Youth Opportunity Ecosystem

Chicago has what it takes to transform education for excellence. We’re building it together.

We believe every young person deserves access to personalized opportunities, strong community support, and clear pathways to economic mobility to reach their fullest potential.

Join the Ecosystem

LEAP Innovations connects educators, community organizations, edtech providers, workforce partners, funders, and advocates within a community to create seamless pathways from elementary school to career that ensure young people will thrive.

This is the Youth Opportunity Ecosystem (YOE).

We’re starting in three neighborhoods in Chicago, in Roseland, Pullman, and West Pullman. YOE is refining a scalable model built on decades of research that will lead to lasting and impactful economic mobility for youth in communities all across the nation.

Aiming for Excellence

“Excellence is what drives us, connects us, and inspires us to provide students the opportunities to explore their passions and reach their fullest potential.” –Tim Schwertfeger

The Youth Opportunity Ecosystem integrates direct services, technology, schools, workforce pathways, and community supports to achieve our objectives:

Increase student achievement and engagement
Reduce fragmentation across systems
Improve access to opportunity
Lower costs while increasing scale
Create clearer pathways from education to career

Our Mission

To build an integrated education ecosystem that connects students, families, schools, nonprofits, and employers through coordinated supports, technology, and community-centered design.

We are ambitious! We are collectively designing a scalable, high-impact model with the goal of reaching 3 million students who are on pathways to economic mobility by 2030.

From Fragmentation & Untapped Potential to Coordination & Opportunity

The research is clear: high-touch support provided through strong relationships works. The challenge is finding a way to reach the millions of students who deserve more.

For decades, educators, community organizations, and workforce development advocates in Chicago and across the United States have built effective programs. Unfortunately, too many students, families, and schools experience fragmented services and resources and too few reach their potential.

Nationally, about 30% of students meet reading and math proficiency benchmarks
In Chicago alone, 2 of 5 students are chronically absent from class

We have the expertise, investment, and scalable technology; what we need is a coordinated system that integrates what works.

YOE partners are figuring out how to bring together proven programs and technology combined with community trust and a vibrant network of advocates for excellence. Our goal is to create opportunity at a scale that has never been possible before now.

How YOE Works

“This is the moment where real change is possible — where disruption opens the door for redesign, and integration creates access for all youth.” –Brooke McKean

We are building a Youth Opportunity Ecosystem from the inside out. We’re mapping the pathway from elementary school to full economic mobility that serves the whole child, their family, and their community.

Design with the Community

A thriving ecosystem must be local. YOE is co-designing the ecosystem model alongside students, families, educators, and partners in Roseland, Pullman, and West Pullman on Chicago's South Side. Every pathway, service, and tool is shaped by the people it's meant to serve.

Integrate Partners for Wraparound Support

A thriving ecosystem coordinates partnerships and technology for wraparound support. YOE brings together Chicago's most effective organizations under one seamless model. They are aligning goals, sharing data, and delivering connected support from elementary school through college access, career exploration, and workforce entry.

Build for Scale with Human-Centered Design

A thriving ecosystem is one that can evolve and grow. YOE is starting in Chicago, in just three communities, merging the impact of high-touch programming with the reach of technology. We are testing, measuring, and improving hyper-locally in order to build a hybrid model that scales across the city, the region, and the nation.

The Impact of YOE

Youth Opportunity Ecosystem is the first approach in Chicago to bring together major educational service providers under a single, integrated delivery model.

In 2025-2026, we launched our pilot in three schools on the South Side. At Curtis Elementary, Pullman Elementary, and CICS Prairie, students, school leaders, and families are already shaping what the ecosystem looks like in practice.

1,000+ students
reached in the pilot year

650+ students
received direct literacy support

196,000+ minutes of AMIRA literacy practice
completed in the pilot year

425 hours of professional learning + onsite coaching
for educators through the LEAP Pilot Network

18 ecosystem partners
in cross-partner collaboration to strengthen student outcomes in 6 key areas:

School transformation and teacher development
Literacy and tutoring
Career-connected learning
College access
Family engagement
Technology-enabled personalized pathways

In 2026-2027, YOE continues to deliver direct services in the three elementary schools from the pilot year. We are also expanding our reach to secondary schools within the same Roseland, Pullman, and West Pullman communities to grow the local ecosystem.

Spotlight on Literacy

During the pilot year, schools focused on improving literacy proficiency in the upper elementary grades.

💡 Amira testing showed that 73% of students improved their reading performance by nearly one grade level in Amira testing.

💡 i-Ready scores showed that all three schools experienced positive growth in literacy.

Average Percent of Students Using Amira At Least 20 Minutes Per Week

Usage increased from January through May 2026, with usage tapering as the school year ended

“Students began setting personal reading goals based on their individual needs. They showed significant typical growth in i-Ready for 3rd-5th grade ELA.”
School teams reported meaningful progress in strengthening literacy instruction through more targeted interventions, differentiated supports, and consistent staff collaboration. Across schools, students demonstrated increased confidence, engagement, and ownership of their learning, while teachers observed stronger participation during literacy instruction and intervention. These efforts established a solid foundation for continued growth in literacy achievement and long-term student success.
“Our parent volunteers became more intentional and empowered in their support which multiplied their impact.”
School teams reported stronger family-school partnerships through more consistent communication, intentional volunteer engagement, and increased opportunities for families to participate in school life. Schools shared that predictable communication and meaningful involvement helped families feel more connected, informed, and empowered as partners in student success, while also contributing to improved attendance and stronger collaboration between families and staff.
“Community partnerships require alignment, not just collaboration.”
School teams reported stronger school-community connections by building partnerships that responded to student needs and expanded opportunities for authentic, real-world learning. Schools shared that these partnerships increased student engagement, strengthened school connectedness, and created meaningful experiences that supported career exploration, mentorship, and a greater sense of belonging while helping students envision future pathways for success.