School Context
Marine Leadership Academy (MLA) in Chicago is a 7-12 public school emphasizing leadership development through a military-inspired curriculum and service-learning. It's the only 7-12 Marine Corps Junior ROTC (MCJROTC) Academy in the country, affiliated with the United States Marine Corps. MLA offers a comprehensive curriculum, with academic courses taught by both military personnel and civilians, and supports extracurricular activities like football, soccer, wrestling and cheerleading. Students wear Marine Corps uniforms and adhere to specific grooming standards about hair length, shoe styles, jewelry, and make-up.
The school serves a diverse student population and aims to empower students. The student body is made up of 94% Hispanic students and 6% African American students. Located in Chicago, MLA is situated in a low-to middle income community heavily impacted by gentrification. Student backgrounds are 81% low-income, single guardian households. Students with learning disabilities hover at 13% and 40% of students are recently arrived from South America, speaking only Spanish. 2
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