Cristo Rey Jesuit High School is a

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

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 ...

on the near Lower West Side of

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. It is the founding school of the

Cristo Rey Network The Cristo Rey Network is a not-for-profit organization founded in 2000 to increase the number of schools modeled after Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago, which was founded in 1996 to prepare youth from low-income families for post-seconda ...

and is affiliated with the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago The Archdiocese of Chicago ( la, Archidiœcesis Chicagiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in Northeastern Illinois, in the United States. It was established as a diocese in 1843 an ...

. Cristo Rey Jesuit High School was established in 1996 and provides college-preparatory education. The school places students at entry-level jobs that cover some of their tuition costs.

History

The school opened in 1996. In 1998, the school spent $10 million to add a new 3 story building to the campus. Around 2000, the philanthropist Brendan Cassin visited the school. Cassin was so impressed with the school's program for low income students that, within hours of his visit, he committed to donating $22 million to build a network of similar schools.

Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP)

Richard R. Murray developed the Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP) in 1995 for Cristo Rey Chicago. The work-study program combines employee leasing and

job sharing Job sharing or work sharing is an employment arrangement where two people, or sometimes more, are retained on a part-time or reduced-time basis to perform a job normally fulfilled by one person working full-time. This leads to a net reduction in p ...

, giving students the means of financing a private high school education. Cristo Rey students attend classes four days a week and work five days a month. Students work in entry-level positions at businesses and non-profit agencies in Chicago. Over 90 companies participate in the CWSP, including banks, law firms, hospitals, consulting firms, and non-profit agencies. The goal is for students to acquire job experience and marketable skills, develop a network of business contacts, gain exposure to a wide variety of career opportunities, and improve in their work ethic and self-esteem. Incorporated as the Cristo Rey Work Study Program, Inc., the CWSP allows each student to earn up to 65% of the cost of their education. Work is considered part of the curriculum; if a student is dismissed from their job, they are considered to have failed that course.

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

Forty percent of students participate in the athletics program, including varsity, junior varsity, and intramural sports. Cristo Rey's athletes practice at the local Harrison Park.

Sports offered

Boys

* Basketball * Baseball * Cross country (co-ed) * Soccer * Volleyball * Track (co-ed)

Girls

* Soccer * Softball * Volleyball * Cheer (co-ed) * Basketball * Track (co-ed)

References

External links

* {{authority control Catholic schools in Chicago Jesuit high schools in the United States Educational institutions established in 1996 Catholic secondary schools in Illinois Private high schools in Chicago Cristo Rey Network Poverty-related organizations 1996 establishments in Illinois Lower West Side, Chicago