Who needs a bake sale? The Grammy-winning hip-hop artist Chance the Rapper wrote a $1m check this week to help fund arts programming at Chicago’s public schools. “As an artist and after-school teacher, I know the arts are invaluable,” the Chicago-born musician said at a press conference held at Westcott Elementary School, near his childhood home. “They teach kids lessons about how small efforts can have big effects and how collaboration can lead to creativity.” His decision comes after a “disappointing” meeting with Illinois’s Republic governor Bruce Rauner about fixing the schools’ ongoing budget crisis. “This check is a call to action. I’m challenging major companies in Chicago and across the US to donate and take action.” The donation will be partially funded through ticket sales for Chance’s forthcoming tour, and supporters can donate through SocialWorks, with the organisation pitching in an extra $10,000 to individual schools for every $100,000 raised.
