Chicago Scholars

Chicago Scholars Working toward a vibrant Chicago powered by diverse leaders from every neighborhood.

We uniquely select, train, and mentor academically ambitious students from under-resourced communities to complete college and become the next generation of leaders who will transform their neighborhoods and our city.

Last night, Chicago Scholars celebrated a major milestone at the Our Scholars, Our Future: 30th Anniversary Gala and Aft...
09/18/2026

Last night, Chicago Scholars celebrated a major milestone at the Our Scholars, Our Future: 30th Anniversary Gala and Afterparty. It was an unforgettable evening honoring 30 years of impact and the more than 8,000 Scholars who have been supported through our programs.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, the paddle raise generated close to $375,000 to help Scholars create economic mobility, develop as leaders, and build a lasting sense of belonging.

Throughout the evening, guests reflected on three decades of transformation, explored activations showcasing our history, and connected with artists from Ink Factory who helped inspire artwork for our current Class of Scholars ahead of the upcoming Onsite College & Leadership Forum.

While the celebration may be over, there's still time to be part of this milestone moment. If you weren't able to join us last night, you can still help us build on this momentum and invest in the next generation of Chicago leaders. Every gift, no matter the size, helps ensure Scholars have the resources, support, and opportunities they need to thrive. https://give.chicagoscholars.org/give/760144 #!/donation/checkout

Looking for another way to make an impact? We'd love to see you as a volunteer at Onsite on Friday, October 30, where hundreds of Scholars will take the next step in their Chicago Scholars journey. You can also support Scholars by volunteering at one of our Interview Labs leading up to the big day. https://chicagoscholars.org/volunteer/

Together, we can continue creating life-changing opportunities for Scholars across Chicago for the next 30 years and beyond.
Thank you for being part of the Chicago Scholars community.

As our Leadership Council and Scholar Ambassadors kick off their year of representing their Class of Scholars and helpin...
09/15/2026

As our Leadership Council and Scholar Ambassadors kick off their year of representing their Class of Scholars and helping to recruit the next incoming Class, we wanted to introduce you to some of these standout Scholars! First, meet Rihanna, a member of the Leadership Council:

"Hi! I am Rihanna Mayor, a senior at Taft High School. I am a passionate and loving person, reflected through my friends and extracurriculars! A few programs that I am involved in with my school include being a board member for various clubs: National Honor Society, Hope for the Homeless Service Club, and my Global Politics Book Club. I am an Eagle Mentor, which helps freshmen through their transition into high school, as well as an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program Student Ambassador.

For as long as I can remember, I have had to advocate for myself in many situations. Many, if not most of the time, my voice is drowned out. At the same time, finding opportunities with immigrant parents has also been a challenge. One distinct memory of this was when I was in sixth grade and a lot of my friends were testing to get into selective middle schools. They were paying for extensive tutoring, having their parents sign them up for different schools, all without my own school system providing the opportunity or information to even apply to different schools. My parents also had no idea how schooling worked in America so I ended up staying at my elementary school, never knowing if I could have made it into a different middle school. I wanted to join the Leadership Council to ensure anything like that does not happen with the many students Chicago Scholars serves. College applications continue to get harder every year, so by joining LC, I want to make sure that everyone has a voice, getting the opportunities that they deserve to have. I want to make an impact in my community, one goal at a time."

We're just one week out from the Our Scholars, Our Future: 30th Anniversary Gala and Afterparty at the Obama Presidentia...
09/10/2026

We're just one week out from the Our Scholars, Our Future: 30th Anniversary Gala and Afterparty at the Obama Presidential Center! We can't wait to celebrate 30 years of uplifting Chicago's future leaders with you - let us know if you'll be there!

09/08/2026

As Content Crew member Krish from the Class of 2030 heads to California for his first year of college, he's sharing this video documenting all that Chicago means to him.

Many of our Scholars head out of state for school, with Scholars represented at schools in 43 states and counting - but 69% return to Illinois after graduation. We're Chicago's Homegrown Talent Hub for a reason, and this love letter to Chicago proves why. Check it out!

The Chicago Scholars office is closed today, Monday, September 7th, for Labor Day. We'll see you tomorrow!
09/07/2026

The Chicago Scholars office is closed today, Monday, September 7th, for Labor Day. We'll see you tomorrow!

09/03/2026

Have you caught our Scholars on WGN TV yet?

WGN stopped by a workshop to chat with some of our Scholars and our Dream Team about their college hopes and dreams, and how Chicago Scholars can help them along the way. For the rest of this month, WGN-TV Families Charities will be matching $.50 on the dollar of every donation made towards the Scholar Dollars Fund here: https://bit.ly/4cTY7QF

Support a Scholar with double the impact and give today!

Chicago Scholars community, now's your time to shine!We're looking for volunteers for our upcoming Writing Labs and Inte...
09/03/2026

Chicago Scholars community, now's your time to shine!

We're looking for volunteers for our upcoming Writing Labs and Interview Labs, helping Scholars draft their college application essays and practice interviewing ahead of Onsite. Our volunteers play a fundamental role in supporting Scholars as they navigate the college application process. This is an opportunity for you to make a direct impact on a student's life!

Join us tomorrow, September 3rd, and Tuesday, September 15th from 5:15 to 7:15 p.m. for Writing Labs to help Scholars hit submit on those college applications! As we gear up for Onsite, step in for Interview Labs on October 13th and October 15th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Sign up for either opportunity here: https://bit.ly/409rYOt

"When I visited Pomona College for the first time, something shifted. It felt perfect. The people were open and easy to ...
08/31/2026

"When I visited Pomona College for the first time, something shifted. It felt perfect. The people were open and easy to talk to. The campus was absolutely breathtaking. I sat in on an eight-person class called Jamaican Music Aesthetics and had the time of my life talking reggae for two hours straight. It was everything I had imagined USC to be in my head. But I wasn’t thinking of what I was missing out on by going to Pomona. I was fully present in where I was. By the end of the visit, any doubt sitting with me had disappeared. Pomona wasn’t a backup, I knew it was exactly where I was meant to be."

As Krish Bedi, Chicago Scholars Class of 2030, begins his journey on campus at Pomona College, we're celebrating the power of opportunity, mentorship, and believing in what's possible. Support more Scholars like Krish through the Scholar Dollars campaign. WGN-TV Family Charities is matching $0.50 on every dollar donated, helping your gift go even further to support Scholars as they pursue their college dreams. Donate today: https://bit.ly/4cTY7QF

As our current Content Crew signs off for the year, we asked them to tell us about their experience, and with the applic...
08/28/2026

As our current Content Crew signs off for the year, we asked them to tell us about their experience, and with the application open, why other Scholars should apply for the opportunity. Last but not least, hear from Mia from the Class of 2028:

"And that’s a wrap on my content crew experience! Spending my time editing, bringing graphics to life through motion design, and experimenting with new media was such an incredible experience. Huge thanks to the crew for all the creative freedom!"

Wishing a happy first day of school to all of our Chicago Public Schools Scholars headed into their senior year, and all...
08/24/2026

Wishing a happy first day of school to all of our Chicago Public Schools Scholars headed into their senior year, and all of our college-bound Scholars headed to campus! Here's to an incredible year 🎉

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