How Midtown-Metro is Shaping Students of Character Worldwide
Collaborative Efforts Drive Student Success from Chicago to Kenya and Beyond
CHICAGO — At Midtown-Metro Achievement Centers, we believe that collaboration is a powerful force in advancing student success and dismantling barriers to educational attainment. Over the past two months, we have had the great opportunity to join hands with two nonprofits in Europe and Africa to help each other advance character formation worldwide. These partnerships were inspired by Midtown-Metro’s current research in measuring character growth and impact among students, staff, volunteers, and parents. This research, made possible by a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation, has opened doors for Midtown-Metro to share our expertise, while also learning from others across borders to increase global innovation in student mentorship.
The Macheo Program - Nairobi, Kenya
The first part of this partnership began with Strathmore University, and its Macheo Program—an after-school program that empowers high school students from the neighborhood of Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya. Midtown-Metro shared it’s approach to tutor development, tutor-student relationships, and its use and experience with a professional development platform called Optimal Work, which uses the latest research in neuroscience and behavioral psychology to help individuals bring their highest ideals to their school and work. Both organizations shared lessons learned from their programs as well as additional resources to empower tutors and students.
NTV Kenya has produced a segment that provides an in-depth look at the Macheo program. Midtown-Metro’s impact is highlighted at the 3-minute mark, capturing our role in supporting students through this initiative. We invite you to learn more about the impact of our collaboration and see how global partnerships are paving the way for educational excellence. Watch the full segment below or via this link: NTV Kenya – Macheo Program.
Watch a short documentary on the Macheo Program, produced by NTV Kenya in partnership with Strathmore University (See 2:46 minute mark for the Midtown mention).
Baytree Centre - London, U.K.
Federica Saez (right), Volunteer Service Manager at The Baytree Centre in London, speaks with Victor Lado (left), Midtown Athletics Director, about our student and volunteer programming approach while observing a Midtown program night.
Our collaboration with Strathmore University in Nairobi is just one example of our broader vision to foster impactful relationships worldwide. We were also honored to host Federica Saez, Volunteer Service Manager at The Baytree Centre, a nonprofit in South London that supports the development of women, girls & refugees. Saez visited both our boys’ and girls’ centers to gain insight into our programs. This visit highlighted shared goals in character education and mentorship, as well as sharing our unique approaches to program delivery and volunteer management., and fundraising.
Future Collaborations
Through these and other partnerships, Midtown-Metro is expanding its impact on a global scale, uniting with organizations that share our mission to uplift and empower at-risk youth through education, mentorship, and character development. We are excited to keep sharing our journey and look forward to future collaborations that will help shape a brighter, more connected world.
About Midtown-Metro:
Midtown-Metro Achievement Centers (www.midtown-metro.org), through its Metro Achievement Center for girls and Midtown Achievement Center for boys, has helped close the achievement gap for underserved students in Chicago since its founding in 1965. Its programming, focusing on character, high expectations, academics, mentoring, and parent support, has led to 100% high school graduation and college enrollment for its students for 25 consecutive years.