We are fighting poverty with opportunity.

Together, we can build a better Chicago for everyone.

Chicago is not preparing our students to succeed

Despite decades of hard work, less than one in five Chicago Public School students go on to earn a 2-year or 4-year degree by the age of 25. We are failing to prepare our students – and our region – to succeed in the 21st century. Discover how A Better Chicago’s portfolio of education nonprofits are changing the status quo.

Why We Exist

The Challenge

Chicago Public Schools 9th graders who graduate from college by age 25

21%

Illinois jobs that will require a college degree by 2020

47%

Illinois jobs that will require more than a high school diploma by 2020

70%

Featured Grantees

Our incredible portfolio provides Chicago’s youth with the education and skills to succeed and break the cycle of poverty.

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Investment to date $200K
Students Served 612

The BARR Center (BARR) is a strengths-based model applied to middle and high schools that provides them with a comprehensive approach to meeting the academic, social and emotional needs of all students.

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Investment to date $2.2M
Students Served 2,407

Chicago Scholars selects, trains, and mentors academically ambitious students from under-resourced communities to enroll in, persist and graduate from college.

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Investment to date $2.91M
Students Served 731

One Million Degrees accelerates community college students’ progress on career pathways to economic mobility by providing academic, professional, personal, and financial supports to highly motivated, low-income students pursuing associate’s degrees or post-secondary certificates.

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