Village Leadership Academy

Tomorrow belongs to the children who are prepared today.

Enroll today

Discover a partner in the future of your child. Enroll your scholar for the 2024–2025 school year today!

We are committed to empowering compassionate global leaders.

Village Leadership Academy (VLA), an independent, private K-8 social justice school will open its new location at 4930 S. Cottage Grove in the fall of 2024. Our South Loop location will remain open as a K-2 school. VLA offers an innovative, holistic approach to education grounded in praxis that centers community, exposure to world histories and geographies, cultural empowerment, and diversity appreciation.

 

 

 

 

VLA puts at the forefront our students’ development of critical thinking and perspective-taking skills, socially-just decision making, critical problem-solving, and academic vigor.  We are cultivating tomorrow’s global leaders by providing students with education and opportunities that prepare them to lead today.

 

 

 

 

 

Phone:

(312) 675-0056

Location and Grades Served:

NOW ENROLLING FOR FALL 2024

4930 S. Cottage Grove, Chicago IL, 60615

Kindergarten – Grade 8

Location and Grades Served:

800 S. Wells St, Suite 90 Chicago, IL 60607

Kindergarten – Grade 8

Hours of operation:

6:30 AM – 6:00 PM


Student during a demonstration on the Chicago CTA

Social Justice Curriculum

The VLA social justice curriculum encourages a critical examination of social and political structures through an exploration of world histories that centers culture and systems of global interaction and exchange to strengthen understanding of contemporary society.    Learn More

World scholars students looking at a mountain on a trip to Guatemala

World Scholars Program

For VLA students, the world becomes a classroom through the World Scholars Program (WSP). WSP is a culturally immersive experience that expands and deepens students’ education foundation through the critical examination and exploration of the social, cultural, political, and economic histories of an international community of focus.   Learn More

GrassRoots Campaigns

VLA students are expected to positively transform their communities. GrassRoots Campaigns (GRCs) are an essential component of the social justice curriculum at Village Leadership Academy where every student participates in a comprehensive yearlong service-learning project designed to address a social, political, and/or economic issue impacting their communities.    Learn More

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Vision & Mission

Gradelink Portal

Tuition

Prospective Student Form

Meet our leadership team

M. Ekundayo Harris

VLA Principal

Oyafunmi Konibaje

VLA Vice Principal

News & Blog

THE PANDEMIC HAS AWAKENED A SENSE OF ATTUNEMENT WITHIN ME  REGARDING THE EDUCATION SERVICES MY CHILDREN ARE RECEIVING AND HOW THOSE SERVICES ARE IMPACTING  MY KIDS. THAT SAID, I FEEL EASE AND CONTENTMENT WHEN I DROP OFF MY KIDS IN THE MORNING, AND  GRACE WHEN THEY GET IN THE CAR AND PROVIDE ME WITH THE DAILY UPDATE. VLA PROVIDES A HOLISTIC  APPROACH, GROUNDED IN INTENTIONALITY AND LOVE.

ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL AT VLA, WHEN MY HUSBAND ASKED JOCELYN HOW WAS HER DAY, SHE EXCLAIMED, “IT WAS AMAZING!”  HER TRANSITION FROM THE ONLY SCHOOL SHE HAS EVER KNOWN TO VLA HAS BEEN SEAMLESS. SHE LOVES HER TEACHERS AND HER NEW FRIENDS. 

ITAV’s teachers are truly a third parent in raising our kids and an essential part of our family! We not only lean on them for childcare, we turn to them for emotional support as parents, laughs after a stressful day at work, and honest feedback about what our kids need that we might be missing.

Ruth Shannon
Parent of a Student
Village Leadership Academy
Talina Parker
Parent of Student
Village Leadership Academy
Jessica & Robert
Clinical Psychologist, CPS Teacher
ITAV Parents

Enroll today

Discover a partner in the future of your child. Enroll your scholar for the 2024–2025 school year today!

it takes a village