Carolina Carchi
Pay-It-Forward Awardee
As a high school student, Carolina showed extraordinary courage by stepping in to teach her classmates when algebra and chemistry teachers left mid‑year, ensuring her peers were not left behind. She created lessons, provided supplies, and kept her classmates on track, drawing attention to critical staffing shortages that have since improved at her school. Her passion for education later led her to serve on the Chicago Board of Education as the Honorary Student Board Member, representing more than 300,000 Chicago Public School students.
West Humboldt Park, Illinois
October 15, 2025
Pay-It-Forward
Award
Awarded to:
Individual award recipients are not eligible for a grant, but can “pay it forward” by recommending a values-aligned organization to receive a grant. When an individual receives a “Pay It Forward” award, they are invited to recommend a grant to a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in their community that is aligned with the values of the project. “Pay It Forward” recipients are typically awarded to one or several individuals for personal acts of courage






