Chicago CRED violence prevention program participants earn high school diplomas

Some Chicagoans working to turn their lives around celebrated a big accomplishment Thursday as they earned their high school diplomas.

Chicago CRED, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing gun violence in Chicago, hosted a graduation ceremony Thursday at the South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Dr.

A total of 58 new high school graduates were honored at the event, along with several people who graduated earlier in the year, participants in other community violence intervention programs, and staff members who have earned new education credentials.

In all, 112 people were honored Thursday, CRED said.

All the grads participate in CRED's violence prevention program.

The organization helped the new grads earn their diplomas online.

On Thursday, family members, life coaches, and outreach workers were all there to cheer on the graduates.

Since CRED was founded in 2016, 400 participants have earned high school diplomas through the Penn Foster virtual high school program, CRED said. Many participants and CRED staff have also pursued online college courses through a partnership with Southern New Hampshire University.