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

09/15/2023

A year after its successful debut, the South Side Science Festival returns on September 30 to celebrate STEM for all

The free, day-long event for all ages will feature 100+ interactive demonstrations, scientific panels, games, food, and music

09/14/2023

UChicago students and South Side community members of all ages team up for pilot preschool support program in Woodlawn

Created and led by UChicago’s Jumpstart initiative within the Office of Civic Engagement’s Neighborhood Schools Program (NSP), the Intergen for the Win pilot invited local residents with an interest in early childhood development to work alongside UChicago students in two Woodlawn childcare centers as part of a paid, 10-week summer experience.

08/08/2023

New Inclusive Innovation Fund is helping prepare South Side residents for growing opportunities in STEM

The Inclusive Innovation initiative aims to engage local students, educators, and workers and connect them to the city’s growing scientific ecosystem, thereby helping to generate a diverse talent pipeline in the sciences and spur economic growth on the historically under-resourced South Side.

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.”

More profiles