A Better Chicago has announced a $500,000 Challenge Grant to support the expansion of Chicago Scholars’ REACH Pathways initiative into middle schools. The investment aims to help more students in Chicago access college and career readiness resources at an earlier stage.
REACH Pathways is an app launched by Chicago Scholars in 2022 that provides personalized support for students as they prepare for higher education or skilled employment. The app uses a research-based curriculum and gamified skill-building activities, allowing students to plan their educational and career paths with guidance tailored to their needs. Since its launch, over 25,000 Chicago students have joined the platform.
Beth Swanson, CEO of A Better Chicago, stated: “Chicago Scholars has shown the impact of trusted mentorship and evidence-based supports for Chicago high school and college students. We know the middle school to high school transition is a pivotal point where college and career exposure influences long-term outcomes. We are excited to support Chicago Scholars in expanding REACH Pathways to engage middle school students in exploring and planning for college and career pathways.”
Chicago Scholars is a nonprofit organization that helps first-generation and under-resourced students navigate high school and college through mentoring, counseling, leadership development, and career guidance.
The new funding will enable collaboration with High Jump and Project OneTen. High Jump offers academic enrichment programs for seventh- and eighth-grade students from low-income backgrounds. Project OneTen focuses on coaching Black and Latinx boys in ninth grade to improve bachelor’s degree attainment rates. Through these partnerships, REACH Pathways will be integrated into existing programming with a goal of reaching 600 students during the first year.
Additionally, the expanded initiative will include piloting the REACH Generative Skills Tree—an AI-powered tool designed to offer customized learning sequences along with recommendations for colleges or careers based on each student’s interests.
Jeff Beckham, co-founder and CEO of Chicago Scholars, said: “This grant is a celebration of partnership and possibility. We are thrilled to join A Better Chicago in advancing bold solutions for Chicago’s young people. Along with our partners High Jump and Project One Ten, we’re creating lasting pathways to success, leadership, and economic mobility.”
A Better Chicago selected REACH Pathways for its Challenge Grant after evaluating program effectiveness, leadership quality, operational efficiency, and scalability as part of its commitment to supporting organizations that improve postsecondary outcomes for youth experiencing poverty.
Since its founding as a venture philanthropy organization focused on supporting youth opportunity nonprofits in the city, A Better Chicago has provided more than $83 million in unrestricted funding along with management support.
