Education Resources
Illinois Transformative Justice Law Project
The Illinois Transformative Justice Law Project (TJLP) provides free information, training resources and life and gender-affirming legal services to everyone on the gender spectrum regardless of financial status. TJLP also provides:
- Workshops for organizations and groups wanting to learn more about allyship for trans and gender-expansive communities
- Free in-person and virtual name change services
- Name change guides
- Educational resources
For questions, please contact TJLP at (312) 558-1472 or namechange@tjlp.org.
Inclusion Brochure from the Illinois State Board of Education
The Illinois State Board of Education’s Inclusion Brochure provides an overview of early childhood inclusion, the benefits of high-quality inclusive programs, teaching models that support inclusion, and more. It can also help families and professionals to better explain least restrictive environment (LRE) and inclusion.
The brochure is also available in these languages: Arabic Inclusion Brochure, Cantonese Inclusion Brochure, French Inclusion Brochure, Japanese Inclusion Brochure, Mandarin Inclusion Brochure, Polish Inclusion Brochure and Spanish Inclusion Brochure.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law that makes a free appropriate public education available to eligible children with disabilities nationwide and ensures special education and related services for those children.
The U.S. Department of Education’s IDEA website has information for parents, students, educators, service providers and more on resources for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities. The site includes the IDEA Parents and Families Resource page.
Instituto del Progreso Latino (Instituto) is a nationally recognized education hub serving over 8,000 participants from across Cook County and low-income communities on Chicago’s southwest side. Instituto programs and services include adult basic education, English Language Acquisition (ELA) classes, workforce development, career pathway and employment support, and wrap-around social services.
Latino immigrants and their families can also gain skills that foster full participation in society while preserving cultural identity and dignity through citizenship and adult education courses, family literacy, immigration legal aid services, employment training, youth development programs and more. Instituto del Progreso Latino also includes:
- Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy for high school students seeking to focus on a career in the health sciences field
- Instituto College, which prioritizes the recruitment and retention of non-traditional, first-generation college students and values the training of bilingual and bi-culturally sensitive nursing professionals.
- Online and in-person English, citizenship and adult education courses
For questions, please call Instituto del Progreso Latino at (773) 890-0055.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)’s Resiliency Toolkit is a collection of resources designed to foster safe and healthy school climates. In response to the growing mental health challenges that Illinois youth face, this toolkit offers developmentally appropriate tools to help students, parents, caregivers and school personnel build the resilience necessary to thrive.
ISBE’s Resiliency Toolkit topics include:
- Mental health
- Discrimination and harassment
- Preventing and addressing bullying
- Substance use prevention and more
For questions, please contact ISBE’s Wellness and Student Care Department at (217) 782-5270.
Job Corps is a comprehensive program that provides essential academics and career skills training. The program helps eligible youth ages 16 through 24 complete their high school education, trains them for meaningful careers, and assists them with obtaining employment.
For questions, please visit the contact page on Job Corps’ website.
John Wood Community College Services for Students With Disabilities
John Wood Community College (JWCC) offers various support services to help students in Adams and Brown County succeed in the classroom. Students with disabilities can get help exploring career options, finding resources to pay for college, tutoring and more. Other programs include:
- College for Life (CFL) program
- JWCC Disability Services
- Perkins Student Support
- TRiO Student Support Services (TRiO SSS), a federal grant that provides free help to 175 qualifying JWCC students who are first-generation college students, meet income guidelines, or have a disability.
If you have questions, please email Alisa Cameron or call (217) 641-4302.
Junior Achievement USA and Illinois Chapters
Junior Achievement USA (JA) helps young people own their economic success, plan for their future and make smart academic and economic choices. The organization offers educational materials for schools and other organizations and hands-on learning experiences for students focusing on work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. JA Connect also provides online self-guided activities to help students learn, apply and practice new skills. JA outreach in Illinois also includes:
Know Your Rights: Students & LGBTQ Rights at School
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) provides information on rights as an LGBTQ student in public school and may be able to offer assistance if your rights are being violated by teachers, principals, or other students.
Ladder Up provides free programs to eligible Chicagoland residents to help them move up the economic ladder. Individuals can receive guidance in financial education, tax help and preparation, and turning the dream of college into reality. Ladder Up programs and services include:
- Tax help and resolving tax disputes
- Planning for college workshops and financial aid tools
- Money basics and financial education workshops
For questions, please call Ladder Up at (312) 409-1555 or email info@goladderup.org.