Chance the Rapper to Donate $2 Million to Chicago Public Schools

Chance the Rapper made big waves when he promised a sizable donation to Chicago Public Schools, and on Friday he will announce the first recipients of that money.

According to a press release issued by SocialWorks, the non-profit charity that Chance started last year, the recording artist will donate $2 million to 20 schools throughout the Chicago area. He will make the announcement at an event at the Harold Washington Cultural Center.

“As a parent and proud product of CPS, I’m committed to helping Chicago’s children have quality learning experiences that include the arts,” Chance said. “Over the past month, I’ve crisscrossed the city, from Chatham to Chinatown, Humboldt Park to Hyde Park, visiting students and one thing is clear: if we invest in Chicago’s children, we’ll change the world.”

Here are the 20 schools that Chance’s organization will be providing grants to:

Aldridge Elementary –

The school will look to implement total digital literacy for its students, and there are plans in place to convert a classroom into a dance studio.

Ambrose Plamondon Elementary –

Funds will be used to upgrade the school’s music program.

Beethoven Elementary –

School leaders will use funds to invest in arts and a band, and money will also be used to teach students about music history and theory.

C.E. Hughes Elementary –

The school will expand music and performing arts classes, and will also convert a classroom into a room used for dance class, band practice, and theater training.

Corliss High School –

Outdated band equipment will be replaced, and the school will bolster its arts program by adding creative arts and technical music production classes.

Dett Elementary –

The school’s visual arts program will be expanded, and courses in sculpting and pottery will be added. The gym will be updated to provide room for a musical and dance showcase at the school.

Edmund Burke Elementary –

A hub for art, design, and creativity will be created, along with expanding digital arts teaching and music programs.

Edward White Career Academy –

Choir, dance, and song writing classes will be expanded, and a school showcase event will be created.

Esmond Elementary –

The school will build music, visual arts, and dance into their arts program, and will build an improved sound system and lighting apparatus for plays.

Fiske Elementary –

Will expand the time students spend in arts classes from 80 to 90, and then to 120 minutes a week by the end of the three-year grant.

Greenleaf Whittier Elementary –

A ceramics studio will be built, and a course emphasizing the history of Mesoamerican culture through a partnership with the Mexican Museum of Fine Arts will also be added.

Mahalia Jackson Elementary –

Acoustics, curtains, and production abilities will all be bolstered at the school, and a dance studio will be created.

Michelle Clark Academic Prep Magnet High School –

A new theater and a spoken word program will be part of the construction process, and art supplies and an auditorium upgrade will also be pursued.

Mireles Elementary Academy –

Funds will be used to offer dance, visual arts, photography, and drama classes, as well as a room dedicated to chorus and tap dance classes.

Ninos Heroes Academy –

Programs to integrate technology, music, and performing arts will be explored, and students in grades 3-8 will be provided opportunities to pursue higher learning and professions in visual and performing arts.

Oglesby Elementary –

The school will look to begin a transformation into a fine arts school, and they will use funds to build a new auditorium and invest in new music equipment.

Orr Academy High School –

A graphic design laboratory will be created, with photography, media arts, and video production all being emphasized by the new program.

Robert A. Black Magnet Elementary –

Media and visual arts programs will see increased investment, and a media broadcasting class will be offered as part of the school’s curriculum.

Spry Community Links High School -

Programs to advocate using the arts to create social change will be funded, along with incorporating arts into core classes while creating new photography classes and radio programs.

W.K. New Sullivan Elementary -

Music equipment will be replaced as part of an expanded music program, and arts will be integrated into other classes as well.

Guidance for the dispersal of funds will be provided by CPS, according to the press release. Schools will receive the funding over the next three years.