MEF Announces Pedro Caranti as Midtown Center Director
4th-6th Grade Program Director to Take the Helm as Former Center Director Stays On in Administrative Role
Midtown Educational Foundation (MEF) has selected Pedro Caranti as Center Director for its Midtown Center for boys (Midtown). Caranti succeeds Peter Ladwein, who will step into an administrative role as the Assistant Center Director after four years of faithful service to Midtown.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the Midtown community these past four years. I am especially thankful to our Midtown alums who keep coming back to serve and mentor our Midtown students. I have every confidence in Pedro. He brings special gifts to Midtown and has demonstrated in his time here that he will advance Midtown’s excellence. I am proud to support Pedro as our new Director.”
New Midtown Center Director, Pedro Caranti, pictured in the front entrance of Midtown Center for boys in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago.
Caranti joined Midtown in the Summer of 2020 as the Walgreens One-on-One Program Director, converting Midtown’s traditional 4th-6th grade program into a successful and high-demand virtual summer and school year program. He will continue to run the One-on-One program until the end of the school year to ensure program stability for current students and families.
Prior to joining Midtown, Caranti worked for two years as Center Director for Crotona Achievement Center in the Bronx, NY, an organization that had a near-identical mission to that of MEF.
Caranti is a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina but moved to Texas not long after birth. He is the oldest of 6 children and attended public schools for grade school and then went on to graduate summa cum laude from Strake Jesuit College Preparatory after surviving stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma his senior year. Caranti then studied Economics at the University of Dallas and completed the extensive liberal arts Core curriculum there. He credits the discovery of his passion for education to his time as a volunteer teacher in the US and Mexico during college.
“At Midtown I believe we have what it takes to make a REAL positive difference in the life of a student because we understand that changing the life of a student starts with changing the life of the whole family. I’m thrilled to be at Midtown and I’m ready to hit the ground running at the helm of the Center for boys. With the support of our parents, volunteers, benefactors, and friends, we will continue offering the best academic and character development program in Chicagoland.”
Caranti (center) managing Summer Advisors who were delivering Midtown Center virtual programs for the first time.
As Center Director, Caranti will work closely with the Midtown staff and the MEF board to ensure that Midtown continues to adapt to the needs of underserved 4th-12th grade boys and their families in Chicago through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. This includes navigating the remainder of the school year and developing a COVID-ready plan for summer 2021 programs. Please join us in congratulating and supporting Pedro Caranti as he continues the mission and legacy of the Midtown Center for boys.
About Midtown Educational Foundation: Midtown Educational Foundation (www.midtown-metro.org), through its Metro Achievement Center for girls and Midtown Center for boys, has helped close the achievement gap for underserved students in Chicago since its founding in 1965. Its programming, focusing on academic excellence, virtue development, individual attention, and parental engagement, has led to 100% high school graduation and college enrollment for its students for 21 consecutive years.