YWLCS History
December 15, 1999, a new charter school is created
The Chicago Board of Education awarded a charter to the Young Women's Leadership Charter School (YWLCS) of Chicago on December 15, 1999. The granting of the charter was the culmination of eighteen months of hard work by twenty-three businesswomen, civic leaders, and philanthropists (many of whom continue to volunteer their time as YWLCS Board of Directors) who were determined to create a school offering urban girls a rigorous college preparatory education emphasizing math, science and technology, areas where women, and particularly women of color, had long been seriously underrepresented.
After an intense recruitment period, YWLCS opened its doors in the basement of the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) to 75 sixth graders and 75 ninth graders on August 22, 2000.
In 2004, YWLCS moved to its current location at 2641 S. Calumet Ave. and currently serves 350 students from grades 7-12 under the leadership of our School Director, Deniece Fields. Click here to learn more from our School Director.