About the Nonprofit
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Our Mission
Our mission is to provide students with a rigorous and relevant education, based on the ethical principles of A Disciplined Life®, preparing them for life in a changing world and helping them further become intellectually reflective, caring and ethical people engaged in a meaningful life.
Our Approach
At Perspectives, our students are intelligent, compassionate, and driven. We aim to grow ethical leaders by living A Disciplined Life® in our Southside Chicago communities.
Academic Rigor
We teach challenging and relevant college preparatory curriculum that deepens critical thinking. We personalize instruction and leverage technology to drive student growth, while also using project based learning to develop problem solving skills.
Social Emotional Learning
Our 26 principles of A Disciplined Life® guide our actions and performance, building a culture of trust, curiosity and achievement. Each week, students engage in 180 minutes of social emotional learning to further develop positive self-perception, healthy relationships, and the tools for productivity.
Experiential Opportunities
We use the city as our classroom. Our students access opportunities and cultivate agency through field studies, community action initiatives, and career shadowing. We partner with leading universities, corporations and foundations to create meaningful experiences for students.
Our Story
Perspectives was created by two Chicago Public School teachers who believed that character development and academic achievement are interrelated. Together, they built an innovative holistic education model combining academic rigor, social-emotional learning, and experiential opportunities into a curriculum they created called A Disciplined Life®. In 1997, Perspectives became one of the first charter schools in Illinois. Today, Perspectives manages five open enrollment, tuition-free public schools serving students in grades 6-12 in the communities of Auburn Gresham, Bronzeville, Chatham and South Loop.