The Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) gathered with sponsors, supporters and friends for an evening of celebration on Tuesday, May 7th at the Four Seasons Hotel. Over two hundred guests were in attendance to honor the achievements of the last year and recognize the work of AUSL’s educators that empower students every day.
Before the evening program, guests arrived and enjoyed a cocktail reception with one another that set the warm and cheerful tone that carried throughout the night. Ana Belaval, Journalist and WGN Morning News Feature Reporter, hosted the evening’s program.
Martin J. Koldyke, AUSL Founder and Chair Emeritus, Benefit Chair said, “It’s [AUSL] been a remarkable effort for change. Change for children that’s still going on. Tonight honors the group that has kept this alive and kept this going.”
AUSL Board Chair and Chicago Managing Partner at Winston & Strawn LLP, Cardelle Spangler, presented Northern Trust with the Corporate Champion Award. Shana Hayes, Chief Social Impact Officer, accepted the award on behalf of Northern Trust in honor of their commitment to providing equitable educational opportunities for children across Chicago.
“Northern’s support for AUSL goes back to their very beginnings. Just as the founder of Northern Trust believed that thriving communities needed access to quality education, so did AUSL’s founders,” said Hayes.
“For the last 20 years it has been and continues to be Northern Trust’s privilege to partner with AUSL. We stand with you united to provide the quality teachers that our Chicago students deserve. Once again we thank you deeply for this honor.”
“Thanks to AUSL for this recognition. Thanks to Dr. Feinstein on behalf of the thousands of children and teachers who have better lives because of what he has accomplished. Thank you for being a great leader and an inspiration to all of us,” expressed Donna and Jack Greenberg.
AUSL is grateful for its philanthropic supporters and programmatic partners, including AmeriCorps, Chicago Public Schools, and DePaul University, who made this a memorable evening. Funds raised from the dinner directly fund AUSL’s mission around the teacher training, coaching, and school leadership development of educators across AUSL’s 91+ Partner Schools in the Chicago Teacher Residency and LiberatED Way Advisory Services.
Watch the full 2024 AUSL Annual Benefit Dinner video below:
Watch the Northern Trust 2024 Corporate Champion Award video below:
Watch the video celebrating our Executive Director, Dr. Donald Feinstein below:
