Important Announcement from CLX

Dear CLX Community,

Trusted relationships, shared purpose, and community have always been the foundation of successful collective action. Collective care and action are needed from us all now as we support Chicago's youth.

That’s why over the past year, the Chicago Learning Exchange (CLX) staff, board, and our broader community have been working with intention to craft a community and data-informed strategic plan. Our aim is not just to respond to the moment, but to build a stronger foundation for future years to come.

We invited feedback from more than 150 stakeholders that confirmed that CLX is making a difference in Chicago’s OST landscape. This process also surfaced clear opportunities to deepen CLX’s role — especially in connecting organizations to greater impact, supporting youth worker and leader workforce development, and fostering advocacy within the local youth development ecosystem in Chicago.

Through community conversations and data, one important need that arose was more focused and clear language describing who CLX is and what we do. We took up that charge and had a chance to share the result at last month’s Brother Mike Awards event.

Today, we are proud to introduce to the entire community our new mission:

The Chicago Learning Exchange strengthens the out‑of‑school community in Chicago by connecting, investing in, and advocating for the people and organizations that create opportunities for young people to thrive.

As Chicagoans and allies, our hope for Chicago is bold and clear—we want to build a city where every young person has expanded youth development opportunities that provide safety and relationships that help them flourish in the future.

Though we face headwinds, we will continue to move forward together. CLX is evolving — not away from our roots, but toward greater impact at scale. And as has always been true for CLX, we do not do this alone. The strength of our work lies in the people, communities, and organizations who work together in support of Chicago youth. We hope you’ll join us as we formally unveil our full strategic plan in the coming months.

In service,

Sana Jafri and Daniel Ash