Neighborhood Schools Program
The Neighborhood Schools Program (NSP) is the University of Chicago's longest-standing community outreach programs.
Founded in 1976 to create meaningful pathways of engagement between the University of Chicago and local schools, the Neighborhood Schools Program (NSP) has built a 50-year legacy of partnership across Chicago’s South Side. Today, NSP engages more than 200 UChicago student employees each year in supporting thousands of local students through school- and community-based programming.
Our partners include elementary, middle, and high schools and community-based organizations. Through our core in-school programming, Maroon Tutor Match, and Homework Help Centers, UChicago students provide academic support, tutoring, mentorship, and other forms of meaningful engagement tailored to the needs of our school and community partners.
There are many ways for local schools, community partners, families, UChicago students, campus partners, and alumni to connect with and support NSP. We look forward to continuing to strengthen these partnerships and deepen our impact across the South Side!
Get Involved
UChicago Students
NSP has hundreds of University student employees who work during the academic year, and we have a place for you, too! You can apply to work or volunteer with NSP, Maroon Tutor Match (MTM), or Homework Help Centers (HHC).
Through our in-school program, NSP places UChicago students as classroom assistants or tutors in neighborhood K–8 schools. Through Maroon Tutor Match (MTM) and Homework Help Centers (HHC), students can also serve as tutors supporting neighborhood youth in grades Pre-K–12.
Local schools and community partners
If you would like NSP tutors to support your classroom or if you are interested in collaborating with NSP in another way, you can e-mail Brandi Snodgrass, Director of Neighborhood School Partnerships at bsnodgrass@uchicago.edu.
Additionally, you can invite your community’s families to participate in Maroon Tutor Match, our 1:1 tutoring program or Homework Help Centers.
Please subscribe to our NSP Newsletter for important updates on events and programs!
UChicago Campus Partners
NSP connects UChicago students, faculty, and staff with meaningful opportunities to engage with schools and communities across Chicago’s South Side.
We collaborate with partners across the University to connect expertise, resources, and programming with the priorities of our school partners. Whether you’re interested in engaging with a local school, sharing your expertise with students and educators, or exploring a new K-12 partnership, our team can help identify opportunities and make connections.
To discuss an idea or potential collaboration, contact Brandi Snodgrass, Director of the Neighborhood Schools Program, at bsnodgrass@uchicago.edu.
Featured news
Neighborhood Schools Program’s South Side STEM EdCorps connects local students to design thinking, possibilities in STEM fields
Featured news
Annual awards ceremony celebrates the lasting impact of partners, volunteers, and mentors
Featured news
Low-to-no-cost Maroon Tutor Match pairs UChicago students with local K–12 students for one-on-one tutoring that benefits tutees and tutors alike
Featured news
Neighborhood Schools Program STEM Corps initiative helps local public schools grow STEM-focused programming
Profiles
Maria Villamizar Londono
Neighborhood Schools Program
When she came to Chicago, three years ago, Maria Villamizar Londono was eager to engage with her new community on the South Side.
Jayleesha Cooper
Neighborhood Schools Program
“It’s very easy to just stay on campus but NSP gives UChicago students the chance to interact with people from backgrounds that may not necessarily be the same as theirs and to learn what the community has to offer,” Jayleesha Cooper said.
Joshua Lee
Neighborhood Schools Program Homework Help Initiative
A free after-school initiative, Homework Help has helped high school student Joshua Lee not only with algebra, but with his confidence, too.
Brady Janssen
Neighborhood Schools Program Homework Help Initiative
In her role as site coordinator for Homework Help, Janssen oversees scheduling with parents, matches participating local students with UChicago student tutors for 30-minute time slots, works closely with community partner teams on site, and occasionally serves as a tutor herself.
Rioghna Pittock
Neighborhood Schools Program
Throughout the past school year Rioghna Pittock, a second-year University of Chicago College student, worked with local elementary school students at Ariel Community Academy weekly as a tutor and teaching assistant with UChicago’s Neighborhood Schools Program (NSP).
Kelli Stanley
Neighborhood Schools Program
Kelli Stanley, assistant principal at Ariel Community Academy in Kenwood, has seen the positive impact the University of Chicago’s long-running Neighborhood Schools Program (NSP) has had on her school’s students and teachers firsthand.
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