Find out how Chicago Learning Exchange and our partners are remaking learning in Chicago.

A Tribute to Mentors

A Tribute to Mentors By Nia Singletary Hey, excuse me, Mr. Mentor, I’ve got a question,How many lives have you…

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Letter from our Executive Director, Sana Jafri

This year I’m reflecting on a significant milestone: my 10-year anniversary with the Chicago Learning Exchange (CLX)–an intermediary of out-of-school (OST) organizations who are in service of young people in Chicago. It’s also my 5-year anniversary as Executive Director (ED). It’s been a wild ride with so many ups and downs, triumphs, challenges and profound experiences. When I began at CLX in 2015, I remember being so excited about the possibility of working in the OST space especially after being a classroom teacher.

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2024 Brother Mike Awards

The Chicago Learning Exchange (CLX) is pleased to present the 5th annual Brother Mike Awards honoring Chicago youth mentorship…

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CLX Community Statement

Beloved CLX Community, These last few weeks have been heartbreaking. It’s been horrifying to bear witness to the images and…

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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!

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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.

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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:

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Member Spotlight: C4ITA

Please introduce yourself and share a bit about your background: what made you want to get involved in the education…

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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.

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