Schools students graduating from UChicago college readiness programs prepare for their next chapters

This year, all 77 graduates of UChicago's Office of Civic Engagement’s college readiness and access programs were admitted to post-secondary institutions, receiving a total of $13 million in financial aid.

06/22/2021

Data insights from Chicago’s options schools: Seizing the opportunity to advance education equity

Over the past several years, tremendous strides have been made in improving the graduation rate in Chicago and nationally. But for the remaining 20% of students who still do not graduate, the barriers they face to completing an education cannot be tackled using traditional policy levers.

06/13/2021

Fox32 Chicago: 8,000 CPS students receiving free books through University of Chicago program

University of Chicago's program, My Very own Library, has collaborated with Scholastic and Chicago Public Schools to foster literacy in K-12 education.

Profiles

abraham karen potts maroon tutor match mtm

Abraham and Karen Potts
Maroon Tutor Match

“[Tutor Meera Santhanam] really taught him how to study and prepare for testing and, more than that, showed him the value of studying. She’s given him valuable insight into college and what it requires.”

Akanksha Shah
Maroon Tutor Match

“Maroon Tutor Match helped me learn to work with people — not just students and families, but tutors as well — who were very different from me and had different priorities and struggles. Getting a better understanding of where people are coming from is invaluable.”

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