Introducing the CLX OST Pass
Join CLX in the debut of our premier OST Pass! Unlock free admission to Chicago’s iconic museums, access to capacity-building platforms like Catchafire, and a rare opportunity to camp at Glenhagen Farms!
Find out how Chicago Learning Exchange and our partners are remaking learning in Chicago.
Alex Herrera awarded 2021 Brother Mike Award by Grammy-Award-Winner Chance the Rapper.
On March 12, the Chicago Learning Exchange (CLX), Chicago Public Library, Digital Youth Network at Northwestern University, and SocialWorks…
CSforCHI February '22 Committee Meeting
It's nice to imagine that soon we may be able to have fewer Zoom events replacing our beloved in-person ones—maybe while still supporting a hybrid option. Here are some highlights from our February '22 Core Group Committee Meeting.
2021-2022 Brother Mike Award Nominees
“To educate as a practice of freedom” says the late bell hooks in her seminal book, Teaching to Transgress. This philosophy also informed the work of Chicago-based poet, activist, digital media educator and mentor “Brother Mike'' Hawkins, who sought to lead and teach with love. In a 2012 interview, Brother Mike said, “Mentorship, at its core, is about love.” The idea of infusing mentorship work with the edict of love is a radical testament to Brother Mike's legacy. Annually, the Chicago Learning Exchange, Northwestern University, Chicago Public Library and SocialWorks honor the nominees and grant recipients with the Brother Mike Award and celebrate those who dedicate their careers to teaching and mentoring Chicago youth. Please read more about the 2021-2022 Brother Mike Award Nominees below:
Bringing #CSEdWeek to Chicago Public Libraries
Computer Science Education Week is an annual call to action to engage and inspire youth through learning opportunities, to advocate for equity in the landscape, and to champion those who work year-round preparing the next generation of computer scientists. Thanks to grants from CSforALL and CME Group, and Lego Education, CLX has been able to engage in this work through our CSforCHI program. In 2020, we worked with community partners to create the CSforCHI Strategic Plan—which you can read on our community site. With CSEdWeek this year as our first touchpoint, we partnered with two Chicago Public Library branches and began to take action on that plan.
A message to the community from Jorge Garcia, Program Manager
Who is your computer science hero? Jorge Garcia, Program Manager at CLX shares his stories about the spaces and people who have shaped his trajectory and how he hopes to inspire others in their own computer science journey.
2021 Brother Mike Award: Application Announcement
Who was Brother Mike? Mike Hawkins, better known as Brother Mike, was a Chicago-based poet, activist, digital media educator, revolutionary…
Brother Mike Award: 2021 Launch
Connected Mentor Award will provide a $5,000 reward in honor of Brother Mike Hawkins Supported by SocialWorks CHICAGO — Happy…
Energizing Chicago's Young Adults
Grab a few pennies and nickels from the jar and saltwater from the kitchen. You now have the necessary ingredients to create a battery in a pinch. Will it be enough to power light in an emergency? You might need to start saving up now. This summer CLX’s Illuminating Energy Pathways programs served 10 Chicago students through two summer Learn and Earn programs focused on building energy career exposure for Black and LatinX youth. The programs offered students two curriculum tracks to choose from. The first was Empowering Opportunities, a program focused on preparing students for overhead linework (SOC: 49-9051). Although for this career pathway, a direct path to Dawson Technical Institute exists, many students aren’t aware or have barriers to entry. With support from the Illinois Science & Energy Innovation Foundation (ISEIF), CLX’s program provides a bridge to increase exposure and break down barriers for Chicago youth and the institutions that serve them.
A message to the community from Christina Pei, Network Manager:
To every individual who has ever been a part of the Chicago Learning Exchange, through its many iterations throughout the years, I am most excited in my new role to get to know each of you, to share our collective dreams, and work to enact a more just and equitable future.
Reflections on our Anti-Racist Community of Practice (CoP)
James Baldwin once stated, “The paradox of education is precisely this - that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated. ” The civil uprisings of 2020 ignited the consciousness of many. Last spring the Anti-Racist, Urban Initiatives, and CLX launched an Anti-Oppression Community of Practice (CoP). This CoP offered space, time, and tools to reflect on personal and organizational anti-racist and anti-oppression journeys for Chicago’s youth development community.
Roots for a Strong Youth Summer
Roots are foundational to plants. Although often unseen to the naked eye, we know they are essential for growth, resilience, and overall health. At the Chicago Learning Exchange (CLX), one of CLX’s research based-beliefs is that learning is relational. High-quality learning and work emphasize the importance of positive relationships for youth development. See Search Institute’s research on the importance of developmental relationships in youth success linked here. Similar to plants, learners need strong roots and support from their peers and mentors to overcome challenges and to grow.
Reflections on What it Means to "Remake" Learning
In March of 2020, we could not have imagined what lay ahead. A year marked by political unrest, grief, and…
Member Spotlight: Project Exploration
Project Exploration is one of our flagship partners for Remake Learning Days CHI, and we talked to Janeicia (Neicy) Williams…
Member Spotlight: C4ITA
Please introduce yourself and share a bit about your background: what made you want to get involved in the education…
Member Spotlight: Comp-U-Dopt Chicago
Network Connections Influence Digital Equity in Chicago Communities The Chicago Learning Exchange facilitates the sharing of information between organizations…
Member Spotlight: Code Your Dreams
Can you introduce yourself and share a little bit about your background? My name is Bri, and I'm the executive…
CLX and UI Launch Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression Community of Practice
Imagine a world where anti-racism and anti-oppression were instilled in every person and organization. On March 18, 2021, the Chicago…
CLX and Partners Launch CSforCHI Strategic Plan
For the past year, the education landscape has been wholly centered around technology and virtual learning. While some are realizing…
Seeing is Believing: Pathways to STEM Success
Taking up the mantra, “You can’t be what you can’t see,” Syda and Amaris organized a citywide STEM Fair alongside national partners, showing young Black and brown students that they belong in the STEM field.
A Look Back on 2020: Reinforcing Our People and Innovation
Transitioning to Zoom. Increasing programming from monthly to weekly. Getting COVID-19. Crowdsourcing and sharing digital divide and engagement resources. Creating…
2020 BMA Winner: Elizabeth "Liz" Reyes!
What happens when you have a room full of outstanding out-of-school time mentors? Something energetic and influential happens when advocates…
Chicago Feature in HundrED's Forerunners Publication
Although there have been enormous challenges in learning due to COVID-19, the often untold story is all that is good…
One Stone: Then and Now
I figured I could kill a whole flock of birds with one stone: by attending CLX meetings, I could network, learn, potentially get a grant AND force my dissertation chair to look at my research more! Oh, glorious, multitasking day!
Brother Mike Award: 2020 Launch
Connected Mentor Award will provide a $5,000 reward in honor of Brother Mike Hawkins Supported by SocialWorks CHICAGO — Chicago…
2020 Brother Mike Award: Application Announcement
Who was Brother Mike? Mike Hawkins, better known as Brother Mike, was a Chicago-based poet, activist, digital media educator, revolutionary…
CALL: CLX 10 Year Anniversary Stories
To celebrate CLX's 10th Anniversary, we are seeking stories of CLX funded projects and individual member stories. Please complete the short forms below to share your CLX funded projects and individual member stories. We will take stories on a rolling basis until the end of October 2020.
Closing the Digital Divide and Activating Engagement through #Xchange
Since CLX members are long-time digital learning leaders, we knew we needed to create space and activities to tap into their expertise. Therefore, we collaboratively created resources that help to answer questions in regards to closing the digital divide and increasing youth engagement in digital programming...
Summer Learning within the CLX Network
The pandemic has changed the way we interact for the foreseeable future. We asked the CLX community, what does learning look like at this moment?
John Walt Foundation Addresses Youth and Family Needs in Chicago’s Westside
In 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. The Westside of Chicago, like other parts of the nation, experienced riots…