ABOUT US
Who We Are

Who We Serve

Faculty and Staff

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Our Way of Proceeding

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ABOUT US

CJA is a loving and supportive life-long community for our students and alumni. We are a tuition-free, Catholic lower and middle school for students and families impacted by historic disinvestment. We also accompany alumni as they transition to high school, post-high school options and on to the start of their careers, and we engage with the larger community to support creating access to better educational resources.
ADMISSIONS
You belong at CJA

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Admissions Process

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ADMISSIONS
CJA accepts 3rd-5th grade students first come, first served and we are not academically selective. For 6th-8th grade applicants, academics and willingness to partner with the school are taken into account. We accept students in all grades without regard to race, ethnicity or religion. Learn more about our school and see why your child belongs at CJA!
SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Third & Fourth Grades

Fifth & Sixth Grades

Seventh & Eighth Grades

Student Support Services

Nurse

Specials

Meal Program

Co-Curriculars
SCHOOL PROGRAMS
At CJA, we believe in caring for the whole person. We provide rigorous academics in a loving and supportive environment but we also support our students physically, mentally and spiritually through a dedicated school nurse, a team of social workers, a faith-based education, enriching co-curriculars and a nutritious meal program.
ALUMNI SUPPORT
College & Career Persistence Program

High School Transition

Post-High School Transition

Career Transition
ALUMNI SUPPORT
After students graduate from CJA, they work consistently with their College & Career Persistence (CP) counselor until age 25 and they and their families are considered part of our community forever. Our dedicated team of CP counselors accompany students and alumni through the transition to high school, post-high school and ultimately careers.
IMPACT
A Unique Approach

Evidence of Impact
IMPACT

When children are given the resources they deserve in order to thrive in and outside of the classroom, they can reach their full, incredible potential. We see the impact each day in working with our students, alumni and partner schools. Their hard work, dedication and resilience demonstrates what can be achieved when obstacles to educational equity begin to be removed.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
High School Bridge

Notre Dame Partnership

HSB Partner Schools

Community Partnerships
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

We’re expanding our services to students across Chicagoland! By 2027, we’ll be supporting students in nineteen elementary schools as they identify and choose their best-fit high schools.

And, now that our expanded school building is open, we are working to deepen relationships with neighbors and local organizations as we seek to provide a community gathering space.
SUPPORT US
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SUPPORT US
As a tuition-free school, the success of our mission depends entirely on the generosity of people who believe in the great promise of our students and alumni. All gifts are critical investments in ensuring access to the academic resources and holistic care for the community we serve.

Our Mission

Chicago Jesuit Academy is a loving and academically rigorous tuition-free Catholic elementary school for students and families from resilient communities impacted by historical disinvestment. We accompany our students and alumni from enrollment through the start of their careers as they develop their gifts and grow as men and women for others.

Who We Are

Our Approach

Providing rigorous lower and middle school education with holistic care.

Supporting our alumni on their educational and career journeys through the age of 25.

Actively seeking to collaborate with our greater community.

Our Story

When your family joins the CJA community, we hope you will be part of it for life. We begin with a strong academic foundation that includes a low student-teacher ratio, an extended school year and added layers of support from our Learning Resource Center Team. We care for the whole student through our team of social workers, a full-time school nurse and 2.5 nutritious meals per day. And after graduation in 8th grade, we support alumni through the age of 25 as they navigate the transitions to high school, on to post-high school options and ultimately their careers.

We’re Expanding!

In August of 2023, we completed a 50,000 square foot addition that enables us to serve young women in addition to young men.

During the 2022-2023 year, we enrolled a cohort of third- and fourth-grade girls, allowing us to begin building a foundational culture for our girls' program. We added a 5th-grade classroom in the 2023-2024 school year and will continue to add one grade per year until, in the 2026-2027 school year, we will serve girls in grades 3-8.

CJA uses a co-institutional model, meaning our students have single-sex academic classes while sharing communal spaces and certain experiences including co-curriculars, project-based learning and social events.