Five years after launching a groundbreaking initiative to remove financial barriers to higher education for Chicago families, Hope Chicago celebrated its first wave of debt-free college graduates Thursday evening while looking ahead to an ambitious next chapter focused on continuing to expand opportunity while also strengthening Illinois’ future workforce. Hopecoming 2026, Hope Chicago’s signature annual gala, was held at Obama Presidential Center Home Court and drew 500 civic, business and community leaders, and philanthropists to celebrate the organization’s first five years of impact and raised more than $1.5 million to fuel its next five years of innovation and growth. Since launching in 2021, Hope Chicago has emerged as an innovative model for expanding postsecondary access, completion and economic mobility. Working with five Chicago public high schools on the city’s South and West Sides and a widespread network of Illinois-based postsecondary institutions, Hope Chicago has helped exponentially improve educational outcomes for thousands of families. For more details, visit hopechicago.org 

Photo Credit: HOPE Chicago