Community Partnerships

The curriculum of the Al Raby School engages students to learn about their own community — both its human and natural systems. It works best if all or nearly all of our students come from the immediate neighborhoods surrounding the school.The Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance and the Center for Neighborhood Technology are strategic partners. We make use of social service and environmental organizations right in the neighborhood. We want students to gain an understanding of the issues confronting their community, evaluate the positive and negatives of those issues, and then participate in positive social and environmental change that impacts their community.

The Al Raby School for Community & Environment would like to thank the following organizations:

Community Schools Initiative

Community Schools Initiative (CSI) supports partnerships between schools and community stakeholders to increase access to academic and non-academic programs for students and their families. The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) manages one of the largest community schools systems in the nation, known as the Community Schools Initiative (CSI). Awarded by the Coalition for Community Schools in 2006 with the Community School. Community schools bring together educators, families, and community partners to meet students’ and families’ academic and non-academic needs, develop educated citizens, and strengthen local neighborhoods. Programs and services focus on four areas: expanded learning opportunities; health and social supports and services; family and community engagement; and early childhood development.

SGA Youth & Family Services

SGA Youth & Family Services leads positive change for children and families in Chicago's most challenged and underserved neighborhoods. The non-profit has provided free, comprehensive services since its founding in 1911. SGA believes that sustainable community change results from a focus on early childhood, educational support, parenting, and workforce development. Collaborative partnerships, innovative programs, and measurable outcomes fuel SGA’s efforts to replace the cycle of poverty with the Cycle of Opportunity.

Breakthrough
Website: www.breakthrough.org/
Breakthrough partners with those affected by poverty to build connections, develop skills and open doors of opportunity. Breakthrough offers a variety of enrichment, support, and learning opportunities to both the school and neighborhood communities.

Children's Research Triangle

https://www.childrensresearchtriangle.org/

CRT provides an on-site therapist to support our students. CRT's clinicians seek to fully understand an individual's strengths, challenges, and life circumstances, and provide tailored interventions to fit the individual, family and school.

Garfield Park Conservatory*
Website: www.garfield-conservatory.org
The Conservatory provides internships, trains students in their docent program, and helps provide environmental science curriculum through their Urban Roots Program.

Grip Outreach for Youth
Website: www.gripyouth.com/
GTS is a faith-based organization that connects volunteers to teach after-school courses, assists teachers and administrators both inside and outside of the classroom, leads small group lunchroom discussions, teaches the creative arts, coaches sports teams, and connects students with positive extracurricular activities.

Inspiration Kitchen
Website: www.inspirationkitchens.org/
Besides serving great food, Inspiration Kitchen is part of a broad range of job training programs by Inspiration Corporation which provides support for homeless and low-income individuals through hard and soft skills training, transitional jobs, and placement and retention services. These programs provides individuals with an opportunity to obtain the essential skills and support needed to become employed.

Network for College Success

https://ncs.uchicago.edu/

NCS uses research to design and facilitate professional learning that builds the capacity of school leaders to help all students attain high levels of academic achievement. Through cross-school learning communities and job-embedded coaching, we support district leaders, principals, teachers, and counselors.

Urban Autism Solutions

https://www.urbanautismsolutions.com/

UAS works with our Cluster Program. They are dedicated to changing outcomes for young adults with autism through an integrated community life that advances social and vocational opportunities.

Youth Guidance

Website: www.youth-guidance.org

Youth Guidance is a non-profit organization partnered with Chicago Public Schools across Chicago and to bring youth mentoring, counseling services, workforce development opportunities, and safe after-school programming to communities hit hardest by violence and poverty. BAM (Becoming a Man) and WOW (Working on Womanhood) are the small groups offered to Raby students.

* Denotes strategic partnership