Cristo Rey Network, the nation’s largest network of Catholic high schools enrolling exclusively students from the lowest income quartile, is marking 30 years since Cristo Rey Jesuit High School opened in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood and introduced a distinctive approach to college preparatory education. By integrating rigorous academics with four years of meaningful professional work experience, the model has grown to 41 schools serving more than 13,000 students annually and partnering with more than 3,500 employers nationwide. The Cristo Rey model was born out of a deep listening process focused on what local families needed from a high school. The success of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School helped inspire the formation of the Cristo Rey Network in 2003 and the expansion of the model to communities across the country. Today, the Network educates more than 13,000 students annually and partners with more than 3,500 employers nationwide. For more information about Cristo Rey Network, its schools and the Corporate Work Study program, visit cristoreynetwork.org.

Photo Credit: Cristo Rey Network