Chance The Rapper Has Raised More Than $2M For 20 Chicago Public Schools

By Stephen Gossett in News on Sep 1, 2017 7:50PM

Chance the Rapper performs at Lollapalooza, 2017 / Photo: Annie Lesser

State lawmakers may have finally delivered an education-funding plan for Illinois (despite its controversial aspects), but there's no doubt that Chicago Public Schools can always use more support. To that end, Chance the Rapper continued his commitment to the district on Friday, when he and his charity organization announced $2.2 million would be donated to CPS. The funds will be distributed to 20 Chicago schools.

Chance said in a release, "As a parent and proud product of CPS, I'm committed to helping Chicago's children have quality learning experiences that include the arts. Over the past month, I’ve crisscrossed the city, from Chatham to Chinatown, Humboldt Park to Hyde Park, visiting students and one thing is clear: if we invest in Chicago’s children, we’ll change the world." A press conference is scheduled for Friday afternoon at Harold Washington Library.

Chance's initiative focuses on schools that have had to deal with budget cuts or other challenges, according to SocialWorks. Below are the schools that will receive funds under the latest round of donations. Each one will be granted $10,000 over the next three years. Funds will used for a variety measures, including digital literacy, music programs and in some cases construction or conversion of new arts spaces.

Aldridge Elementary
Ambrose Plamondon Elementary
Beethoven Elementary
C.E. Hughes Elementary
Corliss High School
Dett Elementary
Edmund Burke Elementary
Edward White Career Academy
Esmond Elementary
Fiske Elementary
Greenleaf Whittier Elementary
Mahalia Jackson Elementary
Michelle Clark Academic Prep Magnet High School
Mireles Elementary Academy
Ninos Heroes Academy
Oglesby Elementary
Orr Academy High School
Robert A. Black Magnet Elementary
Spry Community Links High School
W.K. New Sullivan Elementary

Check out the list of nine schools that received $10,000 gifts under the previous round of donations here.

Chance announced a $1 million donation back in early March (and memorably chastised Gov. Bruce Rauner to "do your job). Later that month, he revealed that an additional $2.2 million had been raised for CPS and the new Chance Arts and Literature Fund had been launched to help with distribution of funds.

More recently, the Chatham native teamed up with STATE Bags to give out 30,000 backpacks with school supplies at last month's Bud Billiken Parade, for which Chance served as Grand Marshal. (It even earned him a nice hit tap from Obama.) And on Tuesday we learned that he'll be grilling at the new Nando's next week—for SocialWorks of course.

Also, his Lollapalooza show last month was pretty cool.