University of Arkansas Banners to Be Displayed in Chicago Public Schools

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Brad Choate, vice chancellor for advancement, Gigi Alicea of the Chicago public schools, and Chancellor G. David Gearhart with Arkansas banner.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – At the request of Chicago’s mayor, the University of Arkansas is helping to get Chicago school children to think about their college aspirations.

Last fall Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel sent a letter to the University of Arkansas and a number of other national universities and colleges, explaining his city’s efforts to increase college attainment levels and asking for college pennants or banners that could be displayed in Chicago’s public schools.

“When entering school each day, we want Chicago students to be greeted by a sense of what is possible,” Emanuel wrote. “We want them to walk down hallways lined with constant, everyday reminders that college is an option for their lives. … [W]e know that college pennants are powerful tools for fostering the environment of high expectations we seek in every Chicago school.”

Not only did University of Arkansas Chancellor G. David Gearhart provide the pennants — he hand-delivered them while in Chicago for meetings.

“I was very pleased that the University of Arkansas was included as part of this initiative,” Gearhart explained. “The Chicago area has many fine universities, and it was an honor to have the mayor’s office reach out to us. I let Mayor Emanuel know that we were most willing to help.”

While it’s not unusual for the university to donate banners to schools, it’s not every day the chancellor makes a personal delivery. While in Chicago on university business, Gearhart and Brad Choate, vice chancellor for university advancement, set aside time to meet with Giselle “Gigi” Alicea, executive assistant to the chief executive officer of Chicago’s public school system, to talk about the college aspirations initiative and to personally deliver 100 banners—enough to be displayed in all of the city’s schools.

“This is something our administrators and faculty do throughout Arkansas,” the chancellor explained. “Our purpose is to encourage young people to reach higher and to realize that they can and should be thinking about and preparing for college.

“Promoting college aspirations and preparedness is an issue of national importance,” he continued. “I’m glad we were able to fit in an opportunity to exchange ideas during our time in Chicago.”

The school system is still working on setting a date to start distributing banners to all of the schools, but is looking forward to the program having a positive impact.

 “We are going to set high expectations – all students will go to college – as part of the school culture in every elementary and high school in the city by hanging school pennants,” said Emanuel. “In every hallway of every [Chicago public] school, our students will be thinking about college and the prospect of continuing their education in the future.”