Have Fun. Make Friends.
School Year programs for Chicago youth:

Volunteer in Chicago
Just two hours a week.
Tutor & Mentor Chicago boys and girls:
Mission
Midtown Educational Foundation guides low-income urban youth in Chicago along pathways of success. Our proven enrichment programs embrace the dignity of the person by focusing on academic excellence, virtue development, individual attention and parental engagement.
Dates: June 24 - August 2, 2019
Time: 10:00am - 3:00pm; Mon. - Fri.
Cost: $275 for the full 6 week program
*Financial aid available for those who qualify.
Transition to High School for Rising 9th Graders
Students may choose one of the following 10-day modules:
June 19-July2: Architecture (emphasizing science)
July 8-July 19: Business (emphasizing Math)
July 22-August 2: Law & Social Justice (emphasizing Language Arts)
Time: 9:30 am- 3:30 pm (Mon-Fri)
Cost: $150 — Generous financial aid avilable
Engineering, Entreprenuership, Visual Media, Law, or Architecture
For entering 10th-12th grades
Dates: June 20 - August 3, 2018
Time: 9:30am - 3:30pm; Mon. - Fri.
Cost: This is a paid position; an additional application will be required.
Eligible candidates must at least be an incoming high school senior.
Dates: June 19 - August 2, 2019
Time: 9:30 am - 3:30 pm
Cost: This is a paid internship position. Students will receive a stipend.
Apply: midtown-metro.org/apply
Dates: PICK ONE - Session I: June 24 - July 12, 2019 OR Session II: July 15 - August 2, 2019
Time: 10:00am - 3:15pm; Mon.-Fri.
Cost: $150 for the three week session
*Financial aid available for those who qualify.
Apply now!
Visit the 4-6th grade homepage.
Dates: June 24 - August 2, 2019
Time: 10:00am - 3:30pm; Mon. - Fri.
Cost: $275 for the full 6 week program
*Financial aid available for those who qualify.
For girls entering 9th - 12th grades
Participate in 2 or 3 of these programs and receive a discount!
Service Week
Chicago community volunteering
Dates: June 24 - June 28, 2019
Time: 10:00 - 3:00pm; Mon. - Fri.
Cost: $75 — Financial aid available for those who qualify.
RISE: Leadership Development and Career Exploration
Discover and develop your talents while learning about different career paths through discussions, meetings with local professionals, and company visits.
Date: Choose ONE Session: July 1 - July 12 OR July 15 - July 26
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Mon - Fri.
Cost: $100 — Financial aid available for those who qualify.
College Readiness
Explore local colleges, learn how to pay for college, and sharpen your skills to succeed in college.
Date: Choose ONE session: July 1 - July 12 OR July 15 - July 26
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Mon- Fri.
Cost: $100 — Financial aid available for those who qualify.
Engineering, Entrepreneurship or Hospitality Paid Summer Internship
For entering 10th-12th grades
Dates: June 24 - August 2, 2019
Time: 10:00am - 3:00pm; Mon. - Fri.
Cost: This is a paid learning experience upon fulfillment of all requirements. An additional application & interview will be required.
Apply now!
Visit the 9-12th grade homepage.
The Faces of MEF
watch our Newest video: 16 members of the MEF community outline MEF's vision for Chicago Youth
NBC5 Chicago featured Midtown and Metro students and alumni on a recent news segment, where they discussed the impact of the programs.
Sally Grimes, ’97, built her career on pushing the innovation envelope. Now a leader at Tyson Foods, she’s changing the paradigm around what it means to be a big food company.
The Midtown Educational Foundation’s (MEF) 27th Annual Reach for Excellence Dinner provided an electric energy as roughly 450 new and old friends converged at the Four Seasons on a brisk October night. The familial atmosphere was evident to each guest, mirroring the feeling one feels when walking into one of MEF’s centers. As Executive Director, Glenn Wilke, said, “what we teach at the centers, we practice at our events.”
On September 1, Tim Rivelli interviewed Glenn Wilke, Midtown Educational Foundation Executive Director, on his Saturday morning show, "Profiles in Mercy". Profiles In Mercy, a 30-minute interview program, explores these vital questions through the inspirational testaments of those who bring mercy into the lives of others.
Chicago, IL – August 27th – Midtown Educational Foundation (MEF), a foundation that guides low-income urban youth in Chicago along pathways of success through proven enrichment programs that embrace the dignity of the person by focusing on academic excellence, virtue development, individual attention, and parental engagement. MEF would like to announced it has received a grant for $15,000 USD from Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable arm of Motorola Solutions, Inc.
A contingent from Discover Financial’s law team recently made their annual trip to Midtown Center for boys to conduct a mock trial with the high school Law Apprenticeship program. Students in the apprenticeship spend their summer learning about the law through hands on projects, as well as immersive field trips and interactive career talks from center visitors.
At NeonCRM, we have the opportunity to work with thousands of nonprofits who do amazing work. Each month we spotlight one of our clients doing something particularly exciting!
Juan Vasquez, a Midtown alumnus and current member of MEF’s Board of Directors, recently joined the apprentices for an engaging discussion on perseverance toward one’s mission. Juan currently works for CyrusOne, a tech company that builds warehouses to house large servers which handle sensitive and important data.
Check out the next Tutor Spotlight in our new series featuring stellar Midtown and Metro volunteers!
Midtown Educational Foundation (MEF) was the grateful recipient of a $100,000 grant from the PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc.! This grant will help fund MEF's College Orientation Program (COP) for low-income high school youth in Chicago.
Check out the next Tutor Spotlight in our new series featuring stellar Midtown and Metro volunteers!
Former Midtown student Zion received an incredible gift from United Airlines and Golden State Warriors player Shaun Livingston. Last year, Zion was diagnosed with bone cancer. Check out the amazing video that showcases Zion and Livingston’s new friendship.
We’re kicking off a new series of posts spotlighting our wonderful tutors and the ways they go above and beyond for our students. Stay posted each month for a spotlight on a Midtown and Metro tutor!
Kathrine Switzer, Marathon Woman, came to Chicago on March 2nd to speak at
MEF’s 21st Annual MAC Luncheon where over 295 MEF advocates and supporters
gathered to raise over $101,000 in support of MEF’s student programming. Alum Giovanna shared, "Metro inspires girls who don’t see themselves represented anywhere else, girls who often don’t think they are worthy of succeeding. Metro teaches us we can do anything we put our mind to. This is why the city of Chicago needs a place like Metro. This is why I needed Metro."
For two weeks in February, Parent Nights were held at Metro. The parents of all Metro students came to learn and grow in order to best lead their families. The topic at hand was both a tough but important one: “Can We Talk? Communication in the Digital Age.”
MEF is happy to announce that we now accept gift cards as donations. If you have unused gifts cards collecting dust in your wallet or desk drawer, please consider donating them in support of MEF programs and services.
Ivette Gudino and Margaret Archibald talk about Metro Apprenticeship Programs on tastytrade's Bootstrapping In America
Over winter break, Midtown and Metro hosted events for their alumni, now in college or recently graduated. It was wonderful to see handfuls of alumni gather together as a community in the places many refer to as their “second home.”
Dates: June 24-August 2, 2019
Time: 10:00am - 3:00pm; Mon. - Fri.
Cost: $275 for the full 5 week program - Generous Financial Aid Available
Apply now!