Catalyst Maria was honored to host Illinois State Representative Andre Thapedi today! Representative Thapedi visited Catalyst Maria Project Lead The Way STEM classrooms, as well as Catalyst partner Maria Kaupas Center. Many thanks to Ms. Lopez for coordinating this visit- she is pictured below with Rep. Thapedi, CM parent Ms. Shields, an awesome scholar and Elementary Principal Mrs. Williams below!
Catalyst is a proud partner of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools' (INCS') Charters Achieve May campaign aims to celebrate the charter sector and its many achievements during the month of May! Use the image below to connect to the Charters Achieve webpage and hear the inspiring work of Catalyst and other charters contributions to improving public education in Illinois!
Catalyst is grateful for generous support through two corporate stakeholders- Northrup Grumman funded a STEM proposal by CCR Project Lead The Way teacher Mrs. Carlos and Catalyst Maria was the recipient of a Darden Restaurant Community Grant (specifically from a local Olive Garden)! Congratulations to these school communities and thank you to our corporate supporters!
This week, Catalyst Circle Rock hosted the Honorable Judge Jackie Portman on campus to preside over the school’s first mock trial! This event was the culmination of months of practice of a group led by Ms. McDowell, Ms. Wilkie and many other CCR staff members! The lawyers in the case were CCR Mock Trial Club scholar members, with CCR staff doing an excellent job as witnesses for the prosecution and defense! Judge Portman is pictured below-great work scholars and staff!
The nation's largest cross-sector network of urban schools, Schools That Can, accepted Catalyst Maria into their organization this week! Schools That Can connects leaders and shares innovative practices to advance school improvement and expand quality urban education across the nation. Catalyst Maria will join the Schools That Can Chicago cohort (a network that includes Catalyst Circle Rock!) and will be formally introduced into the network at the STC National Forum in two weeks in Los Angeles! Congratulations to the Catalyst Maria team on this accomplishment!
