The Chicago Public School system is the nations third largest school district, serving over 322,000 students in more than 630 schools. The sheer scale and complexity of the Chicago Public School system renders it opaque to the general public, where stories of its successes and resilience remain untold. This project shows the power of public education in Chicago. We produce artworks providing a unique window in to the Chicago Public School system, generating support and reinforcing belief in the Chicago Public School mission; “to provide a high-quality public education for every child in every neighborhood”.

The Chicago Public School system is the nations third largest school district, serving over 350,000 students in more than 660 schools. The sheer scale and complexity of the Chicago Public School system renders it opaque to the general public, where stories of its successes and resilience remain untold. This project shows the power of public education in Chicago. We produce artworks providing a unique window in to the Chicago Public School system, generating support and reinforcing belief in the Chicago Public School mission; “To provide a high-quality public education for every child in every neighborhood”.

CPS Lives is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization that pairs Chicago artists, designers, creatives, thinkers, makers, and educators with a Chicago Public School during the academic year to collaborate on a project, sharing the unique and individual story of each Chicago Public School. Each story will be celebrated and exhibited through local Chicago Public Library branches, as well as existing on the CPS Lives website as an accessible digital archive of history for students, families, community members, educators, administrators, policymakers, & the general public.