Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Urban Prep Academies, 420 N Wabash Ave Ste 500, Chicago, IL.
Urban Prep Academies is a nonprofit organization with the mission to provide a comprehensive, high-quality education that results in graduates succeeding in college. 100% of Urban Prep graduates have been admitted to college.
04/07/2026
WhatUP! Urban Prep Family and Students here is this months Newsletter 🗞️🚨. Filled with history, latest UPdates, and more. So please if you can take the time read it and enjoy it. The Lion’s Roar is BLACK EXCELLENCE FULL LINK TO ARTICLE WILL BE IN BIO 🔗
04/07/2026
GOOD MORNING UP FAMILY 🦁 .We would like to Welcome you all to Celebrate Newly selected NATIONAL HONORS SOCIETY students 🙌🏾. These Young Men have been living our Core Values and living by the CREED DAILY ! So today help us celebrate them here at the Englewood Campus ! Doors Open @5:30 PM Ceremony Begins @6:00 PM. SEE YOU ALL LATER ✨
10/30/2025
As a steadfast supporter of Urban Prep Academies, you know the life-changing impact our schools have had on thousands of Black and Brown young men in Chicago. You’ve seen the results: 100% of our seniors admitted to four-year colleges and universities for 16 consecutive years, despite overwhelming challenges. But today, Urban Prep is facing a financial emergency that threatens our ability to continue this critical work. Please take a moment to read this letter (https://bit.ly/BeatTheFreezeUP) from our Chief Academic Officer & Interim CEO Dr. Dennis Lacewell and consider making a donation today during this critical time. Whether it’s $100, $1,000, $10,000 or more anything will help to ensure that Urban Prep continues to UPlift, educate and empower Black and Brown boys in our city.
10/27/2025
🎟️ TICKET PUNCHED!
Urban Prep Football is officially headed to the 2025 IHSA State Playoffs! 💪🏾🏈
Catch us at Montini Catholic this Saturday, November 1st at 1PM as we go to work!
10/08/2025
🎒 Recruitment season is in full swing at Urban Prep Academies! Our incredible high school ambassadors are out connecting with future Urban Prep students — inspiring the next generation of young men to be college ready, community minded, and globally competitive. 🙌🏾
We’re gearing up for the Class of 2030 — the future of Urban Prep starts now! 💪🏾✨
📍New students: Don’t forget to select “Urban Prep Academies” on your GoCPS application!
09/25/2025
Our Freshmen & Sophomore young men are taking time each week to focus on their mind, body, and spirit through yoga with 🙌💯
The Live Happy Project leads sessions every Monday during Health/PE, helping our students build balance, strength, and focus — both inside and outside the classroom. 🧠💪
09/22/2025
🎓✨ College Fair at Navy Pier! ✨🎓
Our young men had the chance to explore colleges from all over—from Big Ten schools to international universities. 🌍🏫
Many were drawn to big names like University of Michigan–Ann Arbor 💙💛 and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 🧡💙, while others ran straight to Howard University ❤️🖤💛 and Loyola University Chicago ❤️🖤.
The highlight? Meeting Mr. Brandon Sparkman, an Urban Prep Englewood alum and Gates Millennium Scholar 🙌🏾🔥—a living example of what’s possible! 💪🏾
Proud to see our students dreaming big and preparing for the future. 🚀📚
09/18/2025
“✨ The 19th Annual Urban Prep Convocation was a moment to remember! 🙌🏾 For the first time, the Class of 2029 put on their iconic blazers 👔— a powerful symbol of pride, brotherhood, and excellence. ❤️🖤
Together, they stood on stage and spoke the Urban Prep Creed 📜, pledging themselves to a legacy that has shaped young men for 19 years. 💪🏾
Convocation isn’t just tradition — it’s the start of their journey into greatness. 🚀 ”
🎓 History made at Urban Prep!
For the first time ever, a sitting mayor joined our commencement — thank you Mayor Brandon Johnson for celebrating the Class of 2025 and delivering powerful words to our graduates.
This moment will be remembered. 🔴⚫
Urban Prep Senior Prom 2025 🦁
One night. All the memories.
We danced like there was no tomorrow!
100% Not Like Us.
For the 16th year in a row, every Urban Prep senior has been accepted into a four-year college or university.
On May 6, our Englewood and Bronzeville students took over Daley Plaza for our Annual College Signing Day—one of the most powerful celebrations of the year.
Unlike traditional Signing Days, we don’t center sports—we center scholarship. Each senior placed a cap on their head, announcing where they’re headed next.
This year’s theme, “100% Not Like Us,” isn’t just a slogan. It’s a statement. A reminder that our young Black men defy the odds, crush stereotypes, and write their own futures.
They are not like the statistics—they are rewriting them.
Congratulations to the Class of 2025. You are scholars. You are leaders. You are Urban Prep.
We Believe.
05/13/2025
100% Not Like Us: Urban Prep Celebrates 16 Years of 100% College Acceptance
For the 16th consecutive year, 100% of Urban Prep’s seniors have been accepted into four-year colleges and universities—an extraordinary milestone that showcases the relentless determination, academic excellence, and unmatched character of these young Black men.
On May 6, 2025, students from Urban Prep’s Englewood and Bronzeville Campuses took over Daley Plaza for our Annual College Signing Day—a signature celebration and one of the most anticipated events in the Urban Prep calendar.
While National Signing Day typically highlights athletic commitments, Urban Prep has redefined the tradition—centering it around academic achievement and the transformative power of higher education.
Our seniors proudly announced their college decisions, each placing a cap on their head representing the institution they will attend. The plaza erupted with applause—classmates, families, alumni, faculty, and city leaders united in a moment of joy, pride, and triumph.
Each graduating class selects a theme that embodies its collective spirit. The Class of 2025 chose:
“100% Not Like Us”
A bold declaration of identity and excellence.
"100% Not Like Us" reflects who these young men are—unapologetically confident, uniquely driven, and fiercely prepared. They shatter expectations, challenge stereotypes, and rewrite the narrative. They are not defined by statistics—they redefine them.
With every cap placed, every school announced, and every cheer from the crowd, these graduates reminded the world:
They are scholars.
They are leaders.
They are Urban Prep.
These young men have faced challenges with strength, walked with pride, and never lost sight of their goals. They’ve embodied Urban Prep’s core values and now step into the future—bold, ready, and unstoppable.
Congratulations to the Class of 2025.
You’ve shown the world you are 100% Not Like Us—and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
We Believe.