Graduate Support

Students attend the Catalyst Schools from kindergarten through eighth grade, but this is simply the first chapter in a student’s membership in the Catalyst community. Our commitment to each student extends through high school and beyond — a commitment that we have crystallized in our Graduate Support Program.

Catalyst’s Graduate Support Program prepares its students for success in high school, college, and beyond. Through a combination of in-school programming, mentorship, and community partnerships, we aim to equip students with the knowledge and life skills that will give them an edge as they move on to new stages of their educational careers.

The Graduate Support Program operates in two phases. The first phase encompasses the years prior to each student’s eighth-grade graduation from Catalyst. During this time, students engage in wide-ranging activities intended to improve their financial know-how, career awareness, and life skills. In addition, seventh and eighth grade students work with graduate support counselors to assess their options among Chicago’s high schools and to prepare for the transition from Catalyst to high school. This includes assistance with entrance exams, applications, essays, and scholarships.

The second phase of Catalyst’s Graduate Support Program begins the day a student receives a Catalyst diploma. We recognize that high school and college may present new, unfamiliar, or disorienting challenges, and we want our graduates to know that they will not need to face those challenges alone. Whether looking for specific assistance while applying to college or seeking broad advice on coping with the demands of a high school curriculum, our students know that the Graduate Support Program is here to help. Our mantra is simple: Once part of the Catalyst family, always part of the Catalyst family.