Give and we’ll donate supplies to a South Side neighbor in need.
The University of Chicago sits in the heart of of the South Side of Chicago. As a University of motivated students, staff and faculty, we’re in a unique position to contribute to the community from which we benefit. It’s the same community that educated Gwendolyn Brooks, holds the only Illinois state park within Chicago and is featured in countless TV shows and movies like Sense8, Chicago Fire, and Shameless.
But with the pandemic, we know that many residents of the South Side of Chicago are disproportionately affected by food insecurity and unemployment. This is where we can step up. We’ve partnered with the UChicago Office of Civic Engagement to offer you a way to support our South Side neighbors. Give any amount to any of these funds that support the Nine Neighborhoods (Douglas, Grand Boulevard, Greater Grand Crossing, Hyde Park, Kenwood, Oakland, South Shore, Washington Park, and Woodlawn) and Senior Class Gift will donate supplies to a local organization in need.
How to give:
- Pick an organization or program to donate to. See some suggestions below!
- Go the Senior Class Gift giving page and find the fund in the dropdown menu. If you don’t see your chosen organization, select “I’d like to enter my own designation” and type the name of your chosen organization in the box titled “Designation Name.”
- Enter your billing information.
- In the “Special Instructions” box, enter code 9NN. Your donation will go directly to your chosen fund.
UChicago Funds Supporting the South Side
Advocacy
| Southside Solidarity Network | Increased transparency and accountability of the University of Chicago’s budgetary priorities on campus and their impacts in surrounding communities |
Arts
| South Side Free Music Program | Reaches as many students as possible in order to help build positive community relationships and spread our love of music |
| Southside Scribblers | Gets kids excited about being creative, excited about writing, and excited about creative writing |
| Arts + Public Life | Provides platforms for artists and access to arts programming through artist residencies, arts education, creative entrepreneurship, and artist-led programs and exhibitions. |
Community
| Office of Civic Engagement | OCE strengthens community organizations and small businesses, improves access to education, and connects residents to jobs —all with the goal of advancing economic and social progress in our neighboring communities and the city as a whole. |
| Phoenix Care | Connects students with hospice care centers, giving students the opportunity to partake in meaningful community service while simultaneously providing patients and families with care, companionship, and support |
| L1 Creative Business Accelerator | The new L1 creative business accelerator is a shared storefront retail space and collaborative learning opportunity for creative entrepreneurs. |
Disability
| Students for Disability Justice | Brings support groups and mentorship, disability activism, discussion, and community engagement to UChicago and the greater Chicago community |
| Phoenix Care | Connects students with hospice care centers, giving students the opportunity to partake in meaningful community service while simultaneously providing patients and families with care, companionship, and support |
Education
| Bridge to College |
Helps underserved Chicago Public School high school students develop a stronger working knowledge of what college and the application process entails by bringing them to campus for College Days and our mentorship program.
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| Comer Tutors |
Organizes and trains tutors who will provide academic services to inpatients at the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital
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| Friends of Washington Park |
Assists children, K-12, with their academics through tutoring services, homework assistance, and other curriculum enrichment supplements
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| LegUp |
Mentors high school students and help them apply to college
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| Media Literacy Project |
Teaches young people how to critically investigate the origins, motives, and implications of the media
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| Neighbors | Offers weekly volunteer opportunities like mentoring and tutoring at the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club (HPNC) and Kenwood Academy, as well as service events throughout the year |
| Phoenix Tutoring |
Offers free tutoring service to the Hyde Park community and Chicago Public School students
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| Splash! Chicago |
Introduces students from different walks of life to topics that aren’t approached in the traditional classroom
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| Strive Tutoring |
Provides a positive culture as well as academic, social and emotional support in one-to-one and small group settings in our after-school and Summer programming
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| Supplies for Dreams |
Helps students gain the general mindset and skill set they will need to succeed at anything they want to pursue in life
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| Whatever It Takes |
Levels the playing field in test prep by offering free SAT and ACT prep courses to Chicago-area high school students
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| igniteCS |
Promotes STEM education in the Hyde Park and Woodlawn neighborhoods
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| Science 4 Kids |
Utilizes NextGeneration standards to craft interactive lessons and activities in order to make science and health accessible and fun to students in the Hyde park and South Side communities
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| TriSCI |
Gets elementary school-aged girls from low-income communities interested in STEM in an effort to combat the gender and socioeconomic divides in those fields in Chicago by partnering with local schools and community centers
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| Moneythink |
Promotes financial capability for under-resourced teens
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| On a Mission for Nutrition |
Addresses the obesity disparity on the South Side of Chicago
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| New Americans UChicago |
Tutors Chicago residents seeking to take the U.S.
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Food and Shelter Security
| Food Recovery Network |
Addresses environmental justice and food insecurity by recovering leftover food on campus for local shelters and community centers Chicago
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| Homeless Food Run | Provides food, clothing, and resources to Chicago’s homeless and working poor; and two, to instill a concern for the poor in the lives of college students |
Health
| Bridgeport Free Clinic |
Provides drop-in medical care for the uninsured community of Bridgeport
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| Community Health Initiative |
Provides wellness, reflection, and educational events at the shelter
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| Pediatric Health and Wellness Initiative |
Provides free medical care to uninsured or underinsured pediatric patients from underserved Southside communities
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| Peer Health Exchange |
Helps address an unmet need for health education in Chicago Public Schools
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Immigration
| New Americans UChicago |
Tutors Chicago residents seeking to take the U.S.
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| Partnership for the Advancement of Refugee Rights (PARR) |
Raises awareness of the issues refugees face in the United States and globally, work with refugee families in the greater Chicago area, and advocate for political change both nationally and globally
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Women
| Women and Youth Supporting Each Other |
(1) Provides middle school girls with the resources and support necessary to make informed decisions about relationships, sexual health, and their futures. (2) Provides college women with the skills and insight necessary to become life-long advocates for expanding opportunities for all women. (3) Provides a national network of support and friendship between young women working towards positive changes in their communities
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Don’t see you UChicago organization on this list? Email seniorclassgift@uchicago.edu.
