GiveForward Visits the Chicago Math and Science Academy

The Chicago Math and Science Academy, a charter school in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago is one of our favorite organizations! Last August we helped the school raise $2300 to purchase new graphing calculators for their science lab.  We recently had a chance to catch up with them at their annual community breakfast and couldn’t have left more impressed!

Here are a few of the highlights:

Nothing is Impossible –  This is the slogan at CMSA.  During the breakfast, we learned that thirty-one out of thirty-one (100%) of the graduating seniors at CMSA have been accepted to attend college!  And one student, Edwar Luengas even received a full ride scholarship to Notre Dame.   When we had a chance to speak to the students, we could definitely see how much the younger ones looked up to Edwar as a role model.

Expanding horizons — Each year CMSA gives their students an opportunity to go on a school trip overseas. Last year they went to Turkey.  This year, they’re going to France.   Their principal said it best.  Some of the students have never even been to downtown Chicago.  Now they’re going across the Atlantic.

Community engagement – I grew up in the suburbs with good public schools and always took for granted that my school teachers and parents wanted to take an interest in my education.  Obviously, that’s not always the case with some urban schools.  But CMSA is different.  The teachers there are putting in seventy hour weeks and making sure the students’ parents are getting involved.  For me, hearing the actual students speak about the night and day difference between CMSA and the previous Chicago public schools they attended was the most inspirational part of the visit.
We’ll be keeping up with CMSA in the future.  If you would like to learn more about this great school, check out their website or if you’re in the Chicago area get involved in their upcoming Swing for CMSA golf fundraiser on June 1, 2009.