Hope Chicago

Launched in 2021, Hope Chicago is a bold, multi-generation economic mobility initiative that removes systemic barriers to postsecondary education for Chicago Public Schools families. Partnered with five high schools on the city’s South and West Sides, the organization invests in two generations of families—students and their parents—by providing opportunities to earn a postsecondary or workforce credential of value without the burden of debilitating debt. Partnered with Illinois-based institutions, Hope Chicago is guided by the belief that every family deserves the opportunity to build generational wealth and contribute meaningfully to the civic and economic futures of their communities. Hope Chicago is building a new model to transform higher education outcomes for low-income, first-generation families—one that can be scaled and replicated to transform lives across Illinois and beyond.