KIPP Chicago teachers continue to raise the bar with their creative, thoughtful, and approachable visuals that live inside classrooms and throughout the hallways. Walk into any school and you will continue to find more examples of identity-affirming imagery, words, and displays. Thank you, teachers and staff, for creating welcoming, safe, and beautiful spaces for our students!
Due to COVID-19 we extended The McNair Fellowship pilot through the 21-22 school year. On September 30th, as part of the kickoff of our McNair program, we hosted some of the Fellows and Mentors at our Executive Director, April Montgomery Goble’s home. Enjoying an unusually warm, late September evening, we shared dinner, enjoyed live music, and came together for a night of connection and fellowship.
This fall, fellows will be designing their Impact Projects, which target the needs of KIPP Chicago students and families. These projects will allow each Fellow to create something that aligns with their skill sets, vision, and interests. Impact projects can include programming (such as identity curriculum), the installation of physical space (such as a food pantry or mural), or learning (such as LGBTQIA curriculum).
Fellows will have one-on-one time with mentors to help develop the vision for their Impact Projects. They will also meet with April to help set the direction for KIPP Chicago. We are so excited to see the output of our 12 incredible McNair Fellows.
The KIPP Foundation’s KIPP CARE (Culturally Affirming and Responsive Experience) Initiative has organized a program for School Leaders, The Transformation PLC. This train-the-trainer model centers on a community engagement partnership to support schools in building identity-affirming culture policies and practices. School Leaders will participate in monthly training that includes: monthly coaching calls, resource development, technical support, and peer collaboration.