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…
Find out how Chicago Learning Exchange and our partners are remaking learning in Chicago.
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!
Moonshot Thinking
I remember Robert Friedman rolling out the idea of moonshot groups with a photograph of the moon landing, the astronaut in his uniform, feet planted on the moon’s surface. Those days we met in the basement of the Harold Washington Library at round tables where we started off with coffee, pastries, and conversation.
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...
Hiring: CLX Pathways Program Manager
The Program Manager: Pathways Support position is a collaborative position working with various CLX initiatives and partners locally and at times nationally. This position works closely with CLX’s Director of Programs to develop strategies and manage projects for CLX’s Pathway Programs in Energy and Computer Science.
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…
The Founding Story: A Member-driven Network to connect Chicago’s learners and leaders then and now
Before there was the Chicago Learning Exchange or even the Hive Chicago Learning Network, the John D. & Catherine T…
June 18 Virtual Meetup Recap
Thank you for attending our June Meetup with special guest Sybil M. Madison, Ph.D., Deputy Mayor for Education and Human Services! The importance of connection is more evident than ever. Check out this article for a recap of our June Virtual Meetup.
From the Vault: A Chat with Sam Dyson
To look back on the rich history of Hive Chicago, which evolved into the Chicago Learning Exchange, we called upon Sam Dyson, who has been a leader in reimagining learning over the past decade in Chicago and beyond.
Empowering Youth to Fight for Social Justice
Collaboration, connection, and community. These are the hallmarks of the new Master of Arts (MA) degree in Civic Media at Columbia College, in which graduate students merge activism with media practice. Students are expected to design, implement, and assess project-based solutions that address real community needs.
A Message to the CLX Community and our City
Across the nation, people are in the streets marching and invoking their names, seizing this moment for change. Whether we are with them raising our voices in public or working for justice behind the scenes, we are really fighting for more equitable opportunities and for the dignity of Black lives.
Digital Media Redefines Youth Activism
Studies have shown declining trust in the ability of government institutions and elected officials to address issues, especially among youth. However, this does not mean that young people are civically disengaged. Instead, young people are utilizing digital media and technology tools to create a broader definition of civics than the commonly held perspective that civic engagement is confined primarily to electoral politics.
Virtual Check-Ins: A New, and Much Needed, Way to Stay Connected
The virtual check-ins are a reminder of the strength and dedication of the CLX community. When faced with obstacles, our community members come together and find solutions, and use the moment to spur creativity, innovation, and collaboration.
A Message To Our Community
CLX’s mission is to inspire and support innovation that equips digital-age learners and leaders to close Chicago’s opportunity gap. This has been our guiding light from the very beginning, and it will continue to guide us during this time. We are all committed to providing experiences, opportunities, and pathways for Chicago’s youth, now more than ever. Together, we can ensure we stay true to this mission.
Postponed: Remake Learning Days CHI
Due to COVID-19, it is in everyone's best interest that we postpone Remake Learning Days CHI (RLD CHI). A letter…
Remake Learning Days CHI Returns for Its Second Year!
CLX is thrilled to announce that RLD CHI is returning for its second year from May 14-17, 2020. With engaging and innovative learning opportunities accessible to those that need it the most in Chicago’s communities in the South and West sides, RLD CHI 2020 hopes to continue its goal of helping close the socioeconomic learning gap.
Member Spotlight: Territory Teens Design Chicago
What if teenagers had a say in the design of the city of Chicago? What if we treated teenagers’ voices…
Learning is Social: CLX hosts first Happy Hour with Wade Berger
Fellow CLX members, if you are like me, you sometimes need a break from your work with young people and…
A Letter from Chicago Learning Exchange’s new Executive Director, Sana Jafri
To those who dare to change the status quo, 10 years ago, I was gearing up to head back into…
CLX+ ISEIF Sparking Interest and Equity in Energy Pathways
With more than half of the energy workforce expected to retire in the next five to 10 years, the workers…
Maria Hibbs Reflects on CLX Growth and Predicts a New Decade of Possibilities
When Chicago Learning Exchange (CLX) Board Chair Daniel Ash announced last week that my colleague Sana Jafri will become CLX’s new Executive Director, reality finally sank in. In less than three weeks, I will be retiring. After 45 years in journalism, corporate public affairs, philanthropy and non-profit leadership, it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation of leadership, and I do so with tremendous optimism.
Announcing CLX's New Executive Director
After an extensive regional search, I am pleased to announce that the Chicago Learning Exchange (CLX) Board of Directors has…
“Phenom” Wins Brother Mike Award
On November 2, 2019, “Phenom” won the inaugural Brother Mike Award—a new $5,000 no-string attached award to recognize the contributions of mentors in the out-of-school (OST) time space.
CLX community goes to the national stage at the 2019 Connected Learning Summit
The Chicago Learning Exchange Professional Learning Community — a dynamic group of over 200 youth serving organizations and educators — was well represented on the stage and leading workshops at this year’s Connected Learning Summit October 2-5 in Irvine, CA.
CLX to convene Chicago’s Computer Science (CS) Ecosystem
The Chicago Learning Exchange (CLX) is excited to announce that it will lead efforts in Chicago to convene and advance equity in computer science through CSforCHI, a new project that will continue to nurture and connect the computer science learning ecosystem.
Seeding Innovation in Austin: Project Exploration’s West Side STEM Learning Center Comes to Life
In 2017 and 2018, the Chicago Learning Exchange (CLX), previously known as the Hive Fund for Connected Learning, made two seed investments in its longtime network member, Project Exploration who had identified a major problem. In the Austin neighborhood, there were a plethora of opportunities to participate in sports, but very few opportunities for youth to participate in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programming.