Urban Prep Academies

Urban Prep Academies (also known as Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men or simply Urban Prep) is a nonprofit organization that operated three free open-enrollment public all-male college-preparatory high schools in Chicago. Founded in 2002, and receiving its first charter approval from Chicago Public Schools in 2005, it operates the first all-male public charter high school in the United States. The network opened a second campus in 2009 and a third in August 2010. From 2010 to 2019, 100% of the seniors in the school's graduating classes were admitted to four-year colleges or universities. In 2023 its charter was revoked over misconduct allegations and Chicago Public Schools moved to take over its campuses. The decision is controversial and is being contested in court.

In 2002, a group of African-American civic, business, and education leaders, organized by former Hales Franciscan High School President Tim King, determined to establish a new high school in Chicago focused on providing a strong, college-preparatory high school option for boys in under-served African-American communities. African-American males had been, and continue to be, the lowest-performing demographic in Chicago Public Schools. A University of Chicago study published in 2006 reported that only one in 40 African-American boys in Chicago Public Schools will eventually graduate from a 4-year university. The Chicago Board of Education approved Urban Prep Academies' charter application in 2005, and Urban Prep opened its first school, Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men — Englewood Campus, the subsequent September. It is the first charter high school for boys in the country and currently enrolls 460 students in grades 9–12.

Urban Prep's second school opened in the East Garfield Park community in 2009, and moved to the near west side of the city in 2011. Urban Prep's third campus, serving the historic Bronzeville community, opened in 2010. Based on its success thus far, Urban Prep plans to open more schools in the Chicago area and in other low-performing urban centers. Approximately 85% of Urban Prep students are low-income and nearly all are African-American.^{[citation needed]}

Admission to Urban Prep is determined through a lottery system. Enrollment is open to all matriculating 9th grade boys living in Chicago. Information on the lottery admission process is available on Urban Prep's admissions webpage.

Urban Prep Academies is a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible non-profit organization, and relies substantially on private donors to support its operations.^{[citation needed]} The organization's largest source of funding is the Illinois State Board of Education, which funds all charter schools in the state on a per-pupil basis. In 2008, Urban Prep received an anonymous donation of $1,000,000. In 2009, the Oprah Winfrey Foundation donated $250,000.

Urban Prep has been the subject of national and international news features. Virtually all local television news outlets in Chicago have profiled the schools, as have CNN and The 700 Club on their national broadcasts. Print media on the school has included pieces in the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Chicago Tribune, Ebony magazine and The Guardian. During the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, Urban Prep students who had traveled to Washington D.C. were interviewed on CNN with newscaster Don Lemon. During the interview, Lemon referred to the students as the "Little Obamas." CNN has used the phrase to refer to Urban Prep students in subsequent newscasts, and Oprah Winfrey repeated the phrase when discussing the school in a segment of The Oprah Winfrey Show regarding education in the US.

The schools again became the focus of national media attention in March 2010, upon the announcement that 100% of the first graduating class had been accepted to a four-year college or university. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley visited the Englewood Campus to speak with students, and various national media outlets featured the school. The Chicago Tribune covered the story on its front page, MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News all ran short segments on the senior class, and ABC World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer profiled the school as its "Person of the Week." Daley again visited the Englewood Campus at the announcement that the Class of 2011 had followed their schoolmates in having all graduating class members accepted to a four-year college or university. Urban Prep became the focus on national attention again in 2012 when they announced a "three-peat", with all graduating members of the Class of 2012 having been accepted to college. The announcement ceremony was attended by Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn. The announcement coincided with a Chicago Tribune editorial endorsing the school's success.

The Urban Prep Fellows Program, launched at Urban Prep in 2009, recruits recent college graduates from around the nation to work as full-time volunteer mentors, leaders, and educators for students at Urban Prep for a period of one year. Urban Prep Fellows are matched with a group of about twenty students - called a "Pride," of which there are six in each grade level - to provide mentoring, academic support, social and emotional guidance, and instruction in one course. In addition to their service to the students, Fellows participate in ongoing community activities and a seminar series to connect their experiences with leaders and ideas shaping change in urban communities. During the Fellowship year, Fellows are provided with housing, transportation, health benefits, and a monthly living stipend.