“EPIC pushes you hard.  They want the best out of you because they believe students are smart and can be the top.  They believe we can do our best.  There is no 'we can’t.' They only believe in 'we can' so we can be successful.” ~ Amber, Class of 2013
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The ChalLengE
EPIC Academy's school design team began with a vision: college and career success for every student. Our alumni would be equipped with the knowledge, skills and resources to apply to, succeed in and graduate from four-year colleges.

This vision is in stark contrast to reality. Our goal is 100% college graduation. Current rates hover around 6%. A study from the Chicago Consortium on School Research (CCSR), found that approximately 6 of every 100 Chicago Public Schools freshmen receive a bachelor's degree by the time they turn 25.

Why? We knew we needed to understand the causes of these dismal statistics if we were going to be able to transform the lives they represented. We turned to the latest academic research on urban education – and we spoke with educators, parents, and CPS students and alumni. We identified four key challenges our school would have to address:

  1. Low expectations – academically and behaviorally
  2. The disconnect between students and positive adult role models
  3. Leadership and service opportunities reserved for only the “best” students
  4. A scarcity of college counseling – too little, too late