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
January Data Collaborative - The To&Through Project
Peyton Cunningham will present theoretical frameworks which provide grounding and research support for the most central initiatives at To&Through. Peyton is a Ph.D. Candidate in University of Chicago’s Sociology department and an Institute for Education Sciences Fellow at To&Through.
To&Through Milestones Tool Workshop: Higher Ed Lens
This 90-minute in-person workshop will offer a guided exploration of the To&Through Milestones Tool's new Higher Ed lens. Participants will connect data to their efforts to support CPS students who matriculate to City Colleges of Chicago, using CCC as an example of what's possible with this data.
English Learners in Chicago Public High Schools
The UChicago Consortium on School Research recently published a report examining high school and college outcomes for English Learners in Chicago Public Schools. Join study author Marisa de la Torre (Consortium on School Research) and Rebecca Vonderlack-Navarro (Latino Policy Forum) to learnkey takeaways from the study.
Upcoming Events
January Data Collaborative - The To&Through Project
Peyton Cunningham will present theoretical frameworks which provide grounding and research support for the most central initiatives at To&Through. Peyton is a Ph.D. Candidate in University of Chicago’s Sociology department and an Institute for Education Sciences Fellow at To&Through.
To&Through Milestones Tool Workshop: Higher Ed Lens
This 90-minute in-person workshop will offer a guided exploration of the To&Through Milestones Tool's new Higher Ed lens. Participants will connect data to their efforts to support CPS students who matriculate to City Colleges of Chicago, using CCC as an example of what's possible with this data.
English Learners in Chicago Public High Schools
The UChicago Consortium on School Research recently published a report examining high school and college outcomes for English Learners in Chicago Public Schools. Join study author Marisa de la Torre (Consortium on School Research) and Rebecca Vonderlack-Navarro (Latino Policy Forum) to learnkey takeaways from the study.
February Data Collaborative - Enlace Chicago
Valerie Coffman from Enlace Chicago will present on a report centered on undocumented students. The presentation will also contextualize immigration within the context of Trump administration and change in landscape.
Exploring Chicago Public School’s Black Student Success Plan
The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Black Student Success Plan is a strategic initiative focused on improving daily learning experiences and life outcomes for Black students across Chicago. Join us on February 27th, 2025 at Noon for a two-part webinar exploring Black student success in CPS.
March Data Collaborative - Praxis Institute
The Praxis Institute will present on the evolution of their data sessions to make them engaging and responsive, informed by their learnings after years of leading data collaboratives for Chicago’s youth programs. You can check out the Praxis Institute's recent blog to learn more.
Fausto is the Co-Founder of the Praxis Institute and Josh is a Managing Partner at Praxis.
Using Cultural Wealth to Reframe Community Partnerships
Chicago’s neighborhoods contribute to the vibrancy of our city and play an integral part in shaping the lives of Chicago Public School students.
April Data Collaborative - UChicago Inclusive Economy Lab
Emileigh Harrison and Kelly Hallberg from the UChicago Inclusive Economy Lab will present research on the impact of the Star Scholarship in Chicago, which offers free community college tuition to high school graduates with at least a 3.0 GPA. Using a regression discontinuity design, their findings suggest that free community college increases overall degree attainment without causing students to substitute 4-year degrees for 2-year degrees.
June Data Collaborative - Mikva Challenge
Youth leaders a part of Mikva Challenge's Student Advisory Council will present their work supporting youth civic engagement related to CPS polices.
Past Events
Data Spotlight - Cultivate: Exploring Student Mindsets Through Survey
Join us for a presentation on the Cultivate Survey with Camille Farrington, Director of the Equitable Learning & Development Group at the UChicago Consortium, and Elliot Ransom, Co-CEO of UChicago Impact, as they share a new survey being used across CPS called Cultivate.
To&Through Data Collaborative: The To&Through Project
The To&Through Project team will present on their expanded use of qualitative data and efforts to develop qualitative resources, such as case studies, to inform Chicago practitioners' understanding of college access and success for CPS students.
The Case for Making Chicago’s Selective High Schools and Colleges Less Selective
Join us for a thought-provoking look at studies on selectivity in high school and colleges with University of Chicago To&Through Project Director Alex Seeskin. He will dive deep into existing research and discuss implications for school districts and higher education institutions.
Centering Equity in Organizational Change
Join us for an online panel discussion featuring Rito Martinez, Co-Director of the Truth, Healing, and Equity Fellowship (T.H.E. Fellowship) and Jacquelyn Lemon, CEO of NewRoot Learning Institute. The panel discussion will focus on approaches to beginning and sustaining equity-centered change efforts in organizations that aim to better serve young people of color.
To&Through Data Collaborative: Inclusive Economy Lab and Moneythink
Dr. Chimare Eaglin, Portfolio Manager at the UChicago Inclusive Economy Lab, and Hannah Smith, Director of Education Partnerships at Moneythink, will present on how they are supporting financial literacy and knowledge of college affordability best practices for interns participating in the Milgrom Social Justice Fellowship.
Practice Spotlight: How Meaningful Work Can Improve Middle Grades Outcomes
The To&Through Middle Grades Network (MGN) works to create educational environments where middle schools thrive. Join us to learn about how our MGN partner schools Brighton Park Elementary and Columbia Explorers Academy used a focus on meaningful work to create learning conditions that better meet the needs of their students.
Research & Tool Release: Elementary On-Track
What are the long-term impacts of being on-track in elementary school? Join us for the release of our forthcoming research with the UChicago Consortium and an accompanying, publicly accessible data tool. The research can help elementary educators identify and support students early in their educational journeys by organizing their efforts to improve students’ outcomes.
To&Through Data Collaborative: City Colleges of Chicago
Leaders from City Colleges of Chicago will present on the implementation of population health management strategy to create a predictive analytics algorithm. This algorithm has led to intentional, proactive, and integrative retention student support practices across the City Colleges of Chicago district.
Research Spotlight: College Coaching & the Transition to College
What might be some of the unintended consequences and/or possibilities of college coaching for larger structural change in equitable college access and success? Join us as we update our understanding of the issues impacting recent CPS graduates’ post-secondary outcomes with Dr. Bridgette Davis. Dr. Davis is an Assistant Professor at University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Policy.
15 Years and Counting: Lessons from the Network for College Success
Chicago has seen amazing increases in our high school graduation rates through ninth-grade success systems. How did this happen? What can we leverage from that work in districts nationally? Join this conversation to hear how we can spread and scale education innovations in Chicago across the country. The discussion will feature leaders from the Network for College Success.