EDUCATION

We help churches and other organizations adopt schools to remove the barriers that disrupt a quality education for Chicago students. We envision a thriving school culture and rich academic experience at all Chicago-land schools.

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Upcoming Events

2025 Love Your School Friendraiser

Kennedy-King College 6301 S Halsted Street, Chicago, United States

This is a Premier Education Event that displays community organizations coming together to enhance education outcomes for Chicago students. Also, a recent focus of our work has been student safety. We are excited to share updates and to invite you to join the movement.

Take action to partner with your local school and join the Love Your School initiative

#1 – PRAY

Pray faithfully for and at your local school

Become a Prayer Champion

#2 – CARE

Support children and families in your community

Get involved!

#3 – SUPPORT

Mentor, tutor, or support an enrichment program

Register for our next Village of Support meeting and get onboarding assistance.

#4 – LEAD

Work to address the top 1-3 needs of your local school

Register for our next Village of Support meeting and get onboarding assistance.

#5 – CONNECT

If you are already supporting a school, join our Village of Support

We are stronger together!

We have learning modules that explain all of the LYS details — Access Virtual Course

If your church or organization is adopting a school, we welcome you to join our Love Your School Village of Support

Schools

View TC Education Locations in a full screen map

Resources

TC Education Impact Report

LYS Partnership Flyer

Church Mobilization Graphic

Partnership Pipeline

School Action Plan

News

Our education work is taking place in 100 schools

Over 100 tutors and mentors are involved

Over 3,000 students impacted through our programs

From CPS CEO Pedro Martinez:

“Participating in the Together Chicago panel energized me. The collaboration I saw between school leaders, faith-based organizations, and other community partners made me feel confident that our students will be able to reach their full potential through support both from CPS and their broader communities. I am excited to see the Together Chicago pilot sites expand to ensure that more students, especially on the South and West Sides, receive the mentorship and guidance they need to excel academically and develop into the future leaders of our city.”

Volunteer Mentor:

“Since I’ve been involved in mentoring at a local school, I’ve learned to be more patient and understanding.”

Volunteer Tutor:

“Although these kids are so young, they deal with many difficulties outside of school. Sometimes I feel like I don’t have the right things to say back to them, but I believe that giving them that safe space to just release their thoughts and refocus their attention is beneficial.”

From Amy Governale of North Park University:

“The Friendraiser was a great opportunity to see how Together Chicago’s Education initiatives build villages of care around schools. The organization of the event around transformative programs, comprehensive wrap around services, and big, public wins, solidified the work and progress Together Chicago is accomplishing. I made a lot of great connections with groups who are just as committed to supporting the holistic well-being of Chicago’s students. I’m so proud to be involved with Together Chicago and look forward to our continued work.”

Volunteer at Lovett ES:

“I truly appreciate the insight I have been able to gain from communicating and establishing relationships with all the students I engage with. The interactions and topics of discussion I have had with the students has checked a lot of my biases and its encouraged me to be a critically and racially/culturally aware individual outside the setting of Lovett as well.”

Our Team

Prayer & Mobilization Coordinator

Kimberly Harshman

Kimberly Harshman did her Pastoral studies at Global University with Assemblies of God. After nearly 20 years in youth and children’s ministry, she felt a call on her life to make prayer and intercession her full time occupation. She participated in an internship with International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC), where she later went on staff as a full time Intercessor in the 24/7 Global Prayer Room. As an overflow of that prayer, she worked as the Prayer Coordinator for the anti-human trafficking organization, Exodus Cry. She coordinated global prayer watches for the ending of human trafficking and managed the Human Trafficking Museum.

Kimberly has brought her passion for prayer to Together Chicago by mobilizing Prayer Partners to pray for the Five Focus Areas of Together Chicago. Each week she gathers the Leadership Team’s prayer needs and emails them out to our Prayer Partners. She also leads the Together Chicago Prayer Partners Prayer Zoom two days a week.

Kimberly leads an initiative called Love Your School Prayer Corners, where Prayer Champions are signing up all over the city and suburbs to adopt a school in their neighborhood where they go and pray each week for students, teachers and staff. As an overflow of her prayer for the youth in our city, she helps lead our Intervention Connection Team, to provide resources and direction to youth who have been involved in gun violence and crime.

Support Kimberly’s Prayer Ministry

Director of Education Initiatives

Damien Howard

Damien Howard is an educator with 12 years of experience, primarily with Chicago Public Schools. He cares deeply about Urban Education Reform. Damien teaches character development and life skills to help students thrive in all aspects of their lives.  His current work targets schools on the South and West sides of Chicago.

Damien graduated from the University of Illinois (05′) with a degree in Special Education. Damien received his M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (10′). Damien is married to Sharial and Gabrielle is their daughter.

Education Outreach Manager and Social Media Coordinator

Ar’Monii Price

Ar’Monii Price graduated in 2023 from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Sociology and Spanish, complemented by a minor in Social Entrepreneurship. During her college years, Ar’Monii developed a profound interest in social justice, focusing on improving educational, socioeconomic, and criminal justice outcomes for Black individuals in underserved urban communities. Concurrently, she also cultivated a passion for spiritual growth and helping others deepen their faith.

Seeking to merge her passions for social justice and ministry, Ar’Monii pursued opportunities aligned with these goals after graduation. She discovered Together Chicago through a mutual connection, and began contributing to Education Initiatives as the Education Outreach Manager and to the organization as Social Media Coordinator. At Together Chicago, she finds fulfillment in applying her skills and knowledge to advance causes she cares deeply about.

Currently, Ar’Monii is pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at Moody Theological Seminary, furthering her preparation for impactful leadership in both social justice advocacy and ministry.

Education Programs Specialist

Dr. Deborah Umrani

Deborah Um’rani is a native Chicagoan. She is the mother of Annisah (an attorney in Washington, D.C.) and Khalil (an investment banker in Atlanta) and the wife of Rashad for 38 years. She served at the University of Illinois as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the College of Education. For 17 years, she led the pipeline initiatives for the Urban Health Program as the Visiting Director of Undergraduate Programs and Assessment and as the Director of the Early Outreach Program. Dr. Um’rani has designed, implemented and evaluated pipeline initiatives and educational and enrichment programs for underserved youth to prepare them for careers in S.T.E.M. disciplines. Annually, she provided academic and student support services to over 800 students who attend elementary school, high school, college, and graduate and professional degree programs. She has been very successful in supporting a cadre of talented African-American, Latino and Native American students and increasing their persistence in S.T.E.M. disciplines and careers in the health sciences. Over the years, Um’rani has expanded the minds and increased the options, while broadening the horizons of Chicago residents. She has been an incredible nexus for providing curricular options and co-curricular research, internship and volunteer opportunities throughout Cook County.

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Be a part of this collective effort to improve educational outcomes

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