Why Choose Akiba?

• Akiba-Schechter is beginning its 64th year.

• The 8th grade graduates spend 10 days in Israel together upon completing their studies.

• We have 4 school bus routes: Skokie, West Rogers Park, Lincoln Park & South Loop.

• Miriam Schiller has been principal of Akiba-Schechter since 1988 and has almost quadrupled its enrollment, from 86 students to 327.

• Carla Goldberg received the Kohl-McCormick Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education.

• Miriam Kass, 3rd/4th grade teacher, received the 2010 Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education.

• We are within walking distance to several of Chicago’s major museums and educational institutions—and make use of them frequently.

• Our building has won 3 architecture awards, has been featured in Architectural Digest magazine and is one of the stops on a Chicago architectural bus tour.

• Grades 1-8 traditionally read over 100,000 pages in the annual 1-month book contest, a voluntary program.

• Every year, we welcome two b’not sherut, Israeli volunteers fulfilling national service, who create and run Israel-education curriculum and programming, both formal and informal.

• Two of our alumni went to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in the same year (2004)—which comprised half of the winners from all of Chicagoland.

• Three of our students competed at the national level of the Chidon HaTanach (Int’l Bible Contest) in 2010, four in 2011.

• In 2011, one of our 8th graders took home 1st Place in State for her paper at the State Science Fair, and one of our 7th graders took home Gold.

• One of our 6th graders was one of 100 Illinois students to compete at the state level of the Nat’l Geographic Bee in 2011, our school winner was one of only 11 girls to compete at the state level in 2010.

• In 2009 and 2012, our 7/8th was only one of a very few elementary schools nationally whose science class received permission to view live heart surgery and ask questions of the doctors and nurses during and after the surgery – all done through the Museum of Science and Industry.

• One of our 8th graders competed at the state level of the Scripps Nat’l Spelling Bee in 2011. One of our 7th graders competed at the national level in 2010.

• Our building is eco-friendly, with a GreenGrid roof.

• We have a 10:1 student/teacher ratio in grades 1-8 and a 7:1 ratio in the preschool.

• Our Preschoolers and Kindergarteners go swimming every week in the fall and spring.

• In 2012, we awarded almost $700,000 in financial aid to Akiba-Schechter families.