{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Richards Career Academy","outOfStateSupporters":41.5,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":6797396,"projectId":9298631,"letterContent":"Your generous donations have made a tremendous difference for our student-athletes. Every piece of equipment, every uniform, and every resource you have provided has helped them feel pride and confidence in representing our school. Wearing their uniforms is more than just clothing .\r\n\r\nThanks to your support, our athletes are able to train, compete, and grow both on and off the field. They are developing important life skills such as discipline, perseverance, and leadership, and your contributions play a direct role in that growth. The impact you have made in the lives of these young men cannot be overstated — you are helping shape not only athletes, but confident, motivated, and responsible individuals who will carry these lessons far beyond the soccer field.\r\n\r\nFrom the bottom of our hearts, thank you once again for believing in our students and supporting their journey. Your generosity inspires them to work harder, dream bigger, and continue striving for success in every aspect of their lives.","fullyFundedDate":1746582560102,"projectUrl":"project/leveling-the-field-gear-up-our-student/9298631/","projectTitle":"Leveling the Field: Gear Up Our Student Athletes","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Rodriguez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6797396_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1697636935542","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6797396"},{"teacherId":8576276,"projectId":9333690,"letterContent":"Our boys and girls soccer teams are so excited to be using the new equipment! One of the first things we did was set up a scrimmage during practice, and the players were thrilled to finally have enough equipment and gear for everyone to participate at the same time. Watching them work on their passing, cheering each other on, and playing a full match with smiles on their faces was such a great moment. The new resources are already building their confidence and team spirit, and we can't wait to see how much they'll grow this season.","fullyFundedDate":1749434185349,"projectUrl":"project/one-team-un-sueo-soccer-uniforms-for/9333690/","projectTitle":"One Team, Un Sueño: Soccer Uniforms for All","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Lopez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8576276"},{"teacherId":10055899,"projectId":9412594,"letterContent":"On behalf of Richards Football team and More Than Game, we want to sincerely thank you for your generous support of our program. Your contribution makes a meaningful difference in the lives of the students and families we serve.\r\n\r\nBecause of your support, we are able to have the proper equipment for are team and more importantly safety equipment for are players. Your generosity helps us continue our mission to help the youth in are community to grow.\r\n\r\nWe are truly grateful for your partnership and belief in our work. Together, we are building opportunities that create lasting impact.\r\n\r\nThank you again for your support — we couldn't do this without you!","fullyFundedDate":1750877314540,"projectUrl":"project/more-than-a-game-empowering-youth-throu/9412594/","projectTitle":"More Than a Game: Empowering Youth Through Football","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Stewart","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10055899_orig.jpg?crop=2010,2010,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1749820956767","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10055899"},{"teacherId":6797396,"projectId":9571069,"letterContent":"We recently received our brand new soccer uniforms, and the team could not be more excited! The students had been hoping for new jerseys for a while, so when the boxes arrived, their reaction was priceless. They immediately tried them on, smiling and talking about how proud they felt to finally represent our school in matching gear. The new uniforms gave them an instant sense of unity, boosted their confidence, and made them even more eager to start the season.\r\n\r\nWe'll be uploading pictures as soon as we take our first team photos and play our first game of the season. The next step for our students is stepping onto the field together, wearing their uniforms with pride, and showing off all the hard work they've put into preparing. These uniforms are more than just jerseys—they're helping to build team spirit, motivation, and a sense of belonging that will carry through the season.","fullyFundedDate":1755807053815,"projectUrl":"project/warriors-new-uniforms-new-goals/9571069/","projectTitle":"Warriors: New Uniforms, New Goals!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Rodriguez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6797396_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1697636935542","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6797396"},{"teacherId":8576276,"projectId":9042998,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, our girls' soccer team is stepping onto the field with pride, unity, and a renewed sense of purpose. For many of our players, this is the first time they've ever had a matching uniform something so simple, yet so powerful.\r\n\r\nWe are a small but fierce team at a low-income high school where resources are limited, but spirit is never in short supply. Before receiving these uniforms, our girls played in mismatched gear, often feeling overlooked and disconnected. Now, when they walk onto the field, they walk tall. \r\n\r\nThese uniforms have done more than just improve our appearance they've elevated our confidence, and our performance. Players are showing up early to practice, encouraging one another more, and believing in themselves in new ways. You've given them the pride of representation, and it shows in every pass, goal, and high-five.","fullyFundedDate":1745416812769,"projectUrl":"project/drive-for-victory-support-our-soccer-pl/9042998/","projectTitle":"Drive for Victory: Support Our Soccer Players","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Lopez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8576276"},{"teacherId":9351683,"projectId":9153206,"letterContent":"By Donating to this project you help our Cheer Team have the ability to perform to their highest potential! All the equipment that we received will help our Cheer Team prepared to perform safely at school basketball games and school wide events. We have started to use the gymnastics Mat to benefits for cheerleaders, practicing tumbling and stunts. Knowing how to learning how to learn a soft landing, and absorbing the impact from jumps. We have done basic rolls, handstands, and cartwheels. we have a lot of more work to do.\r\n\r\n The Warriors Cheer team was so overwhelmed gratitude for the new Cheer Team materials that we received for our 2025 school year for sports. The smile on they faces were priceless. Also the new cheer equipment created an atmosphere of enthusiasm, motivating them to strive for new levels of performance and skill development. Our next project are all about maximizing its use to enhance skill development, foster teamwork, and prepare for upcoming performances or competitions.","fullyFundedDate":1746627772708,"projectUrl":"project/empowering-our-warriors-cheerleaders-es/9153206/","projectTitle":"Empowering Our Warriors Cheerleaders: Essential Material Needed","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Smith","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9351683_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1754836521490","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9351683"},{"teacherId":6797396,"projectId":8911993,"letterContent":"We want to sincerely thank you for helping make our boys' and girls' varsity soccer programs feel like one united family. Your support, including the backpacks and training equipment, has played a huge role in our success both on and off the field. These resources have not only helped us perform better in games but have also been essential during practices, allowing us to train more effectively and prepare for competition.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has created a positive impact on our student-athletes, making them more excited and motivated to show up to practice every day. Thanks to your contributions, both teams have grown stronger and achieved the incredible milestone of becoming conference champions. We are so grateful for everything you've done to support our programs and help our players succeed!","fullyFundedDate":1733280972612,"projectUrl":"project/lets-have-soccer-practice-anywhere-we-c/8911993/","projectTitle":"Let's Have Soccer Practice Anywhere We Can","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Rodriguez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6797396_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1697636935542","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6797396"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_5478","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":278,"numTeachers":16,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":32,"percentWhite":0,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":62,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"9 - 12","studentTeacherRatio":"17.4:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":58.5,"schoolId":5478,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Richards Career Academy on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Richards Career Academy","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/chicago-public-school-district-299/richards-career-academy/5478"}
Join the 366 supporters who believe in this school.
About this school
Richards Career Academy is
an urban public school
in Chicago, Illinois that is part of Chicago Public School District 299.
It serves 278 students
in grades 9 - 12 with a student/teacher ratio of 17.4:1.
Its teachers have had 145 projects funded on DonorsChoose.
Boost support for this school! Share this page with friends, family, alumni, and fellow supporters. Every connection helps teachers get the supplies they need and shows how much your community cares about its students.
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of students receive free or reduced price lunch
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
Source: the National Center for Education Statistics
94%
of students are Black, Latino, Native
American, or Asian
Data about school demographics comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. The numbers in this chart may not add up to 100% because of limitations in the available data.
Richards Career Academy Support on DonorsChoose
Last updated Jan 13, 2026
DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students
in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.
Richards Career Academy
$147,228
raised using DonorsChoose
145
projects
funded
40
teachers
funded
366
donors
3
projects
for
basic supplies
14
projects for
technology
9
projects for
books
Richards Career Academy has received support from
214 individuals from Illinois and
152 individuals out-of-state.