Not Your Average School Lunch!

• Fundraiser

City Year Chicago AmeriCorps Members serve every day to transform the experiences of students at under-resourced schools from average to exceptional. Join City Year Chicago’s Associate Board in this virtual fundraiser to support the important work of Corps members in schools and communities across Chicago.

City Year is an education nonprofit that recruits young people for a year of service as tutors, mentors, and role models in public schools across the country. Here in Chicago, 257 City Year AmeriCorps members are serving 16,000 students in 31 Chicago Public Schools. Due to the pandemic, CPS began the school year remotely with all students learning from home since the first day of school.

City Year proudly believes that “Wherever Chicago students are, we’re ready to serve.” In order to continue to meet students where they are, City Year AmeriCorps members have been fully embedded in online classrooms and supporting remote learning across all partner schools all day, every day, since day one.

As you can imagine, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted traditional fundraising efforts, including the Associate Board’s flagship annual “Back to School Soiree.” In lieu of an in-person fall fundraiser, the board will host a virtual evening of food and fellowship, during which acclaimed Chef Drew Keane will coach participants through how to elevate a simple dish into an exceptional, Michelin Star quality dinner. Proceeds from your ticket purchase will directly support the important work that City Year is doing to impact the lives of Chicago students and families.

Drew Keane is currently a sous chef at Cabra, Stephanie Izard and Boka Restaurant Group’s newest restaurant concept in Fulton Market. Getting his start in a humble taco shop in Nashville, he has been perfecting his craft for over 10 years and has worked with a host of local culinary talent such as Danny Espinoza of Santa Masa Tamaleria and Michelin Star award winner Carlos Gaytan. He specializes in Mexican cuisine using traditional Oaxacan recipes but has an expansive range of skills, including the hand-made pasta which he took the time to perfect with Chicago’s own Gibsons Italia. This has led him to become one of the most sought-after chefs in Chicago.

Dinner on December 14th will be far from average! You’ll enjoy roasted chicken parmesan with perfectly cooked pasta and roasted broccolini. Eggplant parmesan will be offered as a vegetarian option. Learn Chef’s tricks for properly cooking chicken, preparing tomato sauce, and proper dry pasta cookery.

Please RSVP by Sunday, December 13th! Ingredients list provided upon registration, and Zoom link to access the event will be shared with all attendees prior to the event.