Critical to Catalyst Schools' mission is to envision a life ofmeaning and purpose for all people in a world that is just and peaceful. To advance this ambitious vision, our team is committed to supporting each of our scholars find success once they graduate from our schools. In addition to the mentoring relationship established between each teacher and his or her scholars, Catalyst dedicates staff members at our elementary schools and high school that focus their efforts on helping each scholar determine his or her best next step.
At Catalyst Circle Rock and Catalyst Maria elementary schools, this effort is targeted around ensuring each scholar has an array of high school options from which to choose, and helps each family determine the high school that best matches each scholar’s aspirations and interests. We then follow up with our graduates in high school and assist them and their families navigate their educational journey.
This critical component of the Catalyst mission is lived out at Catalyst Maria High School through the Director of Post-Secondary Success and Post-Secondary Counselors, in addition to the personal mentoring of teachers. Their role is to expose our high school scholars to an array of options after graduation, and to help them discern a path of meaning and purpose and make choices that help them achieve it. While many scholars attend 2- or 4-year colleges and universities, we also provide scholars with alternative post-secondary options. These include a partnership with Urban Alliance (a job internship program linked here); the Chicago Police and fire Training Academy, a 2 year program that provides training for students interested in careers in public safety, law enforcement, criminal justice, and fire science linked here); and the armed forces. To reach out to the Post-Secondary team, please visit the Catalyst Maria Contact page linked here.
The results from 2015-2016 demonstrate Catalyst's success in preparing our scholars for success beyond graduation:
100% Graduation for 8th and 12th Grade at Catalyst Circle Rock and Catalyst Maria
98% of Catalyst Circle Rock graduates remain in high school on track to graduate on-time (CMES had its first 8th Grade graduating class in 2016)
88% of all Catalyst Circle Rock graduates since 2008 have graduated from high school on-time
Catalyst Maria's first 4-year cohort of high school graduates (130 scholars) earned 726 college acceptances and were awarded over $15.6 million dollars in scholarships
A Catalyst School involves the entire family in the education of a child and provides opportunity for the growth and participation of all immediate family members. Additionally, Catalyst partners with various organizations to provide programming to allow scholars to thrive in numerous elements of their education.
90%: average parent attendance at parent meetings
Parents and families are an integral part of the Catalyst Schools mission, with monthly outreach events and informational/recreational opportunities for parents to play an integral role in their scholar’s education. From quarterly Progress Report check-ins to daily interactions with teachers and staff, the education of a Catalyst scholar is one that is facilitated in partnership with families at home and at school.
Catalyst partners with numerous organizations to provide services to scholars both during the instructional school day and after-school. Organizations include:
Ravinia
Circle Urban
Boys and Girls Club
The Maria Kaupas Center
Countdown to College
First Generation Initiative
Concordia Univerity
DePaul University
Dominican University
Lewis University
Chicago Children's Choir
Please visit the Partners page for each campus for campus specific partners.
A Catalyst School believes a sound education is rooted in a supportive and loving community that honors the dignity and value of each individual. Catalyst is passionate about a culture built on right relationship that honors a spirit of faith in one self, faith in each other, and faith in a hopeful future. The Catalyst philosophy emphasizes profound reverence for each student as uniquely gifted; respectful relationships lived in community; high expectations of ourselves and others; treating each other the way we want to be treated; the promotion of justice and peace.
Catalyst expects every member of the community to acquire this interior disposition through reflection and self-awareness in order to model and animate a classroom and school with this belief. This begins firstly with the act of seeing – noticing others and being fully present to them. In the teacher-student relationship, it means recognizing and greeting every child by name and honoring their presence. Above all, it means every community member strives toward right relationship.
Catalyst considers this belief a hallmark of our schools and a critical element in the education of a child.
Scholars at Catalyst are exposed to rigorous academic programming as well as the opportunity to intentionally experience a variety of artistic mediums. Catalyst is committed to providing scholars with exposure to fine art, music, dance, and other opportunities where they are able to nurture their numerous talents. These experiences are provided through the schools’ internal programming and those formed through partnerships with external non-profit organizations. These organizations include the Chicago Children’s Choir, Ravinia Festival, and May I Have This Dance? Ballroom Dancing, The schools’ ballroom dancing teams are four-time champions of the city-wide May I Have This Dance? ballroom dance competition, held annually at the Chicago Cultural Center!
In October 2012, Ravinia Foundation's Women's Board began its sponsorship of the Circle Rockets orchestra at Catalyst Circle Rock. Currently nearly 90 students are members of the largest elementary school African-American symphony orchestra in the country. Teaching is done according to the El Sistema model- when the orchestra was founded in 2012, it was one of four schools implementing this approach nationwide!
Catalyst is committed to creating scholars that will thrive in their 21st Century education and career, and is committed to doing so in part through a robust K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiative and 1:1 iPad implementation
The national organization Project Lead The Way provides rigorous, project-based learning opportunities for scholars to engage Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) concepts, and all Catalyst campuses are partner schools of this organization. Critical elements of PLTW programming are inquiry and project-based learning experiences that drive scholars’ critical thinking skills, as well as frequent use of iPads. Catalyst believes that to prepare scholars for 21st Century college and career success, exposure to STEM concepts and technology is critical.
Please join our efforts as a champion for changing lives at The Catalyst Schools. If you would like to speak with a Catalyst staff member about your donation, please call us at 773-295-7001.
