CLX featured in AfterSchool Today
CLX was featured in a recent article "From Awards to Community: The Power of Recognizing Mentorship" as part of the Spring 2026 issue of the National AfterSchool Association digital magazine, AfterSchool Today.
Find out how Chicago Learning Exchange and are network member strengthen OST in Chicago.
Deep Learning: Supporting Youth In the Age of AI
It's 2002, I am a senior with a major case of senioritis, trying to fill my proverbial cup during my…
Letter from our Executive Director, Sana Jafri
This year I’m reflecting on a significant milestone: my 10-year anniversary with the Chicago Learning Exchange (CLX)–an intermediary of out-of-school (OST) organizations who are in service of young people in Chicago. It’s also my 5-year anniversary as Executive Director (ED). It’s been a wild ride with so many ups and downs, triumphs, challenges and profound experiences. When I began at CLX in 2015, I remember being so excited about the possibility of working in the OST space especially after being a classroom teacher.
CSforCHI February '22 Committee Meeting
It's nice to imagine that soon we may be able to have fewer Zoom events replacing our beloved in-person ones—maybe while still supporting a hybrid option. Here are some highlights from our February '22 Core Group Committee Meeting.
2021-2022 Brother Mike Award Nominees
“To educate as a practice of freedom” says the late bell hooks in her seminal book, Teaching to Transgress. This philosophy also informed the work of Chicago-based poet, activist, digital media educator and mentor “Brother Mike'' Hawkins, who sought to lead and teach with love. In a 2012 interview, Brother Mike said, “Mentorship, at its core, is about love.” The idea of infusing mentorship work with the edict of love is a radical testament to Brother Mike's legacy. Annually, the Chicago Learning Exchange, Northwestern University, Chicago Public Library and SocialWorks honor the nominees and grant recipients with the Brother Mike Award and celebrate those who dedicate their careers to teaching and mentoring Chicago youth. Please read more about the 2021-2022 Brother Mike Award Nominees below:
Bringing #CSEdWeek to Chicago Public Libraries
Computer Science Education Week is an annual call to action to engage and inspire youth through learning opportunities, to advocate for equity in the landscape, and to champion those who work year-round preparing the next generation of computer scientists. Thanks to grants from CSforALL and CME Group, and Lego Education, CLX has been able to engage in this work through our CSforCHI program. In 2020, we worked with community partners to create the CSforCHI Strategic Plan—which you can read on our community site. With CSEdWeek this year as our first touchpoint, we partnered with two Chicago Public Library branches and began to take action on that plan.