Eli Whitney Elementary School, a Chicago Public School, is a kindergarten through eighth grade school with an enrollment of about 1,000 students. The school celebrates its heritage, while preparing its students for the future. Eli Whitney is located on the Southwest side of Chicago in the Pilson area, just north of I-55. This area is known as Little Village, a predominantly Hispanic community set in a thriving economic area centered on 26th Street. This is a family-oriented community with a great deal of parent and community involvement in the schools.
The main building recently celebrated its one-hundredth year of existence, and continues to be upgraded to meet current and future educational demands. A distinguishing feature of the building is the student painted mural running the length of the main hallway that depicts the history of the Hispanic culture.
This program is part of a larger initiative to partner with the Little Village neighborhood for the purpose of community improvement by recruiting students, training them as professional educators, and placing them back in the community schools. Illinois State students are immersed in a culture that is welcoming and rich. Some of the Illinois State instructors live in the area and are thus able to provide instruction that is tailored to the culture and community. Learn more about the Little Village Education Partnership (pdf).
Watch a video of PDS interns experiencing their "First Days at Eli Whitney."