Big Shoulders Fund

Commuters at Millennium and Ogilvie Stations were treated to holiday caroling from some Big Shoulders Fund Schools this morning! Thank you St. Therese, St. Ferdinand, St. Ann, St. Nicholas Cathedral for helping us bring Holiday cheer to commuters. Help us continue the holiday celebrations from 4:00pm - 6:00pm at Millennium and Ogilvie Stations with St. Nicholas of Tolentine, St. Philip Neri, St. Agnes of Bohemia, Annunciata, St. Procopius, St. Malachy, and St. John de la Salle.

Our students thriving in and out of the classroom bring us much-needed warmth during this cold season. They are math wizards, gifted athletes, outdoor adventurers, and so much more! They are beacons of hope, shining brighter than Chicago's holiday lights. And thanks to you, they are the leaders of tomorrow. Stay tuned to our page to meet four of the students who shine bright thanks to your support. COMMENT below to tell us who is a shining light in your life! https://lnkd.in/ghxHYa-w

Big Shoulders Fund hosted 200 educators at its 7th Annual Innovation Conference last month. Teachers and principals from Big Shoulders Fund schools spent their professional development day learning about innovative teaching strategies. Sessions covered everything from creating quick, hands-on STEM activities to promoting a positive school culture to responding to current events in the classroom. Many thanks to Big Shoulders Fund Innovation Specialist Kristin Ziemke for organizing and to St. Thomas the Apostle School for hosting this dynamic event.

We are thrilled to celebrate the launch of the Beeson Family Scholarship and welcome its first cohort of 4th through 6th grade students across five Big Shoulders Fund 𝘗𝘭𝘶𝘴 schools! Created by long-time Big Shoulders Fund supporters Gerald and Jennifer Beeson, this program offers more than just financial assistance. It provides mentorship, group activities, and a community to help these scholars thrive through high school.

Our mission to transform lives through education is rooted in the belief that a child's zip code should never determine their dreams. With the staunch support of so many of you, we doubled down on that belief by launching Big Shoulders Fund Plus, an unprecedented $100-million, 10-year commitment to sustain 38 of our highest-need schools. Halfway through this initiative, we're already seeing remarkable results across those schools: 12% enrollment growth, nearly 90% annual student retention, and 3rd-8th graders outperforming city and state averages in ELA and math. But beyond the stats, our scholars are navigating bright futures and reaching for BIG dreams. Click the link below to read some of their stories and learn how YOU can help us continue delivering on our 𝘗𝘭𝘶𝘴 promise! https://lnkd.in/ghxHYa-w

Community: "A unified body of individuals." For our final #GivingTuesday highlight, we celebrate our most important community: our scholars! For nearly 40 years, Big Shoulders Fund has been committed to investing in students so that every child can attend their best-fit school. Your support ensures scholars in the Chicago area and Northwest Indiana receive a quality, values-based education. Thanks to you, we are able to support this community of nearly 25,000 scholars who range from pre-K through college students. Your support makes a huge difference in their lives! Join our Big Shoulders Fund community today by clicking the link below. Learn how you can help ensure the next generation of scholars can reach the bright futures they deserve! https://lnkd.in/gwbZ9KZT

Our #GivingTuesday highlight continues! Your support allows us to empower 90 school communities in the Big Shoulders Fund network. A major way we do this is through our Give Back Days. Dedicated volunteers roll up their sleeves to tackle projects like painting classrooms, deep cleaning storage spaces, and revitalizing playgrounds. This work beautifies and improves schools so students can better learn and grow. Want to join the action? Sign up for our next Give Back Day at Augustus Tolton Academy on Saturday, January 24th: https://lnkd.in/gRnCBRmf #volunteer #Chicago #chicagononprofit #bigshouldersfund

Every Saturday in November, students, parents, and volunteers at St. Francis de Sales High School showed up to serve their South East Side community by distributing extra groceries to neighbors in need. When SNAP benefits were delayed, they stepped in to help. And they knew what to do, since they’ve already been serving their community through the school's food pantry, which is Chicago's first permanent, student-run food distribution center! On #GivingTuesday, help us support Big Shoulders Fund schools like St. Francis de Sales as they transform their neighborhoods: https://lnkd.in/gwbZ9KZT

How do you define community? Is it people or a shared purpose? Maybe both? And how do you work to be part of that community, giving back to the people and purpose that form it? Tomorrow is #GivingTuesday and we’ll be sharing how our work, our students, and our schools answer that question. Join the conversation to learn how Big Shoulders Fund gives back to our community. #bigshouldersfund #nonprofit #community #definingcommunity #chicagononprofit

From the nearly 25,000 students you help support across the Chicago region and Northwest Indiana, Happy Thanksgiving!