09
DISCOVERWorld Studies
Build the habits of a historian while exploring the people, ideas, and societies that shaped our world.
VIEW COMPETENCY →ORR ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOLChicago Public Schools · Social Studies
ORR ACADEMY SOCIAL STUDIES · OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND
Find your voice.
Make your mark.
At Orr, Social Studies is where curiosity becomes confidence. Students tackle meaningful questions, master college-ready skills, and discover how their ideas can shape Chicago—and the world.
4YEARS OF
GROWTH
GROWTH
6COLLEGE-READY
COMPETENCIES
COMPETENCIES
1SUPPORTED
PATH TO SUCCESS
PATH TO SUCCESS
01 WHY ORR SOCIAL STUDIES?
Academic rigor with the support
to help every scholar rise.
Families should not have to choose between challenging classes and a caring learning environment. Orr students receive both. Our classrooms ask students to think deeply, read closely, communicate clearly, and take intellectual risks—with teachers who know how to help them succeed.
Students leave our program able to investigate difficult questions, recognize multiple perspectives, build strong arguments, and speak with confidence. Those skills matter in college, careers, and every community students will help lead.
01ASK BOLD QUESTIONSCuriosity launches every meaningful investigation.
02THINK LIKE A HISTORIANStudents test sources, context, and competing claims.
03BUILD YOUR VOICEWriting, discussion, and feedback develop confidence.
04CREATE REAL IMPACTLearning connects to community, action, and the future.
02 A FOUR-YEAR PATHWAY
Challenge grows. Support never disappears.
Each year builds intentionally on the last, preparing students for advanced coursework, college-level reading and writing, informed citizenship, and lifelong learning.
10
INVESTIGATEU.S. History
Investigate the American story through competing perspectives, primary sources, and evidence-based argument.
VIEW COMPETENCY →11
PARTICIPATECivics
Understand how power works, examine public issues, and develop the tools to participate in civic life.
VIEW COMPETENCY →12
ADVANCEAdvanced & Elective Studies
Pursue AP U.S. History and focused electives that deepen knowledge and prepare students for college-level work.
VIEW COMPETENCY →03 TEACHERS WHO INVEST
Known. Challenged. Supported.
Our educators combine high expectations with meaningful relationships, actionable feedback, and a shared commitment to every student’s growth.
04 THE ORR DIFFERENCE
Serious learning. Personal support.
We design rigorous experiences that invite every scholar into the work and provide the tools needed to succeed.
COME SEE ORR →01Rigorous, relevant learningStudents do more than memorize—they question, analyze, debate, write, and create.↗02Support built into every courseClear models, skill-building tools, feedback, and multiple paths help every student grow.↗03College-ready communicationStudents learn to read complex texts, evaluate evidence, and defend ideas with confidence.↗04A curriculum that reflects our communityChicago, the West Side, and students’ lived experiences become meaningful entry points into history.↗
05 OUR CITY IS OUR CLASSROOM
Chicago brings history to life.
Learning at Orr extends far beyond the walls of our school. Students visit Chicago’s world-class museums and connect what they have studied in class to the objects, art, people, and ideas that shaped our world.
Through partnerships with the Field Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago, scholars encounter mummies, early human ancestors, Roman artifacts, and extraordinary works of art. These experiences spark curiosity, deepen understanding, and give students new reasons to keep asking questions.
MUMMIES & ANCIENT EGYPTEARLY HUMAN HISTORYROMAN ARTIFACTSART & VISUAL CULTURE
EXPLORE LEARNING ACROSS CHICAGO →
ΡΚRHO KAPPA · ORR ACADEMY
FOUNDING CHAPTER · 2026–27
FOUNDING CHAPTER · 2026–27
06 CELEBRATING SCHOLARSHIP
COMING IN THE 2026–27 SCHOOL YEAR
Rho Kappa is coming to Orr.
Orr Academy is launching a chapter of Rho Kappa, the National Social Studies Honor Society for high school students. We know that Orr students are true scholars, and their academic achievement deserves to be recognized, celebrated, and placed in front of new opportunities.
As one of the few Chicago neighborhood schools with a chapter, Orr will give qualifying students another way to distinguish themselves when applying to selective colleges and universities, pursue competitive scholarship opportunities, and demonstrate sustained academic excellence, leadership, and service.
01ACADEMIC RECOGNITIONCelebrate outstanding achievement in social studies.
02COLLEGE DISTINCTIONAdd nationally recognized academic membership to college applications.
03SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITYStrengthen students’ profiles for highly competitive awards.
04LEADERSHIP & SERVICEBuild a record of contribution within Orr and beyond.
07 LEARNING IN ACTION
More than a textbook.
CHICAGO METRO HISTORY FAIR
West Side scholars competing—and succeeding—at the highest levels
Orr was one of the few neighborhood schools from Chicago’s West Side to compete at the regional Chicago Metro History Fair—and the only West Side school to take students to the state competition.
Our exhibit group finished among the top 20 exhibit projects in Illinois.
We believe in the greatness of our students because we know they are scholars who can compete with students from any school.
SEE THEIR HISTORY FAIR JOURNEY →HANDS-ON LEARNING
History Labs
Students investigate mysteries, examine artifacts, take sides, and test claims through recurring skill-building experiences.
ADVANCED ACADEMICS
AP U.S. History
An ambitious college-level opportunity for scholars ready to deepen their knowledge and academic confidence.
STUDENT VOICE
Your questions matter here
Students connect course content to their identities, communities, interests, and visions for the future.
08 FIND YOUR PLACE AT ORR
Your future has a history.
Start writing it here.
Visit Orr Academy, meet our educators, and discover an academically rigorous community where your student can be known, supported, and challenged to grow.
Orr Academy High School730 N. Pulaski Road · Chicago, IL 60624Phone: (773) 534-6500EXPLORE ORR ACADEMY →
