The Foundation has recently developed an exciting internship opportunity in philanthropy. Working in partnership with other Chicago-based funders, the Foundation developed its internship to provide a unique experience for an undergraduate student interested in pursuing work in the nonprofit space after college.

Proficiency rates in all subjects declined at Chicago Public Schools following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a new review found English language arts proficiency rates at the elementary level have bounced back and surpassed pre-pandemic levels — increasing by 11 percentage points between 2022 and 2024.

On September 12, 2024, over 200 attendees convened at the UIC Forum for “Equity-Centered Leaders, the Next 20 Years,” a celebration of the UIC College of Education’s EdD in Urban Education Leadership. The evening was a manifestation of the shared vision of program faculty from 20 years ago and a celebration of the program’s accomplishments, impact, and influence since that time. This video chronicles some of the highlights from the event.

When Maximus Simmons cast his ballot in November, he could only fill it out for one election — his Oakland school board representative — because he was among the first 16- and 17-year-olds allowed to vote in Oakland and Berkeley. The East Bay cities allowed teens to vote in school board elections for the first time last year, following years of youth advocacy.

At last week’s confirmation hearing, education secretary nominee Linda McMahon called teaching “one of the most noble professions that we have in our country” and expressed support for workforce development programs. But now the department she wants to lead has abruptly canceled more than $600 million in grants designed to prepare teachers, especially in high-need schools.

New America Foundation, a Foundation grantee, recently wrote about implications for Early Childhood Education as a new leaders assume their posts in the Federal government. Now that the November election results have been finalized and the year is almost at an end, it’s a good time to think ahead to what 2025 could mean for the future of early education. The day after the election we wrote about the initial results, but we now have a better idea of the political landscape heading into 2025.