The To&Through Project’s events are intended for a diverse cross-section of education leaders and partners from the K-12, higher education, nonprofit, and civic communities. Presenters and panelists come together to share new research findings as well as share ideas and strategies for helping Chicago’s under-resourced students succeed in high school and college. The To&Through Project also hosts monthly Data Collaboratives designed to elevate and promote dialogue around new and emerging work focused on applying data to youth development efforts. You can watch recordings of our previous events on YouTube.
Events
Featured Events
Middle Grades to College: High School Views on Building Foundations for Postsecondary Success
The CPS Office of School Counseling and Postsecondary Advising and Success Bound will join the To&Through Middle Grades Network to host a panel of high school practitioners who will share advice on how to best support middle grades students in the transition to high school and the foundational skills necessary for postsecondary success. This session is geared towards elementary school practitioners supporting middle grades students and those interested in strengthening the connection between the middle grades and postsecondary success.
Annual Middle Grades Network Celebration of Learning
Join us to celebrate the remarkable work of partner schools in the To&Through Middle Grades Network (MGN) at our annual celebration of learning. This virtual celebration will feature reflections from our MGN schools on their overall MGN experience, breakout sessions highlighting change ideas tested by schools, highlights from the MGN Student Fellowship.
To&Through Milestones Tool 101: Exploring CPS Student Outcomes Data
In this 90 minute introductory workshop, participants will dive into the To&Through's online public data tool that shows CPS students' outcomes on key academic metrics from the sixth grade through college. You'll understand T&T's specific philosophy on data use, learn about the different “lenses” of available CPS outcomes data, and how this Tool can (and can't) be helpful in your work of strengthening student pathways to and through college.
Upcoming Events
Annual Middle Grades Network Celebration of Learning
Join us to celebrate the remarkable work of partner schools in the To&Through Middle Grades Network (MGN) at our annual celebration of learning. This virtual celebration will feature reflections from our MGN schools on their overall MGN experience, breakout sessions highlighting change ideas tested by schools, highlights from the MGN Student Fellowship.
To&Through Milestones Tool 101: Exploring CPS Student Outcomes Data
In this 90 minute introductory workshop, participants will dive into the To&Through's online public data tool that shows CPS students' outcomes on key academic metrics from the sixth grade through college. You'll understand T&T's specific philosophy on data use, learn about the different “lenses” of available CPS outcomes data, and how this Tool can (and can't) be helpful in your work of strengthening student pathways to and through college.
May Data Collaborative - Noble Schools
D. Nigel Green & Tyler Portis will present on Noble Schools’ Campus Equity Story dashboard, a newly introduced data tool that measures which campus subgroups have experiences furthest from “promised” goals within the Family, Staff, and Student communities. This dashboard takes information from multiple data tools to narrow the focus to where strategic planning could be better focused. D. Nigel Green is Senior Director of Equity and Tyler Portis is Senior Data Analyst within Noble Schools.
Partnership for College Completion’s College Transfer Report
The Partnership for College Completion will present findings from their recent report, Seamless Success: Transforming College Transfer for Greater Equity, which delves into the barriers faced by transfer students in Illinois, with a focus on community college students striving to transfer to four-year institutions. Informed by student perspectives, the report highlights challenges such as financial stress, administrative burdens, and inequities in transfer pathways, which disproportionately impact students from low-income backgrounds and students of color.
June Data Collaborative - Mikva Challenge
Mikva Challenge's Student Advisory Councial youth will present their Student-Led Local School Council (LSC) Toolkit, which is explicitly designed for student representatives. The toolkit will cover: building confidence; public speaking tips; leadership empowerment strategies; effective communication with teachers, administrators, and peers; conflict resolution and finding common ground; resources on LSC student member voting privileges; ways to elevate student voice in LSC meetings.
The To&Through Project: Kegs & Cases
Join the To&Through Project for our third annual Kegs & Cases at Cruz Blanca Taproom. We will share our latest Learning Case– a qualitative look at the experiences of Diverse Learner students as they navigate decision making, enrollment, and persistence at their chosen post-secondary pathways. Come participate in a facilitated case learning experience, meet & collaborate with stakeholders supporting CPS students, and network with our To&Through community over beers and snacks!
Past Events
November Data Collaborative - T&T Student Stories
The To&Through Project team will present on their expansion of the Student Stories initiative. These stories aim to humanize quantitative To&Through findings by zooming in on individual CPS student journeys to highlight the successes, challenges, and complexities that exist across the many post secondary pathways chosen by CPS graduates.
Inquiry and Action Workshop: To&Through Milestones Tool
Join the To&Through team as we explore new 2022 data on our To&Through Milestone Tool! This 90-minute in-person workshop will allow participants to explore the To&Through Milestone Tool and learn how the data can be used to inform the support efforts of Chicago Public Schools students on their paths to high school and college completion.
October Data Collaborative - Black Researchers Collective
Dr. Glenance Green and Shari Runner will present on the Black Researchers Collective's efforts to train and equip communities with the research tools to be more civically engaged and policy informed. Glenance and Shari are the co-founders of the Black Researcher Collective.
Annual Update on the Educational Attainment of CPS Students
On Thursday, October 12th, 2023 at 12pm, the To&Through Project and UChicago Consortium will share their newest report on the 2022 Educational Attainment of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Students, which highlights the success of CPS students pursuing college degrees and opportunities gaps that still exist to make college success an accessible option for all CPS students.
To&Through Research Spotlight: The State of Adolescent Mental Health
As students re-enter school buildings this fall, we know that mental health challenges are on the rise for adolescents and we need to show up to support the well-being of young people in our communities. Dr. Jorge Verlenden (Behavioral Health Scientist at the Division of Adolescent and School Health at the CDC) will share the CDC's latest research on the current state of mental health for adolescents in the United States and in Chicago, including disparities in mental health within specific student populations.
September Data Collaborative - UtmostU
Shayna Balting (Data Narrator) and David Bennett (Assoc ED) will present on UtmostU’s use of monthly college student survey data to shape post-secondary coach interventions as part a larger system of post-secondary supports. The UtmostU network supports 16 schools and CBO’s, and over 1,000 Chicago-area college students through a shared tech platform, community learning, and resource collaboration.
August Data Collaborative - Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative
Dr. Sarah Cashdollar will present IWERC’s research on access to dual credit coursework in the state of Illinois. Dr. Cashdollar is Associate Director of IWERC Research, Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative, University of Illinois.
Inquiry and Action Workshop: To&Through Milestones Tool
Join the To&Through team as we explore new 2022 data on our To&Through Milestone Tool! This 90-minute in-person workshop will allow participants to explore the To&Through Milestone Tool and learn how the data can be used to inform the support efforts of Chicago Public Schools students on their paths to high school and college completion.
To&Through Data Collaborative: Chicago Scholars
Derrick Fleming and Alberto Morales will present how Chicago Scholars is working to improve male scholars' college graduation rates by building on their college access, success, and leadership development model and leveraging the expertise of other youth mentoring nonprofits. Derrick is the Managing Director of Strategic Engagement for Chicago Scholars and Alberto is the Founder of Morales Consulting.
Kegs and Cases: To&Through Learning and Networking Event
It’s been a long time since the To&Though Community has gotten together in person and we are excited to see you! Come to engage with our new qualitative data experience: Learning Cases! You’ll have the opportunity to read our newest learning case on post-secondary counseling and then discuss the tensions and questions it raises with peers. There will be time to network and catch up with friends and colleagues. First round is on us!