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
September Data Collaborative | To&Through Project Family Story Series
As one parent of a first generation college student named “it’s not just sending our child, but rather a representative of a whole family.” In this session we will share our qualitative resource: Family Stories, a series dedicated to centering the expertise of parents of first generation college students as they create and pursue their postsecondary goals. We’ll share early drafts of our upcoming series centering Gage Park parents and ideas on next steps for the project.
To&Through Milestones Tool 101 Workshop
In this 90-minute introductory and interactive workshop, participants will dive into the To&Through's online public data tool, which shows CPS students’ outcomes on key academic metrics from the sixth grade through college. You’ll understand our specific philosophy on data use, learn about the different “lenses” of available CPS outcomes data, and how the Milestones Tool can (and can’t) be helpful in your work to strengthen student pathways to and through college.
October Data Collaborative | The Learning Partnership
Steven McGee, President, and Randi McGee-Tekula, Vice President, of The Learning Partnership will present on The Learning Partnership’s research on computer science education in CPS. Their work is part of the Chicago Alliance for Equity in Computer Science (CAFÉCS), which is a partnership with CPS, DePaul University, Loyola University, University of Illinois Chicago, City Colleges of Chicago, and Partner to Improve.
Upcoming Events
September Data Collaborative | To&Through Project Family Story Series
As one parent of a first generation college student named “it’s not just sending our child, but rather a representative of a whole family.” In this session we will share our qualitative resource: Family Stories, a series dedicated to centering the expertise of parents of first generation college students as they create and pursue their postsecondary goals. We’ll share early drafts of our upcoming series centering Gage Park parents and ideas on next steps for the project.
To&Through Milestones Tool 101 Workshop
In this 90-minute introductory and interactive workshop, participants will dive into the To&Through's online public data tool, which shows CPS students’ outcomes on key academic metrics from the sixth grade through college. You’ll understand our specific philosophy on data use, learn about the different “lenses” of available CPS outcomes data, and how the Milestones Tool can (and can’t) be helpful in your work to strengthen student pathways to and through college.
October Data Collaborative | The Learning Partnership
Steven McGee, President, and Randi McGee-Tekula, Vice President, of The Learning Partnership will present on The Learning Partnership’s research on computer science education in CPS. Their work is part of the Chicago Alliance for Equity in Computer Science (CAFÉCS), which is a partnership with CPS, DePaul University, Loyola University, University of Illinois Chicago, City Colleges of Chicago, and Partner to Improve.
November Data Collaborative | HEAR Scholarship Foundation
Vera Pollina, Executive Director, and Laury Wolf, Program Manager, of the HEAR Scholarship Foundation will present on gathering scholar data to drive programming opportunities. They will share about the early stages of surveying their college freshman cohort to determine the unique needs for support in a changing college landscape.
To&Through Milestones Tool Superuser Workshop
Calling all To&Through Milestones Tool fans! Want to delve deeper into the hidden features of the Tool that only superusers know about, and collaborate around use cases for the Tool and the CPS student outcomes data found there? Join us for this virtual workshop to practice finding and communicating insights from the Milestones Tool and share potential actions to take with that data.
December Data Collaborative | CPS and Civic Consulting Alliance
From May 2025 to June 2026, Chicago Public Schools (CPS), in partnership with Civic Consulting Alliance, convened a diverse working group of school leaders, teachers, counselors, partners, and central office staff to develop a middle school strategy and plan that builds upon current initiatives as a key postsecondary success commitment.
Past Events
Inquiry and Action Workshop: To&Through Milestones Tool
This 90-minute in person workshop will allow participants to explore the To&Through Milestone Tool and learn how the data on the tool can be used to inform the support efforts of Chicago Public Schools students on their paths to high school and college completion. Participants will have the opportunity to work side by side with To&Through Tool Experts to explore the Milestones Tool, learn helpful navigation strategies, and practice sharing findings that can inform their work to support CPS students.
To&Through Data Collaborative: CPS Alumni Support Initiative
Jenny Zuluaga will present on the CPS Alumni Support Initiative that ensures CPS graduates connect and persist in their postsecondary pathways of choice and aims to grow the CPS alumni champion community. Jenny is the Director of Alumni Persistence and Success, in the Office of School Counseling and Postsecondary Advising (OSCPA) at Chicago Public Schools.
To&Through Data Collaborative: Cristo Rey Network
Stephanie Arias and Bianca Paiz will present the Cristo Rey Network's national college decision making framework and seek input on their data tracker, containing over ten thousand award letters and college decisions from across 38 high schools in 24 states. Stephanie is the Vice President of College Initiatives and Bianca is the Director of College Initiatives for the Cristo Rey Network.
Building Your Data Story: To&Through Tool Workshop
This 90-minute virtual workshop will allow participants to explore the To&Through Milestone Tool and learn how the data on the tool can be used to craft data stories that can help articulate equity opportunities, inform responses to the data, and communicate strategies to take action. Whether you’re familiar with the Milestones Tools and want to take your data practice to the next level or are brand new to the Tools, this session is for you.
To&Through Data Collaborative: Praxis Institute
Fausto Lopez and Joshua Prudowsky will present on the Praxis Institute's evaluation of 2022 One Summer Chicago an enrichment youth programming, where nearly 25,000 Chicago youth participated with in-person programming for the first time in two years. Their presentation will focus on Praxis Institute's efforts to democratize evaluation for nearly 100 community-based organizations, their continuous quality improvement process, and lessons learned. Fausto is the Co-Founder of the Praxis Institute and Josh serves as the Director of Program Development & Impact.
Annual Update on the Educational Attainment of CPS Students
On February 9th, 2023 at Noon CST, the To&Through Project and UChicago Consortium will share their newest report on the 2021 Educational Attainment of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Students. Researchers will provide a picture of educational attainment during the 2020-2021 school year for students of different race/ethnicity groups, students who began as English Learners, and students with disabilities. Presenters include Jenny Nagaoka, Deputy Director of the UChicago Consortium on School Research, and Shelby Mahaffie, Research Analyst II at the To&Through Project.
(UPDATE) To&Through Data Collaborative: Matt Muench - P33
Matt Muench will present on the TechChicago Equity Index, Chicagoland's first effort to understand the full picture of what it will take to make Chicago the most inclusive tech city in the country. Matt is the Chief Impact Officer at P33.
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.