Academy for Global Citizenship

School may be out for the summer, but learning in nature is just getting started. ☀️🌿

Our new Environmental Learning & Wellness Commons is ready just in time for summer camp at AGC.

Built above a living bioswale, this outdoor gathering space invites students to learn from nature while experiencing firsthand how green infrastructure captures, filters, and restores rainwater. Designed for environmental education, reflection, movement, and community connection, it embodies our belief that thriving ecosystems and thriving people go hand in hand.

As we often say at AGC, the landscape itself becomes a teacher.

We can’t wait to spend the summer exploring, learning, and growing together in this beautiful new space!

The Academy for Global Citizenship is thrilled to announce a historic milestone in our journey:

✅ The Chicago Board of Education has unanimously voted to renew AGC's charter for a 7-year term—the longest renewal for an institution in our cohort and the first of its kind since 2017.

What a way to close out the 2025-26 school year! 🎉

We proudly share this moment with every educator, advocate, and Chicago community member who has showed up, believed in our mission, and helped AGC expand into the incredible ecosystem it is today.

Hope is happening here. 💚 And now, AGC can continue to nurture the next generation of curious, compassionate leaders that our world needs.

As we celebrate our 18th school year at AGC, three special recognitions stand out:

🎓 Every 8th grade graduate was accepted into their preferred high school program, including selective enrollment and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs
🌍 Every single student completed the IB Middle Years Programme, carrying an IB education they've built since kindergarten
🇲🇽 Every single student earned their Illinois Seal of Biliteracy

This is what becomes possible when children are seen, supported, and challenged to explore their infinite potential.

Wherever these young leaders go next, their impact will be undeniable. We're 100% sure of it. 🫶

Every great invention starts as an idea. At AGC, students develop the curiosity, audacity, and skills they need to transform those ideas into tangible impact.

We are so proud to celebrate AGC student Nico, who was selected as a 2026 finalist through the Swift Club program, a partnership with Teach For America and Apple, after designing and prototyping an original app called Sports and More! 👏

In this program, young visionaries explore coding, creativity, and problem-solving while developing projects connected to their own interests. Nico learned to think like a builder, act like an innovator, and nurture his passions throughout the process.

Join us in congratulating Nico on his accomplishment and all his hard work that made this moment possible! 🌟

The spaces we inhabit shape who we become.

From schools to public parks, it’s clear that our surroundings impact how we learn, gather, and grow.

We also believe in the power of designing better places that nurture healthier communities. That’s why AGC’s model and campus reflects the nature of our interconnected world. 🌎

If you want to change your environment, start by paying attention to what already surrounds you—and choosing to care for it with intention.

There’s an entire community craving more connection to the natural world—and they're gathering at AGC this June! ☀️

We’re excited to welcome the 2026 Green Teacher Gathering on Wednesday, June 24, a one-day professional development experience designed to Reconnect, Restore, and Revolutionize educators and activists across Chicago.

This event will help you recenter nature in your practice and offer an inspiring path forward, with invaluable workshops focused on outdoor exploration, garden education, climate justice, and community building. 🌱

Learn more and register to join us: https://www.chicagowilderness.org/page/GreenTeacherGathering2026

If you know a colleague who would love to participate, share this post with them!

Sunrise to sunset, our Chicago campus is alive with moments that reconnect students, families, and neighbors with the natural world. 🌱

From our geodesic domes to our garden beds, every inch of this campus was designed with one intention: that beauty, sustainability, and community belong here. 🌎

What's your favorite spot on campus?

Teachers deserve more TLC. That’s why we’re planning a one-of-a-kind Wellness Summit for educators this year, right here on our Chicago campus. 🫶

Rooted in our Wellness Wheel, this full-day experience will feature immersive opportunities to restore your mind, body, and spirit while strengthening your connection to your practice, your peers, and the planet we all call home. 🌎

🌿 Educators: What would make this event meaningful and joyful for you?

Take 5 minutes to tell us in this short survey by Friday, June 5: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfak_Vre_BDUcp3oYATlaO-q7JTHgQQ1vXIPbkGGGmxgNpyvw/viewform

You can't tend to a child's inner world without first tending to your own. 🌿

At AGC, health has always been holistic. Every day, we see how our minds, bodies, spirits, relationships, and environments are deeply connected.

Wellness continues to be one of the most sustainable ways to nurture healthier futures for our children, our communities, and our planet.

Whatever you're growing through, we hope you take a moment to notice the flowers blooming around you—and within you. 🌸

AGC is honored to be awarded Community Changemaker by the Food Health Network for our continued work in the intersections of wellness, education, and collective care. 🩵

Food is a source of fuel, nourishment, and connection. Our work is also proof that food everywhere can be sustainable, culturally relevant, and a powerful act of advocacy.

We are proud to share this important recognition with our incredible Chicago community. Because of you, we can continue growing our Nourish the Neighborhood initiative, one child and community member at a time. 🌱