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
March | City Colleges of Chicago
DATE CHANGE: Now Tuesday 3/10 at 2pm (changed from 3/17) In FY25, in response to both rising student need and looming federal program cuts, the City Colleges of Chicago launched the Thrive Strategy: an ambitious system-wide commitment to making basic needs support—spanning food security, housing, mental health, emergency grants, and technology—an integral part of the CCC experience.
April Data Collaborative | UChicago UTEP
The UChicago Urban Teacher Education Program (UTEP) will present on a current UTEP project. More details forthcoming. Tinishia Legaux Washington is the Director of UTEP and Kay Fujiyoshi is an Induction Coach and Instructor for UTEP.
May Data Collaborative | Chi-Rise
Erin Estrada and Kate Cronin will present on Chi-Rise's use of program level student data and counselor insights to drive a rigorous college list building process during the 2025-26 academic year. This process brings together multiple quantitative and qualitative data sources across the program's Finance, Fit, Finish trajectory. Erin Estrada is the Chi Rise Program Officer at Crown Family Philanthropies, and Kate Cronin is the Data and Strategy Analyst at Crown Family Philanthropies.
Upcoming Events
March | City Colleges of Chicago
DATE CHANGE: Now Tuesday 3/10 at 2pm (changed from 3/17) In FY25, in response to both rising student need and looming federal program cuts, the City Colleges of Chicago launched the Thrive Strategy: an ambitious system-wide commitment to making basic needs support—spanning food security, housing, mental health, emergency grants, and technology—an integral part of the CCC experience.
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 in this virtual workshop to practice finding and communicating insights from the Milestones Tool and share potential actions we want to take with that data.
Who should attend?
April Data Collaborative | UChicago UTEP
The UChicago Urban Teacher Education Program (UTEP) will present on a current UTEP project. More details forthcoming. Tinishia Legaux Washington is the Director of UTEP and Kay Fujiyoshi is an Induction Coach and Instructor for UTEP.
May Data Collaborative | Chi-Rise
Erin Estrada and Kate Cronin will present on Chi-Rise's use of program level student data and counselor insights to drive a rigorous college list building process during the 2025-26 academic year. This process brings together multiple quantitative and qualitative data sources across the program's Finance, Fit, Finish trajectory. Erin Estrada is the Chi Rise Program Officer at Crown Family Philanthropies, and Kate Cronin is the Data and Strategy Analyst at Crown Family Philanthropies.
To&Through 2025-26 Data Collaborative In-Person Celebration
Come mix and mingle with our T&T Data Collaborative community and hear how folks have implemented feedback this year. In-Person!
Past Events
(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.
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.