Academy of St. Benedict the African Donation Program
6020 S. Laflin Ave Chicago, IL 60636
Patricia Murphy, Principal: pmurphy@academystbenedict.org
Jennifer Farrand, Assistant Principal: jfarrand@academystbenedict.org
Our Goal is to share ways that individuals can support students/families of the Academy of St. Benedict the African.
Why support St. Benedict the African school and students/families?
- School is located in the West Englewood Neighborhood of Chicago
- Average income of families is <$25,000 (tuition is over 18% of gross income)
- Many single mom/dads and grandparents as primary caregivers
- 100% of students qualify for Federal Free Lunch Program (used as a tool to measure need based aid programs)
- There is no Parish or School Board to help support families in need that wish to have their students attend.
- SBTA works with the CPD to establish and maintain a positive relationship with the school community and law enforcement to keep students as safe as possible and help build the community.
- Education is documented to be the primary tool for students to break the cycle of poverty.
Impact of COVID-19 on St. Benedict the African school
- Enrollment is down by 30 seats as of October 2020
- Early Childhood Program was suspended for the 2020-21 school year
- Loss of funding due to program not happening
- Loss of students/seats
- Currently only Special Class is Art
- E. Class is limited due to COVID-19
- Resources are stretched thin
- Each student must have individual supplies and tech equipment. No sharing due to COVID-19 procedures
Impact of COVID-19 on Families
- Many families are impacted by job loss/unemployment due to the pandemic
- Less financial resources available to families to afford tuition and fees to attend
How can you support St. Benedict the African school and families?
Sponsor-a-Student
- Help pay tuition payments of $250 each month
- Help pay After Care Program fees of $150 each month
- Help provide financial assistance towards technology, book, and other fees charged at beginning of school year or when student enrolls.
School Wishlist
- Order from AmazonSmile (be sure to log in to support SVdP Chicago) and ship directly to St. Benedict the African
- Wishlist Link: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3PBWWJNZR2KSG?ref_=wl_share
Please visit the school website at https://www.academystbenedict.org/ to learn more about The Academy of St. Benedict the African.