At DeWitt Clinton Elementary School in Chicago’s West Ridge neighborhood, Annie McHugh could best be described as a “gap filler.”

For three years as the community resource coordinator at Clinton, McHugh directed morning and afterschool programming as well as a four-week summer enrichment camp at the diverse 1,000-student school.

A member of the Loyola University School Partners team assigned to Clinton, McHugh worked with administrators, staff, parents, and students at Clinton to identify student needs and create lively programming designed to empower students and build a healthier school community. In the fall 2025 semester alone, more than 400 students participated in McHugh-initiated programming, which included academic support as well as art and STEM activities ranging from cooking to cardmaking.

“This work brings so much joy and builds such community,” says McHugh, who is on track to earn her master’s degree in social work (MSW) from Loyola later this year. “It’s great to see kids discover new talents and watch a greater sense of belonging and investment in the school take hold.”

Enhancing school communities

Initially founded in 2016 as Schools 2020, a Loyola School of Education-led initiative in partnership with Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Loyola University School Partners holds the broad goal of improving teaching and learning and strengthening school communities, says Mitch Hendrickson, director of school and community partnerships at Loyola’s School of Education.

“We meet with stakeholders across a given school’s community to learn what they need us to be and then deliver on those needs,” Hendrickson says. “We don’t go to our partner schools with any asks like a research agenda or a pet project. We’ve maintained these relationships over the last decade because we focus on the individual needs of each partner school.”

Over the years, programming across multiple CPS schools steered by full-time, in-house coordinators like McHugh has included academic tutoring, social and cultural enrichment opportunities such as dance and music, health and wellness services, social-emotional supports, and family and community engagement activities for students and parents in the evening hours. There have been bigger, non-traditional projects, too, such as launching a school-based clinic at Gale Community Academy in Rogers Park and running virtual programs for students to ensure connectivity and community amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

With its focus on holistic student development, Loyola University School Partners embodies the Ignatian spiritual principle of “Cura Personalis”—care for the whole person—and fosters supportive school environments responsive to student and family needs, Hendrickson says.

“Whether it be curriculum, volunteers for programming, or efforts to improve teaching and learning, we want to support our partner schools and elevate their impact for students, families, and the community,” Hendrickson says.

‘Pulling in the same direction’

University School Partners operates much like a non-profit organization from a university setting, Hendrickson says. It secures grants from external agencies and then leverages those resources to address school needs. It has also created a network of community partners, such as Metropolitan Family Services and Just Harvest, to collaborate on programming and amplify its impact.

“We’re all pulling in the same direction and working to deliver hyperlocal support for schools,” Hendrickson says. “And when we execute on this vision, we see students feeling supported and realizing they have a valuable place in this world.”

Building on the success of Loyola University School Partners, Loyola’s School of Education and CPS announced a partnership in January 2026 to support both Gale and nearby McCutcheon Elementary under CPS’s Sustainable Community Schools (SCS) program. Much like Loyola University School Partners, the SCS collaboration empowers Loyola to work with school leaders and community partners to enhance students’ social, emotional, and academic growth.

“By working alongside Loyola, school leaders, families, and community partners, we are

bringing additional resources into Gale and McCutcheon in ways that honor shared leadership and support the whole child,” says Jenny VanderPloeg, SCS project manager at Chicago Public Schools.