Commitment to Urban Education

New University Charter School Opens

School and community leaders gathered with University representatives in October to dedicate the Carter G. Woodson Middle School and celebrate the educational work of the school’s namesake. Located in the Bronzeville neighborhood, Woodson serves grades six through eight. The University’s Urban Education Institute operates four charter schools on Chicago’s South Side.

Collegiate Scholars Prepare for College, Beyond

The Collegiate Scholars Program Class of 2009 continues to set the bar high. The 48 Chicago Public Schools seniors applied to some of the country’s top schools, including 15 who applied to the University of Chicago.

Two Collegiate Scholars chose the University of Chicago for their undergraduate studies.

Some Collegiate Scholars have explored their interest in medicine through the TEACH Research program.

Consortium Addresses Problems in Chicago Public Schools

Researchers at the Consortium on Chicago School Research found that more than half of Chicago Public Schools teachers—most of them serving in low-income African American schools—leave their schools within five years.

Another Consortium study found that eighth-grade ISAT standards are not aligned with high school demands for college readiness.

College Students Teach and Inspire Inner-City High Schoolers

Third-year College student Greg Nance discovered a way to tap the potential educational benefits of the stock market for inner-city high school youth. In 2008, he co-founded American Investment Fellows, an organization that connects younger students with College students who offer them hands-on experience in creating and managing mock stock portfolios.

More than 200 students from 30 area high schools came to campus in fall 2008 to take classes on everything from pasta making to how to dissect a brain. College students taught the courses.

Student Docents Make Art Accessible to Grade Schoolers

Thirty-eight University students serving as Smart Museum docents have been extending their knowledge of art to third- and fifth-graders from 13 area schools. The students conduct tours, field trips, and programs both at the museum and in local schools and community centers. Far more than just a job, the program helps them develop new skills and engages them with residents of the surrounding communities.