Heading into 2016 with PURPOSE

Eighteen months ago when we started planning this school, saying that we would open in 2016 seemed so far away. Now, 2016 Is finally here, and Steel City Academy's first day of school is less than 8 months away!

One of Steel City's core values is purpose. We all choose to be here and feel inspired and challenged in our work. Our goals, both individually and collectively, are great. They require great effort, but offer great fulfillment.

Opening a school by August will require great efforts. There is construction to manage, teachers to hire, students to recruit, school lunches and buses to arrange, not to mention all the books, pencils, and desks! There will be greater challenges in the next eight months than we have ever experienced in the previous eighteen. Yet, meeting the kids we will send to college and welcome back to Gary as its future leaders is more fulfillment than we could possibly ask for.

- Chrissy, Executive Director

Give with purpose! Support Steel City!

What We're Up To

Steel City Academy has a home! After months of work, by Robert, our Director of Operations, we have secured a facility for the 2016-2017 school year and beyond. Steel City Academy is thrilled to be in the Glen Park area of Gary. Without a junior or senior high school south of 25th Avenue, families of Gary will now have a high quality option closer to home.

We are grateful that The Arc of Northwest Indiana have been such creative and understanding partners in securing this facility. The Arc has been doing great work in Gary for a long time, and we are proud to continue using the space they created to serve the community.

The Steel City website has new content. You can learn more about our story and apply to enroll or work at Steel City Academy. You can also follow Steel City on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Our home, sweet, home! We can't wait to fill this parking lot with school buses!

Get to know your Gary geography. Our new address is 2660 W. 35th Avenue, Gary, Indiana 46408.

Team Steel City

Director of Operations
Robert Hart

Robert brings practical legal advice and business development skills to the founding team. Joining the Steel City team allows Robert to apply his professional skills to important, mission-driven work. Robert is a former Peace Corps volunteer where he worked in small business development and micro-finance in Burkina Faso.

After returning to the United States, Robert co-founded a nonprofit organization that provides technological hardware and educational software to secondary schools and universities throughout West Africa, while attending Loyola University School of Law in Chicago. Upon graduating from law school, Robert spent several years as an attorney for the City of Chicago’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection where he prosecuted fraud, led special enforcement initiatives, and advised businesses on ensuring compliance with state and municipal laws. He also served as a consultant to numerous small businesses while working at Loyola's Business Law Clinic.

Robert received his B.A. in Economics and Philosophy from the University of Illinois, Urbana - Champaign and his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University School of Law, with a distinction in Tax Law.

Robert has traveled the world far and wide with his wife Meg after they completed the Peace Corps. Their adventures have changed a bit over the past ten years: from traveling on a shoestring budget to raising Josephine, their one-year old daughter, and completing the rehab of their new "old" house.

You can email him at r obert.hart@steelcityacademy.org.

Get Involved!

Teach at Steel City: We are seeking talented and dedicated 7th and 9th grade teachers for all content areas who want to join and grow Steel City's founding team. Use the link to check out our website or email apply@steelcityacademy.org for more information.

Enroll a student: Know families with current 6th and/or 8th graders? We are now accepting applications for students who will be in 7th and 9th grade during the 2016-2017 school year.

Learn more: Want to meet with a team member or learn about volunteer opportunities and events? Connect with our Director of Culture and Community!

Thank you!

Arjun Ahluwalia Margaret Vernon

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