• Strong academic preparation
• Intensive application assistance and college advising, with focus on college match and fit
• Comprehensive college-going culture
• Pre-college experiences and college visits
• Focus on ‘summer melt’ and transition to college
• Access to postsecondary courses while in high school/dual enrollment

• Retention and support for students persisting through college and earning a 2- or 4-year degree
• Intrusive and comprehensive advising, both academic and nonacademic advising (e.g., time management, study skills, connecting to resources, helping students acclimate, fostering a sense of belonging and self-efficacy)
• Connections to campus resources
• Redesign of developmental education (e.g., corequisite models)
• Use of data to identify and direct interventions to students most likely to drop out

• Support for students who alternate between or combine periods of education/training and employment, progressively building toward college and career success
• Emphasis on stackable credentials with economic value
• Partnerships between employers, high schools, and higher education institutions to educate, train, support, and locate employment for individuals
• Occupation-specific pathways for contextualized learning; industry sector focus is informed by labor market information and regional economic goals
• Progressive design, where participants advance within a career cluster and/or can efficiently transition to continuing education
• Career-focused instruction relates to real-life situations and integrates academic and technical content with professional skills

• Comprehensive advising on wide range of options (e.g., college, career, progressive pathways)
• Early career exposure and professional and non-cognitive skill-building
• Helping students get quality first jobs through building skills, experience, and social capital
• Connecting students to internships and job opportunities
• Connecting higher education institutions and college access/completion organizations to employers

• Mentoring and supportive adult relationships; high-touch, frequent, individualized, and relationship-driven advising
• Peer group support and mentoring; creating and sustaining student cohorts
• Transition coaching; seamless ‘handoff’ between high school and college, extended support into college and beyond
• Family engagement and education
• Ongoing financial counseling for students and families; access to emergency funds
• Developing social and emotional learning/nonacademic skills
• Accurate and system-wide data tracking system to evaluate outcomes, with focus on equity
• Strong and collaborative relationships between nonprofits, high schools, and postsecondary institutions
• Provide or connect students to wraparound supports, especially for those facing basic needs insecurity

• Grants in the Education program are made to organizations that work only within the city limits of Chicago and Los Angeles.
• The Foundation supports organizations providing direct service and programs, as well as applied research intended to develop or improve evidence-based programming.
• Our grantmaking supports the efforts of nonprofit organizations; individual public schools in Chicago and Los Angeles; CPS and LAUSD; institutions of higher education; or any of the above working together in collaboration.
• We are interested in supporting high quality programs that achieve meaningful outcomes for students; in finding systemic, innovative solutions that promote collaboration among stakeholders; and in engaging in deep relationships with grantees.