6 Questions with High Jump 8th Grade Students

November 20, 2023 / Comments Off on 6 Questions with High Jump 8th Grade Students
Two students reviewing their work with a teacher

Over the past three decades High Jump has provided over 3,000 academically ambitious middle schoolers of limited economic means with the right resources at the right time, empowering them to thrive in high school, college, and beyond. As the first step of carving out that path to the future, High Jump helps 8th grade scholars…

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The Years that Matter Most

June 23, 2023 / Comments Off on The Years that Matter Most

As we prepare to welcome High Jump’s 35th cohort in just under a week, we wanted to share with you why we believe that the High Jump model works so well. The experiences of our current students and the lives our alumni are now leading speak for themselves in terms of the success of the…

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The Rippling Impact of High Jump 

June 20, 2023 / Comments Off on The Rippling Impact of High Jump 

Over the past 35 years, High Jump has impacted the lives of over 2,900 alums. Beyond middle school, beyond high school, and even beyond college, High Jump sets our scholars up to thrive for the rest of their lives. Because of that, the impact of High Jump doesn’t just end with our alumni themselves; as…

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Thriving in Middle School and Beyond

June 8, 2023 / Comments Off on Thriving in Middle School and Beyond

When a scholar begins their High Jump journeys in the summer after 6th grade, the idea of being in high school can feel worlds away. For many students, the most pressing things are the here and now of middle school and the daunting high school application process. And over the course of two years, High…

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6 Questions with High Jump 7th Grade Students

November 28, 2022 / Comments Off on 6 Questions with High Jump 7th Grade Students

When we work to quantify the impact High Jump has on our students and on Chicago’s educational landscape as a whole, it’s easy for us to give big, high-level stats that show the depth and breadth of our programs: We’re proud of these stats, and even prouder to know the unique stories of every single…

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The Lasting Impact of High Jump

June 13, 2022 / Comments Off on The Lasting Impact of High Jump
Teacher and students in a classroom

After hearing from two students and a teaching assistant currently in High Jump, we want to share with you once again the real and powerful impact of the program as told from the perspective of students who went through it. But this time, we wanted you to hear from two of our alumni who graduated…

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Vision of the future of High Jump

June 8, 2022 / Comments Off on Vision of the future of High Jump

For over 30 years, High Jump has changed the lives of more than 2,500 middle school students in Chicago. While our first cohort in 1989 had just 16 students enrolled, High Jump has grown over the years and now serves more than 285 new students each year through our programs.  After three decades of honing…

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Students Share a Glimpse of What’s Possible with High Jump

May 27, 2022 / Comments Off on Students Share a Glimpse of What’s Possible with High Jump

When we talk about the critical work that High Jump does and the impact that we have on the educational landscape in Chicago, there is of course the cold hard data that backs up the power and success of our work including: 87% of High Jump Scholars graduate from college (compared to 41% of all…

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Rebuilding Confidence, Rebuilding Community

December 1, 2021 / Comments Off on Rebuilding Confidence, Rebuilding Community
student in a class discussion | High Jump Chicago

More than 3,400 high-achieving, low-income students in Chicago enter sixth grade each year. These students have limited means to invest in their education, with long-term implications; middle school performance is highly predictive of a student’s future high school achievement. And research from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute shows that the middle school years are critical…

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Moving Up! and on to New Things

June 14, 2021 / Comments Off on Moving Up! and on to New Things
students at moving up ceremony | High Jump Chicago

Moving Up is the culmination of two years of hard work for students ready to embark on their high school journey. Cohort 31 began the program in 2019, the summer following their 6th-grade year. After putting in the 700 hours of challenging but rewarding work, 157 students graduated from the program this year. Held at…

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