Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep, formerly St. Martin de Porres High School, is a

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high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

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, established in 2004. It is a member of the Cristo Rey work-study network of high schools, and is in the

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History

In 2001 Auxiliary Bishop Gerald Kicanas and Rev. George J. Rassas, both of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lake Forest, suggested opening a Cristo Rey school to enroll Hispanic and Latino and low income teenagers in the Waukegan/

North Chicago North Chicago is a city in Lake County, Illinois, United States, and a suburb of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 30,759 at the 2020 census making it the 2nd largest city by population in the county, after Waukegan. North Chica ...

area. St. Martin de Porres was the first Catholic high school to be established in Lake County since Carmel High School in Mundelein, which opened in 1963. In 2018, the school moved into a former Kmart store that was extensively remodeled to become a school campus. The new building has won multiple awards for creatively reusing an existing space.

Background

The Cristo Rey Network comprises 35 high schools that provide a Catholic, college preparatory education to urban young people who live in communities with limited educational options. And 80% of the students at CRSM qualify for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program. Students cover the bulk of their tuition by working at entry-level jobs in the corporate world. Around 86 businesses employ students from St. Martin's. Videos are available covering the St. Martin experience. Cristo Rey St. Martin is open to students of all faiths and cultures. There are five school-wide liturgies, prayer services on Martin Luther King Day and Ash Wednesday, and a spiritual retreat program for all the students. Sixty-five percent of the students choose to participate in voluntary service projects.

Academics

Twenty-eight two-semester credits are required for graduation. This includes 4 credits in English and math, science, and social studies, 2 in world languages, and 1 in physical education/health. A credit in theology and in work study must also be earned for each year in attendance. Also 4 credits must be chosen from the choice of 9

advanced placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

courses and about 11 other electives. Further, eligible students can earn college credit directly through

College of Lake County The College of Lake County, commonly referred to as CLC, is a public community college in Lake County, Illinois. CLC's primary campus is located in Grayslake and two other campuses exist in nearby Waukegan and Vernon Hills. It is located in th ...

. And Jesuit Virtual Learning Academy (JVLA) courses are available online for courses not offered at St. Martin.

References

External links

School Website

More than a Dream (official book site)Cristo Rey Network

60 minutes

Boston Globe - With sense of purpose, students cut class for a day

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - Success of Innovative Urban Catholic School Sparks Major Investment
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep Cristo Rey Network Educational institutions established in 2004 Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic secondary schools in Illinois Waukegan, Illinois Schools in Lake County, Illinois 2004 establishments in Illinois