Dear KIPP Chicago Champions, Educators, and Supporters,

Happy Black History Month! Teaching students about the impact of Black contributions to American history and weaving these themes into our Whole Child work has been a priority for KIPP Chicago throughout the year. However, in February, we deepen that focus by celebrating Black History Month and the rich contributions of Black leaders, innovators, educators, and entrepreneurs. If you are an educator, please check out the resources we shared with our Team & Family at the beginning of the month. 

Some years ago, I received a letter from the district Superintendent naming KIPP Chicago as the school with the most academic growth. I was filled with immense pride for the recognition of our commitment to excellence and the hard work of our teachers. At that time, our organization defined excellence through test scores, benchmarks, and assessments. By prioritizing this definition of academic achievement, we built upon our growth to produce impressive results, earning School Quality Rating Policy (SQRP) scores of 1 and 1+ across all schools, helping us become a leading public school network in Chicago. 

As Chicago Public Schools has shifted away from SQRP, their former accountability rating system, I am proud of how we intentionally evolved our organizational definition of excellence. KIPP Chicago’s expanded definition of a quality school now includes a commitment to removing barriers to the resources that allow kids and families to thrive in school and life. The Whole Child Initiative enables us to prioritize academic rigor, community engagement, and social-emotional development. Recently, while having a heart-to-heart with two of our parents inside our newly opened school-based food pantry, I was filled with the same pride as when I opened that letter from the Superintendent many years ago. Once again, KIPP Chicago had demonstrated tremendous growth, only this time on our terms, by our own more inclusive benchmarks. 

As you read this edition of the Whole Child Review, I hope you enjoy looking back at what we’ve accomplished together so far and learning more about how we are embracing new teaching methods and technology to tackle the challenges of the future. Looking forward, I am even more excited about KIPP’s future as a collective of 280 schools across the country. I recently spent time with the new KIPP Foundation CEO, Shavar Jeffries, and was inspired by his vision to see us all moving together in one heartbeat, working more collaboratively, and lifting up best practices. In that spirit, we are happy to share our work with our sister region, KIPP Detroit, and our Afrofuturism installation that is now at KIPP Metro Atlanta.

In deep appreciation, 

April

P.S. If you are a KIPP Chicago staff member and have read all the way to the end of this note, please ask for a special raffle ticket when you enter the auditorium for Collaboration Day on February 24th. You will be entered into a special raffle you don’t want to miss!

The post Opening Letter appeared first on KIPP Chicago Public Schools.

KIPP Chicago is proud to support the Whole Child Initiative at our sister region, KIPP Detroit. Over four weeks, kindergarten students at KIPP Detroit Imani Academy received a variety of on-site medical services, including hearing and vision screenings, immunizations, dental cleanings, and cavity fillings. 

The Whole Child Initiative is designed to remove barriers to access for families to promote student success. By offering medical services on-site, we remove the barrier of transportation, avoid interruptions to parents’ work schedules, and demonstrate that we are true partners in the well-being of our students. We are thankful for our partners Portable Smiles, Smiles for Tomorrow, and Unify Detroit, all African-American-owned businesses. 

Common Ground

KIPP Chicago has had the privilege of partnering with the Common Ground Foundation for over ten years. Each year, ten graduates from our middle school campuses are invited to participate in the Dreamers and Believers mentor program, transition to College and Career mentoring program, and the Dreamers and Believers youth summer camp. As program participants, KIPP students can participate in monthly mentoring, community service projects, fine arts activities, and cultural field trips. The program has allowed students to be creative and innovative while forming lifelong bonds with peers and mentors. We are grateful that through this partnership, our students have gleaned lifelong skills in character development, civic engagement, health & wellness, technology, generational wealth, entrepreneurship/career exploration, creative expression, and leadership. 

Daja Brooks knows Common Ground’s impact firsthand. After graduating from DRW College Prep in 2016, Daja enrolled at Xavier University of Louisiana (HBCU) and received her Bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology in the Spring of 2020. Daja is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Education at Purdue University while simultaneously teaching 6th-grade ELA at KIPP Ascend Middle School, where she graduated in 2012.

Reflecting on her experience, Daja shared, “Common Ground is a wonderfully meaningful program to be a part of. I enjoy that program participants meet at Kenwood [High School] every 3rd Saturday of the month to engage in sessions ranging from college career readiness, learning an art of your choice, and mentoring from experienced individuals in various fields of study and performance. 

I received an award for having the highest GPA as a senior in high school. I also had the chance, along with nine other students, to attend a private tour of the White House and personally meet Michelle and Barack Obama free of charge. I’ve attended their annual Gala three times, which gave me exposure to many celebrities and affluent individuals. 

Common Ground has instilled in me the importance of networking. They have opened so many doors for me that I thought were closed to students like me. Common Ground places me in rooms with people who have the power to put me in a position to win and who want to see me achieve great things. I truly enjoy the summer camp we do every year at the end of July for all incoming freshmen. It’s a time to connect, bond, and reflect on your earlier years and begin to help mold and inspire the next generation’s journey into high school”.

Penn Foster 

In previous editions of the Whole Child Review, we celebrated our partnership with Penn Foster. Penn Foster is a regionally and nationally accredited program that helps participants to complete a high school diploma (instead of a GED). KIPP Chicago sponsors each cohort of parents, covering enrollment and tuition costs to remove financial barriers. KIPP Chicago staff act as facilitators at each campus and are responsible for coaching and supporting parents through the program towards graduation. They serve as the participants’ first and primary point of contact while pursuing their high school diplomas. Each facilitator demonstrates a commitment to their student’s success, a history of supporting adult education, positive and progressive leadership at their respective campuses, and a passion for helping others achieve their dreams. 

Meet Carla Crespo
KIPP One Academy-ML Case Manager & Assistant Principal, Penn Foster Facilitator 

Rep your school and share how you define yourself beyond your title.

This school year, I have the honor of serving as the 8th Grade Assistant Principal at KIPP One Academy and the Case Manager for Multilingual Learners in 5th-8th grade.  My work in education is deeply personal, as I am the proud daughter of an immigrant family who instilled in me the power of education. I love working with our families at KIPP One Academy beyond academics, whether supporting families with grant applications, translating, or helping them navigate their first year in this country as immigrants. 

In addition to your role at KIPP One Academy, you serve as a Penn Foster Facilitator. You are helping a cohort of five adults earn their high school diplomas. Can you describe a position you’ve held or experiences you’ve had that prepared you for this role?

I have worked with adults since my undergraduate college career through academic tutoring and teaching ESL courses. It’s inspiring to me to support individuals wanting to achieve their dreams and complete a goal that was once paused for various reasons. 

Where have you experienced the most pride, joy, or resilience in leading this cohort within your community?

Seeing the trajectory of students in my cohort from the moment they interviewed for the opportunity to now has been incredibly inspiring. Two students in my cohort are close to completing the program and graduating in 2023 with their high school diplomas! 

What is one thing you’d like readers to know about our community?

Our community is incredibly resilient, and our KIPP parents are the best. At KIPP One Academy, our families are present from the moment they sign the Commitment to Excellence to the moment their children graduate 8th grade. Their partnership is so important in the success of their KIPPsters, and I hope we can continue to bring new opportunities to our KIPP adults in the future. “They buried us, but they didn’t know we were seeds.” – Dinos Christianopoulos

Meet Marlene Roldan
Penn Foster Student

Tell us what you do AND how you define yourself beyond your work or title.

I am a mother of 5, a wife, and a daughter. I define myself as a busy mom who loves creativity and family and always tries to be a better individual at whatever needs my attention. I’m striving to teach my children that anything in life is possible if you put all your hard work and effort into whatever it is. I sometimes think that I tend to take on too many tasks, but I feel that those are opportunities that present themself for me to build my strengths in my life/path. I also feel that, at the same time, I show my children that there is always something going on in life that needs to be focused on and that no matter what, we must persevere. I don’t like sitting and waiting for things to happen; I’ve always been a go-getter. I would like my kids to learn these skills from me. I want to help make them strong-minded and eager to learn, reach their dreams and goals, and make good decisions. I consider myself an outgoing and resourceful individual who likes to help others in need. 

Please share your motivation for earning your high school diploma.

Getting my high school diploma has been a long-life goal and dream of mine. My motivations for earning my diploma were to further my education, better career opportunities, be financially stable to provide for and sustain my family, and be a role model to my children and my community. I have always been passionate about school and education; I love learning. 

Please share with us how earning your diploma impacts your life. What changes do you anticipate? 

Earning my diploma might seem like something very simple to many; however, to me, earning my high school diploma is everything. It will be the beginning of a new transition to further my education. Although I know that life isn’t easy and that obstacles tend to arise, I aim to overcome obstacles with positive thinking and persistence. Earning my high school diploma will impact my family positively in many different aspects. Not only will I be able to continue my education by attending college, but I will also be able to prove to my kids that giving up is not the key and that we must always continue to reach for what we want in life. Even as I say these words, I feel so content knowing that I’m on my way to making this happen. I am indeed grateful for Penn Foster. By doing this, I will continue to be a mother my children can look up to. My goal is for my children to learn that education is essential and that college helps to provide career opportunities.

Where have you experienced your most pride, joy, or resilience in yourself and being a part of this program?

I have experienced joy just being part of the program. It has been a humbling experience to have been selected as a candidate to go “to and through” the program. It hasn’t been easy trying to juggle work, family life, and school; however, it has been an opportunity of learning time management. It has been exciting to see how well I’m coming along. 

What is one thing you’d like readers to know about our community?

Our community is beautiful. We make our community what it is. If we spread love, unity, and respect, we will continue building a strong and beautiful community with togetherness and strength.

The post Increasing Family and Community Partnerships appeared first on KIPP Chicago Public Schools.

After a successful pilot in the Spring of 2022, KIPP Chicago was brimming with curiosity and excitement about the limitless possibilities of recent technological advancements. We hosted a Futurism 101 conversation which regional leaders from KIPP Chicago and KIPP Metro Atlanta attended to make connections, share ideas, and learn from each other about the possibilities ahead. This gathering catalyzed the creation of professional development opportunities for our teachers to learn more about how to maximize the current VR platform opportunities. In November, all participating math teachers gathered for professional development ahead of our semester two launch. 

We are wired to learn experientially: through perceiving, seeing, doing, and moving. As technology advances, virtual reality has the opportunity to provide students with immersive, learn-by-doing experiences. As we continue into the new semester, we are excited to continue to roll out the Middle School Math Prisms VR curriculum, which includes units on ratios, creating linear equations, systems of equations, Pythagorean theorem, and perimeter. Prisms is the first-ever spatial learning platform for math, where students learn through movement, discovery, and purpose. 

The Science of Reading 

At KIPP Chicago, our mission is inextricably linked to students developing into competent and confident readers. Embedded in our mission is the core belief that literacy is essential to students pursuing their chosen path, leading fulfilling lives, and, perhaps most importantly, creating a more just world. Given the history of the country and city we teach in, and the identities of our students, we believe that fostering critical literacy in our students is not only achievable for all KIPPsters, but also non-negotiable.

This means that, by the end of 8th grade, every KIPPster will be critical, compelling, and thoughtful readers, writers, speakers, and listeners. Our literacy program must ensure students are not only on grade level and prepared for a rigorous academic experience in high school, but also stretch their knowledge, perspective, and character to understand themselves and the world around them deeply. We achieve this vision through work in kindergarten through 8th grade, with each grade band representing a critical step toward developing students’ literacy skills.

Early literacy work focuses on building “code breakers”—equipping students with automatic and fluent word recognition skills in each strand of Scarborough’s Reading Rope (Phonological Awareness, Decoding, and Sight Recognition). Spelling and writing are critical components of instruction, as these form the building blocks for encoding and future writing growth. We rely on a structured approach to literacy to systematically and explicitly deliver instruction grounded in the Science of Reading. Additionally, students’ natural curiosity is fostered to build more knowledge of the world around them and lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning and reading.

As we continue to ensure we are aligned on the very best practices for teaching and learning, we have leaned into and learned from various media. One of the most important podcasts available right now on the science of reading is Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong. There’s an idea about how children learn to read that’s held sway in schools for more than a generation—even though it was proven wrong by cognitive scientists decades ago. Teaching methods based on this idea can make it harder for children to learn how to read. In this podcast, host and education reporter Emily Hanford investigates the influential authors who promote this idea and the company that sells their work. It’s an exposé showing how educators came to believe in something that isn’t true and are now reckoning with the consequences— children harmed, money wasted, and an education system upended.

Here’s a quote from episode 1 of the podcast:

Paul: They weren’t reading. They were doing what the teachers told them. And they were just guessing. I mean, there’s no two ways about it. They were guessing, and I just thought like—OK, well eventually they guess their way into being able to read. I’m assuming. I was wrong. 

Listen to more here.

Did you catch our Model UN students on the evening news?

CBS2 reporter Sabrina Franza visited KIPP Academy Chicago to watch the students in action and to learn more about the team’s upcoming trip to the Model UN National Conference in New York! Watch the clip here. Our students are planning to compete at the conference in April 2023 in the Big Apple! You can help the team get to the conference by donating.

The post Embracing an Inclusive and Challenging Curriculum appeared first on KIPP Chicago Public Schools.

Yodit Weldu is the high school transition advisor at KIPP Academy Chicago and a current KIPP Chicago McNair Fellow. The McNair Fellowship is a signature program of KIPP Chicago that elevates leaders to thrive in their roles and amplify the impact of their leadership. A core component of the McNair Fellowship is designing and executing an Impact project aligned with each fellow’s passions and growing skillsets.  

Yodit had the honor and privilege to lead the KIPP Chicago collaboration with the KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools region to create and develop their own Children’s Museum of Art and Social Justice (CMASJ). The purpose of the CMASJ is to create a space where students can be heard and infuse a social justice curriculum into the arts. The Atlanta museum will offer a space to showcase and celebrate their artistic explorations of social justice themes, inspiring action toward social change. 

Monday, December 12, 2022, the KIPP Atlanta Children’s Museum of Art and Social Justice showcased the first installation: Afrofuturism. This exhibit showcased art by their students, where they self-defined imagination, pushed boundaries, and created new worlds in outer space. Thank you, Deshawn Gaston, for hosting the hands-on experience painting session for families during the event. Thank you, Leslie Locks, for spearheading this exhibit in Atlanta by creating a space for our students to showcase their work to the public. Thank you, Mini’imah Shaheed, April Montgomery Goble, Peter Gooden, Joslyn Villalpando, and the KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools for making this vision a reality.

Yodit is excited to continue to grow and expand this partnership throughout the year. We are excited to see the next art exhibition collaboration Spring of 2023!

Windy Indie 

Windy Indie pulls strings on hearts everywhere she goes. Her infectious positive energy, undeniable work ethic, and incredible violin playing are just some of the characteristics that make her a distinctly unique star. Born and raised on the West Side of Chicago, authenticity is central to Windy’s budding success. Her passion for violin playing is deeply connected to her desire to be relatable and a source of inspiration and pride to her community. When she steps on stage, she wants people to know that she’s not an anomaly and that many people can see themselves in her story if they look closely enough.

This story started where all of our stories begin, at home. Windy’s mom played the violin in church as a young girl, which inspired her to leap at the opportunity to learn to play as a student at KIPP Ascend Middle School. Not only did KIPP expose Windy to violin lessons early on as a student, but she also credits KIPP for helping her define how she would operate her business. The emphasis on being organized and honoring the benefits of a strong daily routine stuck with her and continues to help guide her today as she self-manages the ins and outs of her entire operation flawlessly.

Windy is an independent artist that is quickly making a name for herself. She has been invited to play for Chicago’s Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Lupe Fiasco’s band, Juice WLRD Day, at the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, and has appeared on the hit show Empire three times, amongst many other opportunities.

Windy desires to use her talent as a performing artist to build community and help facilitate critical conversations. She’s passionate that as her work evolves, so does her purpose. She’s unwavering about breaking stereotypes and disrupting outdated beliefs about how things should be done and what is possible for others. Classically trained with a proclivity toward jazz and hip-hop, Windy won’t be boxed in.

Honing her skills for ten years before stepping out on faith to become a professional violinist, she sees herself as her greatest competition. As she grows, her dreams do too. She’s working on developing expertise in audio editing, hair, and make-up. She has aspirations to release her own music, host her own concerts, teach workshops to other budding artists, and take her music on the road for an international tour. 

Windy is climbing to the tune of her own violin, and the sky is truly the limit. You can support her by following her on Instagram @windyindiemusic, reposting her performance videos on your social channels, and booking her at windyindie.com. 

The post Sharing Resources from our CMASJ appeared first on KIPP Chicago Public Schools.

This school year, KIPP Chicago was invited to participate in a forward-thinking, social-emotional learning cohort. In collaboration with BRYT (Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition), the CPS Office of Innovation & Incubation is leading this opportunity for school and district leaders. The eight-month professional learning and practice series focuses on developing comprehensive school mental health support systems for students and adults. The learning sessions centered on utilizing a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework to bolster trauma-informed, healing-centered practices at the building level. Two key goals are: understanding the relationship (differences and overlap) between SEL and mental health systems within the broader MTSS framework; and developing an action plan for increasing SEL and MH support across the tiers for students and adults. Involvement in this collaborative will involve gaining knowledge, planning SMART goals, implementing efforts to achieve real goals, and evaluating processes and outcomes within and out of session activities. Our community has been grateful for facilitator and social worker, Courtney Tucker. We are pleased to have Ashley Stone, Achievement Director of Diverse Learning, Brittany Jones, Managing Director of Justice Initiatives, and Colin Sallee, SEL Chair, participate. 

Outstanding Illinois Charter School Eighth Grader of the Year

Meet Santana, Illinois Network of Charter Schools Outstanding Illinois Charter School Eighth Grader of the year!

Santana is an Honor Roll Student at KIPP One Academy, where he advocates for himself and his peers. Over the summer, Santana voluntarily participated in summer enrichment to “have the best year in 8th grade.” He met with teachers and leaders to share what he wanted the eighth grade to look like and helped to create the eighth-grade vision. For the past two years, he has served as Class Captain, trusted by teachers and classmates to perform duties, encourage classmates, and help resolve conflicts. Currently, he is applying to high schools, researching his options, and meeting with alums to learn more.

Outside of school, Santana participates in The Bloc, where he has learned about challenging himself physically and mentally through boxing. Through his experiences at The Bloc, he is now equipped and independently employs strategies to adapt and overcome challenges. Congratulations, Santana!

SEL Chair Feature: Ashley Cupil

Tell us a bit about yourself. 

My name is Ashley Cupil. This is my fourth year at KIPP Bloom College Prep, where I serve as 6th grade Diverse Learner Teacher and Co-Chair for Social-Emotional Learning. I also serve as one of three coaches for our Model UN team. Aside from being an educator, I am also a birthworker. I am certified as a Holistic Fertility Doula, Reiki 1 Practitioner, and Pregnancy & Infant Loss Advocate.  

As SEL chair, what ideas, programs, or lessons are you most excited to bring students?

I am excited about all of the programming! This year, our students have been involved in many social-emotional learning opportunities both within and outside our building. We’re currently gearing up to offer our students the chance to learn about Restorative Justice through Peace Circles, which the Greater Chatham Initiative will run. More than anything, I am excited to introduce our students to new experiences, feelings, and ways of being. As Black kids, they have to know that there is more than what they’ve been shown. There is an entire world at their fingertips! I am overjoyed to have the chance to watch our students learn about new things, learn to care for themselves, and become compassionate, justice-inspired members of our community. 

What do you believe is needed for a student to thrive in a KIPP school from an SEL perspective?

For students to thrive at a KIPP school, students have to know that there is more to life than just KIPP. There is life outside of our walls. I think that once students realize that their vision must be bigger than the buildings that hold them, then there will be no limit to what they can do in any capacity! Of equal importance is teaching our students how to live, love, and learn in a community. Often, our students come to us with the mindset of going to school to get to the next position or to please their families. They are so far into the next moment (I love the ambition!) and haven’t yet learned to heal themselves and be themselves in the present moment. My goal for our SEL program is to teach our students that they have all of the tools within themselves to be present, prepared, and successful as whole people. 

Tell us a bit about your own journey and how that informs your work as an SEL chair.

I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, literally, my entire life. As a child, I looked up to the Black women who taught me, poured love into me, and provided me with a community of more mothers than I could count, always nourishing the seeds my mother planted. Now that I’ve reached this place and been so joyfully touched by my students who have allowed me into their lives, I want to show them as much as possible. I want them to see the beauty of being able to exist among their own people in a space of upliftment. That is why it’s so important to me that they gain self-regulation skills, learn empathy and compassion, and become even better people than they already are. As a mother (though I’m very new at it), I approach this work now, always hoping to be as loving and endearing to my students as I’d want someone in the world to be to my son. My greatest wish is that my students can take that love and transform it as they sew it into their families and friends, and the world.

The post Integrating SEL appeared first on KIPP Chicago Public Schools.

Día de los Muertos is a day of remembrance for those who have died. Its origins can be traced to pre-colonial Mexico when it was believed that the souls of dead loved ones returned to their families once a year so that their lives could be celebrated. Several Latin American countries also celebrate Día de los Muertos, like Ecuador, Guatemala, and El Salvador.

“Families commemorate the day by creating ofrendas, the Spanish word for offerings that colloquially means altar for Día de los Muertos.” Angelica London, the art teacher at KIPP Bloom Primary, designed a wonderful experience for our 3rd and 4th-grade students to create ofrendas. Using bright, festive colors to celebrate loved ones who have passed, students learned the history of the celebration and used elements you would see on the ofrenda to create their own tributes. Students had the choice to make an ofrenda in honor of a deceased family member, pet, or celebrity. Way to go, KIPP Bloom Primary, for embracing all culturas! 

Black History Month at KIPP Ascend Primary 

KIPP Ascend Primary kicked off Black History Month with an incredibly joyful showcase! Principal Curry and the KAP Excellence team did a tremendous job showcasing their pride for Black History, creativity, and the arts through outstanding singing, dancing, and instrumental performances by their kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd graders KIPPsters. 

The showcase lifted up work created by students and pieces that honor our past, acknowledge our present, and express hope for the future. The performances were constructed to build complexity according to grade level and demonstrate what students have learned in their music, musical theater, and dance classes. The beautiful art pictured below was created by students in their visual arts classes. Kudos to Jasmine Nicholson, Daniel Gibson, Elizabeth Lesinski, and Katherine Robinson for a job well done! 

The ABCs of Affirming Black Children Author Ernest Crim Visits KIPP Academy Chicago Primary

There are always so many great examples of team & family webbed throughout our schools and community. First-grade teacher Sanovia Reynolds-Parks is an incredible example of someone who is not only uplifting and affirming our students, but also extending that type of transformational support to our community as a whole. She most recently introduced author Ernest Crim to KACP students, inviting him to share his new children’s book, The ABCs of Affirming Black Children. 

How did you discover the author and book? 

Ernest Crim is the son of my Pastor, Reverend Mel, who gifted us with Ernest’s latest children’s book. Our role as educators is to teach, affirm, love, and bring joy to our KIPPsters. What better way to do that than to bring in an author who created a book centered around our core values? I asked Principal Jarell Lee if he was interested in having [Mr. Crim] come to read the book to our students. With the help of Ms. Schmeizer, we were able to work together to make it happen. 

What led you to invite Mr. Crim to KIPP? What was the impact on students?

The story was displayed on the screen as Mr. Crim read and discussed Black History icons with our students. They were fully engaged! The book lists artists like James Brown, so we allowed the students to dance to “I’m Black and I’m Proud.” Principal Lee wanted to show him how we get down at KACP with a dance party for all to participate in. After our community meeting, Mr. Crim visited my class, Spelhouse, to present each student with a signed copy of his book. There are People of Color doing great things in the community, and if I can use the network and relationships I’ve built in this short life to impact or expose students to positive images of us, that is the goal. 

After hearing about his visit, Mr. Crim’s publishing company will be gifting us 90 new books by Black authors to give to all of our 1st-grade classes! Mr. Crim is open and willing to share his presentation with other KIPP schools in our network. 

Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds-Parks and Mr. Crim, for bringing this incredibly affirming and validating experience to students at KACP!

The post Cultivating Identity Development Practices appeared first on KIPP Chicago Public Schools.

One way we celebrate and elevate our community is by providing quality, freshly made holiday meals for our families. This December, we partnered with Chi Fresh Kitchen, who prepared 1,380 fresh holiday meals to distribute to KIPP Chicago families. The need for resources has grown, increasing from 1,064 meals last year, and we are happy that we were able to meet the need to ensure that families were provided and cared for. This effort would not be possible without the organization and commitment of our KIPP Chicago Operations and Regional Team of volunteers. Having all hands on deck during the event contributed to the overall success. 

Ribbon Cutting for KAC & RUSH Joint School-based Food Pantry 

KIPP Chicago and Rush University Medical Center partnered to establish a joint school-based food pantry to support our students in temporary living situations in the Austin neighborhood. On January 17th, we celebrated our official ribbon-cutting ceremony at our KIPP Academy Chicago and Rush food pantry. We are one box, one community!

The ribbon-cutting celebration is evidence of a successful collaboration between Rush and KIPP Chicago and how one part feeds the whole. The school-based food pantry originated from the vision of KIPP Chicago’s Executive Director, April Montgomery, whose own childhood experiences using food stamps led her to develop a deep passion for food insecurity, igniting the development of the Whole Child Initiative. Our mission of establishing a school-based food pantry has been in the works since 2020. In partnership with Rush, we began with quarterly pop-up food distributions for our community, surveyed our families for operational preferences, and engaged with Indeed for a community needs assessment. Thanks to the generosity of A Better Chicago, we received essential funding that enabled us to create a physical space at KIPP Academy Chicago, ensuring the predictable and consistent delivery of quality foods and smooth day-to-day operations. We currently serve 25 households per week, with family sizes between two and eight people. The school-based pantry removes transportation and financial barriers and offers a mix of shelf-stable items and fresh produce from TopBox. We hope that consistent access to quality food increases students’ learning and improves the quality of life for families. 

In addition to the food, we want to ensure families have the necessary resources for their households. This summer, we will begin offering wrap-around services for those who need food access from our pantry. We will use NowPow to connect households to SNAP benefits, employment, healthcare, and other life essentials. 

The post Addressing Food Justice appeared first on KIPP Chicago Public Schools.

To better understand what supports currently matter most to teachers, we have launched our annual Staff Wellness Survey. Based on the survey results, we will design our monthly winter and spring workshops that offer camaraderie, fun, and relief.

The post Enhancing Teacher Wellbeing appeared first on KIPP Chicago Public Schools.