About Us

Polaris Charter Academy is an innovative elementary charter school serving the West Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. The mission of Polaris Charter Academy is to educate students to be self-motivated, creative, critical thinkers, with the ultimate goal of shaping life-long learners and citizens with a strong sense of personal and civic responsibility.

Polaris pursues this goal through an innovative school design that includes a strong school culture with a clear values system (the Five Points of Polaris – Integrity, Compassion, Critical Thinking, Exploration and Active Citizenship). The school has created a literacy-rich environment where reading is a valued part of students’ lives. Polaris culture supports all students in knowing more and doing more through thoughtful, individualized instruction. As Chicago’s first Expeditionary Learning School, Polaris develops Learning Expeditions as an in-depth, hands-on approach to teaching social-studies and science.