We Turn Chicago Into a Citywide Campus

Chicago City of Learning (CCOL) helps you connect your child to free and affordable opportunities outside of school that match up with their interests and passions. Learning outside of school helps young people gain critical skills and experiences that prepare them to be life-long learners and to succeed in college and career.

Research indicates the impact that extra-curricular activities have on achievement and future success. Read More

ALL Learning Counts

As youth develop habits, knowledge, and skills through CCOL activities and programs, they can earn digital badges that show what they have accomplished. Then they can share their digital badges with friends, teachers, colleges, and potential employers.

Colleges and businesses are using digital badges to acknowledge learning. Read More

Set Up Your Child’s Account

Your child’s CCOL account is an online portfolio, or what we like to call a “digital backpack” and contains all of the badges that they earn over time. Your child may already have a CCOL account. If not, then CLICK HERE to “Join” Chicago City of Learning and set up your child’s account. Each child must have their own account.

We are working with Chicago Public Schools (traditional and charter) to connect learning in and out of school. If your child is a Chicago Public School student (traditional or charter), have their CPS student ID handy when you set up the account.

Explore Free and Affordable Activities

More than 120 Chicago organizations are sharing their programs on the CCOL site. And there are more than 150 online challenges available.

You can search for activities by category or key word. Use the “Options” button to search by neighborhood, cost, age, and/or date. CLICK HERE to explore activities now.

You also can explore playlists – collections of activities – and badges.

Looking for online activities to do with your kids? Check out these CCOL Parent Playlists: Fun With Your Kids DIY Style and Fun With Your Kids At Home.

Chicago Public Schools Parent University

Are you the parent of a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) student (traditional or charter)? CPS Parent University is designed to support you so you can best support your child’s success.

To see what CPS Parent University has to offer, both online and at their locations across the city, CLICK HERE.