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L AT I N S C H O O L O F C H I C A G O
"We want this to be a school
where service is embedded in
our ethos, where it is an organic
part of our curriculum."
– Sarah Bunger
e committee
concluded that
a long-term
partnership with a
community where
there are a diversity
of needs would
allow the school
to build a sustainable program, rich with
opportunities for faculty in all three divisions
to integrate community engagement with
their curriculum. Uptown was a logical choice
because of proximity and because Latin already
had some longstanding relationships in the
neighborhood with McCutcheon Elementary
School, where middle school students have
had reading buddies since 1996, and Uptown
Baptist Church Soup Kitchen, where families
have participated in the school's Martin
Luther King Day of Service for more than
a decade. As one of the city's most diverse
neighborhoods with a large population of
recent immigrants, Uptown also offered
great learning opportunities.
Over the last two years, Latin has
partnered with community groups,
schools, shelters, soup kitchens and
organizations that serve children,
the elderly and people with
disabilities in a variety of ways.
e ties to McCutcheon and
support from the 46th ward
alderman's office helped the
school gain a foothold. Personal
connections that Latin
families, faculty and
staff brought with
them broadened
Latin's reach.
Parents, in
particular,
have supported
the partnership
by inviting Latin to
join volunteer efforts in
the community in which they
were already involved.
Uptown Partnership
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