Comer Education Campus (CEC)
Preparing young people for college, careers, and futures as well-rounded global citizens
Location: Chicago, Illinois USA
Sponsor: Jimmy Haddon and Rhonda Hopps
Comer Education Campus: Grantee in 2021 and 2022-23
Comer Education Campus has been enriching the lives of disadvantaged Black youth for over a decade. CEC is comprised of three cornerstone facilities – a Youth Center, College Prep School, and a Middle School. Located on Chicago’s South Side, this youth advancement organization invests in the life outcomes of thousands of young people annually through programs that integrate academics, enrichment, and college/career preparation. Through collaboration with partners from both the private and public sectors, stretching across business, government, community organizations, and academia, CEC has developed a unique approach to guide its participants and help them redefine what is possible in their future.
In addition to traditional academic curricula, students also participate in sports, fitness, and recreation as well as visual, cultural and performing arts, media, and technology. Programs also focus on civic engagement and leadership development. A distinguishing element of CEC is its commitment to health and wellness. The campus includes a Youth Education Garden that serves as an outdoor classroom. and organic produce resource. Students learn urban agriculture, horticulture, sciences, culinary arts, and nutrition in a hands-on way. The vegetables, fruits, and herbs harvested annually both reinforce a healthy lifestyle among the students while also serving as a much-needed source of fresh produce for the local community.
For more information, see: Comer Education Campus
GRANT SUMMARY AND PURPOSE
2021: $30,000 to fund the addition of a hydroponics track to teach horticulture and career skills within the overall Green Careers program. Participants will earn stipends as they complete ten weeks of instruction in hydroponics and business management skills. The grant also extends stipends to 4 graduates who will be Hydroponics Leaders. This video captures the 6-week-long process from transplant to harvest of the indoor, leafy lettuce grown using the hydroponic system.
2022-23: $30,000 to fund a program to introduce students to career opportunities in healthcare through workshops, field trips, project work, and foundational instruction. The project will also provide the curricula and methods needed to establish the Health Career Pathways as an ongoing offering. In addition, a grant of $2,883 in unrestricted funding has been awarded to support this mission.
IMPACT
Serve youths by providing the opportunity to learn while the programs simultaneously advance efforts to increase student understanding of future employment opportunities and of their responsibility for improving their communities.
