Who we are
A clearer path from potential to a college degree
HighSight was founded on a simple belief: that talented students from under-resourced Chicago neighborhoods deserve every chance to thrive. For more than three decades, we've turned that belief into graduates.
Our mission
HighSight provides scholarships, tutoring, mentoring, leadership development, and college readiness programs for students from low-income families attending private high schools in Chicago. This experience empowers our scholars to excel in high school and graduate from four-year colleges across the country.
Our vision
We help young people realize their potential through successful high school completion and attendance at a selective college or university — helping to break the cycle of poverty for themselves and for generations of their families to come.
1,000+
Scholars graduated since 1992
20+
Partner private high schools in Chicago
100%
College enrollment for nearly 20 years
90%
Scholars consistently on the honor roll
Our history
From seven students to a thousand graduates
In the spring of 1992, HighSight was founded to serve students from the Cabrini-Green housing project on Chicago's Near North Side. Two volunteer tutors were determined to make a difference for young people who were encountering the hardships of urban life and underachieving in high school.
They recruited funders and tutors to provide scholarships and academic support for seven local students — helping them attend and graduate from a local private high school, Holy Trinity High School.
After a few years operating entirely on a volunteer basis, HighSight became its own tax-exempt organization in 1995. Since then, more than 1,000 scholars from under-resourced neighborhoods across Chicago have graduated from more than 20 quality private high schools — served by a small staff and dozens of volunteers each year.
The results speak for themselves. For nearly 20 years, 100% of our scholars have enrolled in college, and with HighSight's guidance and support, each has received at least a full-tuition college scholarship.
Join us
See the programs that make it possible
Scholarships open the door. Tutoring, mentoring, summer programs, and college counseling carry our scholars all the way through.