From a tiny basketball league to an organization serving thousands of students, CAAEL offers hope and transformation to communities supporting alternative schools.
Expanding the Village: the Impact of CAAEL’s student-centered innovations
Category: chicago
An Empowering Event : Impact Story
On a chilly October afternoon, warm house lights and crimson crushed velvet seats welcomed attendees into Victory Gardens Theater on Lincoln Avenue. A set piece of uncertain completeness filled the performance space. Two-stories of weathered paneling, flanked on either side by its exposed frame of two-by-fours. At the edge of the stage: a semicircle of…
Scholar Story | Lena
Lena, GLP 2017 Lena’s story is part of a project entitled “Scholar Stories.” Please see this project’s portfolio page for more details and additional stories in this series. “My finger hurts,” Lena said, in an earnest yet ill-conceived attempt to justify why she was awake – again. Up past 3 a.m. – again. And surrounded by…
Defining the Problem; Envisioning a Solution
Originally included in Empowering Innovators, 2018. At the Global Leaders Program, we believe Chicago-area youth possess the innate ability to create great change, and through the program, we cultivate the natural talent and capacity for innovation of Chicago's underserved populations. Specifically, we aim to increase access and resources for those from backgrounds historically underrepresented in STEM:…
Scholar Story | Stacy
Stacy, 2015 Stacy's story is part of a project entitled “Scholar Stories.” Please see this project’s portfolio page for more details and additional stories in this series. “Stacy, finish your food!” her dad exclaims in Cantonese, the dominant tongue in this North Side Chicago household of Asian diaspora elders and first-generation American offspring. Stacy’s story begins far…
Story Listening
Stories make strategies and policies personal. The experiences and circumstances of real people serve to humanize contentious political discourse and give weight to larger trends. I’m passionate about crafting similar narratives and learning experiences, sharing these opportunities for growth and understanding, and contributing to lasting change in our world. My voice is an amplifier; I look forward to handing others the mic.