A local Chicago program is taking applications from incoming Black freshman at Proviso East who want to pursue a higher education. 

The LINK Unlimited Scholars fellowship has been a mission centered around providing Black high school students in Chicago with resources and support as they pursue a post high school education. 

Founded in 1966, Toinette Gunn, president and CEO of LINK, said the founders, John and Carolyn Parmer, were so inspired by Martin Luther King Jr’s speeches that they decided to support a black student at a Catholic school for the four years of high school, and began asking their friends to do the same. 

The mission has stayed the same: to ensure that Black students have the resources and opportunities to strengthen their skills to succeed through and beyond college through a four-year fellowship. 

“There is an educational opportunity gap that exists, particularly here in Chicago,” said Gunn. “When we look at data, we can see that Black students don’t perform in terms of performance, graduation rates from high school and college at the same rate of their White and Latino peers.”

The partnership between the LINK fellowship and Proviso East occurred when a scholar transferred from a private school they attended to the Proviso high school, said Gunn. 

“We have not had any other students in the program from any of the Proviso school’s but they are welcome to apply,” she said. 

According to the 2023 Illinois Report Card, Proviso East’s second largest student demographic is Black students, with 575 enrolled, compared to 916 Hispanic students enrolled out of their total 1,535 enrollments. 

Proviso East also has a 33.4 % of low income students- students are eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunches, live in substitute care, or whose families receive public aid. 

According to Chicago Public Schools, Black high school students in Chicago are not graduating at the same rates as their peers, with 78% Black students graduating compared to 83% Latino, 83% white and 89% Asian students. Additionally, according to the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s report “Equity Gaps Facing African American Students,” enrollment dropped 34% for African-American students, going from 107,000 enrolled in 2013 to 70,000 students enrolled in 2019. 

African-American students also have less access to Advance Placement and dual credit early college experiences. According to IBHE, while African American students made up 15% of the high school graduating class in 2018, only 9% of them were enrolled in dual credit compared to 65% of white students. 

Working to help close those gaps, LINK Unlimited Scholars is dedicated to creating a path “to, though, and beyond college.” 

Students who participate in the LINK fellowship are paired with a mentor for their four years in high school, as well as participate in programming focused on four elements: academic enrichment, college access, leadership development, and career exposure. 

Upward economic mobility is also a goal that LINK hopes to help students with, as Gunn said according to research, a college degree is a strong factor that allows for that growth to occur. 

“What the data will tell you is that a student who does not graduate from college, there is a potential that they will lose about a million dollars in their earning potential across their lifetime,” Gunn said. 

The fellowship is composed of afterschool and weekend programs, workshops, and other events so students can participate outside of school hours. They also host a few “Saturday Academy” days throughout the year. Students can also participate in career panels, social engagement opportunities, and will have opportunities for cultural exposure – what experts say is a great way to build community with their mentors and their peers. 

The fellowship has been successful, Gunn said. 

According to Gunn, 52% of students who participate in LINK are graduating from college: two-and-a-half times the national average. 

“We know it sets them apart from their peers but it also sets them on a trajectory to really truly increase their economic mobility,” Gunn said. “All of our programming is helping to prepare them for careers and roles of leadership. We know those things will help them have a more successful future.”

Students who will be incoming freshmen at Proviso East can apply online for the fellowship. 

To be eligible, students must be a Black eighth grader who demonstrated financial need, plan to attend a LINK Unlimited Scholars partner school or other CPS Selective Enrollment High School, and have a strong academic record. 

“That isn’t necessarily that they have the best grades,” Gunn said. “We do want to look at grades, look at test scores, but we know that can be demonstrated in a number of ways but we do look for students who are committed to their academic futures and have a desire to attend college.” 

Gunn also encourages incoming freshmen who are set to attend a different high school to reach out for more information as she said they are always working on increasing their partnerships with local high schools. 

“There is a huge need for more support. It’s not a lack of talent or ambition, it is a lack of resources and opportunities,” Gunn said.