Why Waukegan?
Under-served and under-resourced.
Why Waukegan? Untapped Potential. Economic Disinvestments, Educational Inequities, Community Trauma and Toxic Stress have created undue burdens for Waukegan youth & families to achieve their dreams.
Waukegan, Illinois is a town of 88,000 people about 30 miles north of downtown Chicago.
Although it is the largest city and county seat of Lake County, it is one of the most economically depressed areas in the county. There is a sizable immigrant population, and the median household income is 50% of that of the county overall. Only 18% of Waukegan High School graduates meet the requirements for “college readiness.” For one of the top 25 largest student bodies in the country, Waukegan High School has only one part-time college counselor.
It was precisely this set of demographics — low-income families, inadequate public education, households dominated by first-generation, non-English speakers — that prompted the need for our work. We firmly believe that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Waukegan students not reaching their full potential.
Telling Our Story Is Essential
Our biggest challenge remains that of bringing the first-generation students of Waukegan — with all of their potential and barriers — to the forefront. We need to build awareness and tell our story and embrace this community as a priority.
Waukegan students need our support! Only 1 in 9 meets or exceeds expectations in English Language Arts (ELA), 1 in 10 in math, and less than 1 in 5 in science.
