Chicago Area Alternative Education League--CAAEL
What is CAAEL?
CAAEL, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, is a powerful tool that schools and teachers have been using for more than 40 years to help at- risk/special education students succeed. CAAEL offers over 900 events to more than 5,000 students from 30 Illinois counties every year. Used throughout the school day, it motivates these students to come to school, complete their assignments and behave appropriately. CAAEL is integrated directly into each school’s curriculum and incentive program, thus providing alternative schools a powerful set of tools to build hope and change lives. Through CAAEL’s emphasis on sportsman- ship, leadership and teamwork vs. winning and losing, educators use their CAAEL membership to teach the skills needed to be both successful students and productive citizens
CAAEL Mission
To eliminate the critical interscholastic ath- letic and activity gap created when at-risk/ special education students are removed from the educational mainstream due to severe behavioral and emotional problems.
CAAEL Program
CAAEL offers an extensive scope of both athletic and nonathletic programs which are held during the school day. CAAEL students are required to meet attendance, academic and behavioral criteria throughout the week in order to participate in CAAEL practices and events. Through the use of eligibility criteria, CAAEL becomes an essential component of each school’s daily procedures and operations. CAAEL serves a wide range of students with respect to age, gender, disabilities, abilities, race, socioeconomic background, and culture. These students attend public and private schools, off-campus and on-campus programs, Special Education, as well as Truants’ Alternative and Optional Education Programs, hospital-affiliated programs, residential schools, and therapeutic day schools.