About Us
The Academy for Global Citizenship (AGC) is reimagining the future of what’s possible in public education. As a non-profit Chicago public charter school, located on the city’s urban southwest side, we have constructed a “school of the future” that is trailblazing an unparalleled level of sustainability and an entirely new learning environment rooted in wonder.
With a mission is to develop mindful leaders who take action now and in the future to positively impact their communities and the world beyond, our innovative and holistic approach aims to foster systemic change and inspire the way society educates future generations through incubating, evaluating, and disseminating our best practices to the world.
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Quick Links Mission & Vision Our History Our Founder Our AGC Roots Principals' Message Student Council & Green TeamExternal Page Links
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Mission
Our mission is to empower all students to positively impact their communities and the world beyond.
Vision
Our vision is to ignite a movement to create a better world. We will transform our global educational systems by serving as an incubator of innovation.
Our History
The Academy for Global Citizenship's non-profit was founded in 2005 with an audacious dream to reimagine the future of learning. After two failed attempts in 2005 and 2006 to persuade the Chicago Board of Education to allow a group of young idealists to open an experimental public school inside of a former dental tool factory, AGC received approval in 2007 and opened its doors in 2008 to 88 kindergarten and first grade students.
In 2009, AGC relocated eleven blocks away to a former barrel factory, and subsequently grew year-by-year to eventually serving approximately 500 kindergarten through eighth grade students. We never stopped dreaming, and even from our earliest days, we would spend our nights and weekends ideating and creating a vision for translating our innovative pedagogical approach into a reimagined physical learning environment.
Our ambitions continued to expand over the years, as families and communities contributed their hopes and dreams for how we can reimagine the role and purpose of schools. Together, our collective ideas and enthusiasm culminated in the design of a six-acre campus and "school of the future". Nearly two decades later, we opened our doors in the fall of 2023 to the Cultivate Collective hub and welcomed our first early childhood students.
Cultivate Collective is now a national model for holistic community revitalization that that unites education, wellness, sustainability and economic vitality to create a resilient, equitable, and vibrant future for all. Cultivate’s six-acre demonstration site now houses the Academy for Global Citizenship's (AGC K-8 public school, an early childhood Head Start center, a community health care center, three-acre urban farm, neighborhood fresh food marketplace, six teaching kitchens, and a range of community wellness programs and amenities.
Our Founder
Sarah Elizabeth Ippel is an internationally recognized social innovator, sustainability champion, and civic leader devoted to cultivating thriving communities. At age 23, she biked to the Chicago Board of Education to present a bold vision for public education and founded the nonprofit that would become the Academy for Global Citizenship (AGC), a pioneering K-8 public school on Chicago’s underserved southwest side. AGC, serving 96% minority students, is rooted in environmental education, holistic wellness, biliteracy, and social equity.
Since its launch, AGC has become a globally recognized model and learning lab, training over 10,000 educators and impacting more than five million students worldwide. As an Entrepreneur in Residence with Laurene Powell Jobs’ Emerson Collective, Sarah Elizabeth co-authored Reimagine Education and is now building an institute to scale AGC’s evidence-based model.
She is also the founder and CEO of Cultivate Collective, a nonprofit leading an $85 million, six-acre community campus developed on a former public housing site. Designed as a national prototype for climate-resilient development, the site includes a net-positive energy school, early childhood center, health clinic, fresh food market, teaching kitchens, community spaces, and an urban farm. AGC is the world’s largest K–12 school to achieve Phius net-zero Certification, setting a new global standard in sustainable education.
A graduate of the University of Cambridge (MPhil at 21), Sarah Elizabeth also completed executive studies in Nonprofit Management at Harvard Business School. She has traveled to more than 100 countries across six continents to study global education and sustainability practices, shaping her approach to scalable solutions in these fields. Her leadership includes past and current service with organizations such as Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the Art Institute of Chicago, Partners in Health’s Summits Education, the United Nations Association, Conservation International, and Chicago Public Schools’ Environmental Action Plan Taskforce.
She has been honored by Forbes, Crain’s, and the Obama administration, named one of Monocle’s Top 20 International Pioneers in Education, and received the 2023 Emerald Award for Individual Achievement from the Illinois Green Alliance. A sought-after speaker, she shares insights on sustainability, education reform, and equity-driven transformation. When not traveling for impact, she enjoys urban farming, beekeeping, nature-based design, and creating spaces that reconnect people with place, purpose, and each other.
Contact: sarahelizabeth@agcchicago.org
Our AGC Roots
The Academy for Global Citizenship offers a relevant, engaging and challenging educational program for all children, regardless of learning differences. Every child is held accountable for achieving rigorous academic standards through our International Baccalaureate and Dual Language approach. Our inquiry-based model provides an opportunity for learners to engage in experiential, nature-centric, and hands-on learning.
Students become environmentally and internationally minded by learning how their choices impact their community and ultimately the world. AGC places an emphasis on the total growth of the developing child by addressing social, physical, linguistic, emotional and cultural needs in addition to academic development. As a community of learners, professionals, families, and teachers work collaboratively to ensure the learning environment supports high achievement and cultivates a joy for learning. AGC respects and embraces the innate curiosity of children, the natural systems of the world and the responsibility to make positive change.
We Value
The Whole Child
Modelamos excelencia académica
Desarrollamos indagadores
Cultivamos la conciencia internacional
Fomentamos la gestión ambiental
Facilitamos la colaboración en nuestra comunidad
Principals' Letter
Dear AGC Students, Families and Community Members,
AGC prides itself on having a shared leadership model with us —Saskia Rombouts and Berenice Salas— as Co-Principals leading the educational team. This model is grounded on the belief that a culture of shared leadership with a shared philosophy and vision nurtures a sense of interconnectedness and therefore ownership and commitment among all community members. Since 2010, we are both honored to be part of a team who, on a daily basis, truly empowers students to thrive and takes action to positively impact our educational system, our communities and the planet through innovation.
Our educational philosophy is anchored in the belief that how a child learns is just as important as what a child learns. We believe that children should be actively involved in their educational journey as they are valued and supported members of our community. This is their school. If you walk through our school you will not see traditional classrooms, but shared learning areas. AGC’s village model draws inspiration from ancient cultures and emphasizes a holistic community-driven approach to education. This model aims to cultivate a well-rounded education that nurtures not just academic knowledge but also metacognition, socio-emotional wellbeing, emotional intelligence, and a deep appreciation for the collective well-being of the community.
Central to our philosophy are also the believe in bilingualism and bi-literacy for all, critical thinking through a rigorous IB framework, placed-based learning (indoors & outdoors!), justice-centered teaching and truly teaching to the whole child by focusing not just on the academics, but also nutritional and health needs of our students. We like to say that we are a human-centered school community. Additionally, we facilitate the development of a love and respect for nature that ultimately will empower and inspire students to take care of their community and natural resources, and advocate for a greener planet. For that, we spend a lot of time outdoors exploring and learning!
We are grateful and truly honored to be part of our AGC community.
Peace & Health,
Berenice Salas & Saskia Rombouts
Saskia Rombouts
(Ella)
Directora de los grados PreK-3
Berenice Salas
(She, Her)
Upper School Principal (Grades 4-8)
AGC Student Council
The AGC Student Council is an elected group of students representing a full spectrum of grade levels. This creative group plans and leads school spirit events throughout the school year with the help of our International Baccalaureate Coordinators. They work to maintain and create AGC traditions with the input of their constituents to ensure student choice, voice, and ownership guides planning for school events. In the past, the AGC Student Council has helped plan spirit weeks, a talent show, challenges to encourage reading, and some charity fundraisers. These students also represent AGC during community events or visiting tours to share their school pride and knowledge with others!
AGC Green Team
The AGC Green Team is a group of students nominated by their teachers to lead the school in sustainability initiatives. The Green Team consists of representative students across all grades K-8. The Green Team identifies and completes sustainability projects in the school including waste audits, community recycling and composting, and efforts to improve energy conservation. The Green Team also plans a multitude of events for a school-wide Earth Month celebration and serves as ambassadors to our national and international visitors throughout the year.
