Community High School District 218 last week launched a mentorship program in partnership with the nonprofit Common Ground Foundation to support the development of 35 male students.
Students coming into District 218 high schools — Eisenhower in Blue Island, Richards in Oak Lawn and Shepard in Palos Heights — will take part in monthly mentorship sessions organized by the Common Ground Foundation over four years. They will also be involved in community service and take educational trips to places including Washington, D.C., and tour historically Black colleges and universities, district officials said in a news release. The district will also engage parents and caregivers of the participating students, “to create a strong support network,” officials said.
The initial enrollees were recommended for the program by administrators at District 218’s partner schools, based on academic performance and interest. Officials said a waiting list has been established for those who have interest in joining.
According to the nonprofit’s website, the Common Ground Foundation was established by rapper and actor Common and his mother in 2012, and has since helped mentor more than 500 high school students. Common was born on the South Side of Chicago and attended Luther South High School near Evergreen Park.
“More than just donating money, they wanted to have their hands in shaping our future leaders,” the foundation’s website states.
The Common Ground Foundation’s Window of Opportunity Academy program at Eisenhower, Richards and Shepard high schools aims to address challenges high school freshmen face and help them become successful students, engaging teachers, parents, mentors and others in the students’ communities, officials said. The program was first tested at Art in Motion in Chicago and was replicated at University High School in Los Angeles, according to the nonprofit.
The volunteer mentors guiding the district’s first cohort include Eisenhower High School Dean of Students Diego Alatorre, Shepard High School school counselor Simeon Shama and Shepard High School paraprofessional Camille Tunstall.
“They are doing this without being paid because they want to be a part of the solution,” Danita Allen, District 218 director of equity and community relations, said in the district’s news release.
District 218 kicked off the program at Lyric Theater in Blue Island Tuesday, with Superintendent Josh Barron saying the nonprofit “will help unlock the incredible futures we know our students are destined for.” The event included testimonies from alumni of the Window of Opportunity Academy program about how the Common Ground Foundation helped them succeed into adulthood.
“This collaboration represents a shared commitment to investing deeply in the potential right here in this room,” Barron said.
More Top Picks Best Infrared Sauna Blankets