Being a high school student at a school such as Northside College Prep is often very demanding, especially with rigorous academic requests and extracurricular activities that pile up. To relieve this pressure, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and Chicagoland institutions provide a wide range of benefits and resources that are often underused and little-known. Outlined below are some of the most beneficial resources or ‘perks’ that students can access to make being a high schooler more manageable, rewarding, and enjoyable.
School IDs become Library Cards
A recent development in the CPS system is the expansion of the 81 Club, which is a program that allows students to use their ID cards as library cards. This recent development means that any student, no matter their circumstances, are able to access the resources that Chicago Public Libraries give. The 81 Club allows students to enter public libraries and check out books with just a school identification card, without having to provide any additional documentation, fees, or forms. This program also allows teachers and educators to have a more expansive accessibility to library resources. This initiative allows undocumented or marginalized students to access resources and assistance that have oftentimes been denied.
Exhibitions and Museums
- At the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago residents under 18 are given free museum admission throughout the year.
- At the Chicago History Museum, any Illinois resident under 18 is given free admission.
- In June at the Museum of Science and Industry, there is free admission for all Chicagoans on June 4th and 19th.
- At the Museum of Contemporary Art, (MCA), there is not only free admission every Tuesday but also a constant student discount of 9 dollars, making admission at only 10 dollars per ticket.
Entertainment
- The Teens Art Pass (TAP) is a free initiative by Urban Gateways giving students (age 13-19) extremely discounted tickets (all being at 5$) to performance art concerts. Some partnerships include:
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- Fulcrum Point
- Harris Theatre
- Joffery Ballet
- Lyric Opera
- Steppenwolf Theatre
- Court Theatre
- Dance Center of Columbia College
- The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) provides student tickets for the majority of concerts.
- Students can either order discounted tickets starting at $18 before concert days or rush tickets can be bought in-person at the Box Office for $25.
- Students can also subscribe and select three or more concerts to attend, saving up to 50% off concert tickets.
- Many movie theatres in Chicago also provide student discounts:
- The AMC Theatres
- Alamo Drafthouse Cinema on Tuesdays
- Gene Siskel Film Center
- Regal Movie Theatre
Transit
- Student Ventra tickets can be purchased at Northside College Prep for $5 in the main office, providing a reduced fare during school hours. In addition, Amtrak and Metra tickets are discounted for students.
Sports and Gyms
- During the summertime, Planet Fitness provides free admission to teens aged 14-19.
- The YMCA offers Youth Memberships for ages 11-18.
Health and Food Resources
Chicago Public Schools as a school district provides many resources for its students and communities. A very useful resource that they provide is an overall Chicago Services Resource Guide. Examples of resources on this page include:
- Chicago Public Schools provide dental, vision, and hearing tests and services .
- Student Based Health Clinics are located near (or inside) school locations and provide free health services for students.
- CPS has a partnership with Hazel Health, providing free online therapy services.
- Chicago Public Schools provides additional resources to families for access to food, healthcare, and funds:
CPS provides meals in the summertime at open schools and LunchStop sites to any child age 1-18.
