Chicago Public Schools (CPS) celebrates National Mentoring Month and the ongoing efforts to provide both our students and educators with targeted guidance and support through vital mentorship programs. In recent years, CPS has expanded mentoring opportunities to strengthen teaching and learning practices for both educators and students.

School-Based Mentoring for Students
The Office of School Counseling and Postsecondary Advising (OSCPA) is committed to ensuring all CPS students are equipped to be successful in college, careers and beyond. Mentoring is an effective tool to help students navigate the often steep, and uneven road to adulthood.  CPS aims to provide students with support systems and positive adult relationships needed to thrive and successfully plan their future.  More intensive mentoring programs, like the District’s, “Choose to Change” program, combine trauma-informed therapy with intense wraparound supports to reduce youth violence while improving educational outcomes outside of an institutional setting and serve close to 1,000 students in 27 communities in Chicago’s South and West sides.  

Strengthening the Mentoring Landscape
The District also provides mentoring opportunities for District and school leaders, including the New Principal Institute which connects new with direct peer support via mentor principals who know the ins and outs of one of the most challenging jobs in education. As part of this work, the District hosts Network Advisory Committees which provide opportunities for principals and other school staff to engage with Network leadership, participate in professional development, and connect with colleagues throughout the District.

For more information, visit www.cps.edu