Celebrating the Kersten Institute for Urban Education

On October 30, the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice celebrated a transformational $25 million gift from Steven A. Kersten, JD’80, University of Chicago Trustee, and Priscilla Kersten, a member of the Crown Family School Advisory Council. Their extraordinary investment strengthens the University's long-standing commitment to advancing K-12 education research, policy, and practice. In recognition of this gift, the Urban Education Institute was officially renamed the Kerten Institute for Urban Education.  

Steven and Priscilla Kersten’s commitment will support innovative research and prepare the next generation of education and social work leaders, fostering cross-disciplinary collaborations that strengthen public schools and improve student outcomes. 

Honoring a Vision for Educational Equity

The celebration brought together University leaders, faculty, Chicago Public Schools partners, community organizations, funders, and education practitioners.   Paul Alivisatos, PhD, President of the University of Chicago and John D. MacArthur Distinguished Service Professor, Department of Chemistry, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, and the College, opened the evening celebration by highlighting the gift’s transformative potential and affirmed the University’s commitment to strengthening public schools through rigorous research and collaborative partnerships.

Image

Deborah Gorman-Smith, PhD, Chief Strategist for Community Engagement and Partnerships at the University of Chicago and the Emily Klein Gidwitz Professor and Dean of the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, noted how the gift will deepen collaboration across disciplines and expand opportunities to improve educational outcomes in Chicago and beyond. 

“We share your conviction that advancing educational equity requires not only rigorous research, but also the commitment to collaborate across disciplines, across this university, and to engage with the real and pressing challenges of our time,” said Gorman-Smith. 

Ming-Te Wang, EdD, Professor at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, and Faculty Director of the Kersten Institute for Urban Education, gave remarks on the importance of addressing educational disparities in the public education system.  

Image

A Conversation with Steven and Priscilla Kersten

The evening featured a conversation moderated by Seth Green, JD, Dean of the Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies, with Steven and Priscilla Kersten, where they shared their longstanding commitment to strengthening public education. They reflected on how their prior engagement illuminated the potential for a research university to drive progress on one of society’s most urgent challenges.

“Around 2010, we became much more involved in UEI, and what fascinated me about it was that it really represented an opportunity to bring the resources of a major research university to bear on one of the most intractable challenges that our society faces,” Steven Kersten said.

“ If we can bring to bear all the work the universities do in scholarship, research, and teaching, to help improve what goes on in schools and in classrooms, I thought that was a fascinating opportunity,” he said. 

Pricilla Kersten spoke about the Kersten Institute for Urban Education's aspirations, noting that they are both significant and far-reaching.  

“There is clearly a symbiosis between healthy schools and healthy communities, and poverty, hunger, lack of housing, and mental wellness are all factors in educational outcomes,” Pricilla Kersten said. 

“The fact that we can be embedded within a school of social work, I think we can have enormous potential and really distinguish The Institute in the country. Under Dean Gorman-Smith’s leadership and vision, we have a lot of confidence that it will happen.” 

Image

 The evening continued with a presentation by Beth Swanson, CEO of a Better Chicago, on the current educational landscape and students' achievement in Chicago. She highlighted data and analysis made possible by the former Urban Education Institute and noted future collaborations are on the horizon with the new Kersten Institute for Urban Education.   

Image

Advancing Knowledge, Practice, and Partnerships

Following the presentation, Fatima Cooke, EdD, Chief of Equity, Engagement, and Strategy at Chicago Public Schools, Janelle R. Goodwill, PhD, Neubauer Family Assistant Professor at the Crown Family School, and Dominique McKoy, Executive Director of the To & Through Project at the Kersten Institute for Urban Education, were all panelists of a discussion moderated by Paige Ponder, Senior Executive Director of the Kersten Institute for Urban Education. 

In response to a question about the things that keep the panelists up at night as it pertains to the state of education, Cooke said, “All the things students have to do to navigate our complex educational institutions…but they still show up, they show up ready to learn with all their brilliance.”  

Looking toward the future, Goodwill acknowledged the crucial role social workers play in continuing to support students/ well-being and academic success.  “I think that for this next generation of school social workers, I would invite them…to reimagine what sorts of programs and interventions could be offered and should be made available in schools,” Goodwill said. “I’m particularly excited about this gift because I believe that it will allow us to train more social workers who are prepared to go into schools, because the need is really urgent.”

Image

Image

Looking Ahead

 The evening concluded with a reception that brought together educators, funders, students, and community partners to celebrate this historic investment. The atmosphere reflected both gratitude and optimism for the future of the Kersten Institute for Urban Education and its potential to advance educational equity and strengthen opportunities for children and families in Chicago and beyond.

Image