By: Ashmar Mandou

Brimming with excitement and joy, 95 eighth graders in their caps and gowns graduated from Logan Square’s James Monroe Elementary School on Monday afternoon and are well on their way to 20 different high schools around the city with the help of a unique program, called True School Choice, funded by The Chicago Public Education Fund’s Summer Design Program. Through True School Choice, James Monroe Elementary School created workbooks and encouraged teachers, students, and parents to complete a variety of activities to help guide them in the decision making process as it relates to school. Students engaged in daily one-on-one mentoring sessions. Monroe’s creation of The School Choice was to help students explore all of the different high school options Chicago has to offer.