Youth Connection Charter School (YCCS) has been recognized for two decades as a national leader in community-based, high quality alternative high school educational programs for Chicago’s youth. Chartered in 1997, as the only alternative education system in Illinois exclusively dedicated to serving students at risk of educational failure and disconnected from traditional education, YCCS has been instrumental in guiding students back into the academic fold. Our innovative programs are geared to prepare YCCS graduates to become productive citizens and community leaders.
YCCS believes wholeheartedly that all students can achieve excellence in a challenging educational environment that stimulates interest, engages positive energies, and develops abilities to the fullest potential. Time and time again, we witness how our students achieve amazing accomplishments, as they overcome barriers when given a second chance to succeed at education.
YCCS represents an engaged community of 4,000 students and nearly 700 educators and support staff. This blog will proudly highlight some of the individual and collective achievements taking place at YCCS. Dr. Myrel Cooke, of the New Teaching for New Learning Institute at YCCS, will be the blog’s principal contributor, with occasional postings by other members of our learning community and partnerships.