A Space That Gives Back to Our Teachers
We believe that when teachers feel supported, students thrive. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, Friends of Brennemann has fully funded and completed the renovation of the Brennemann Teachers’ Lounge — transforming it into a bright, welcoming space designed to inspire collaboration, connection, and care.
Located in Chicago’s diverse Uptown/Buena Park neighborhood, Brennemann is a public grade school with a student body that’s 70% on free-and reduced-lunch plans. Despite the challenges, Brennemann is full of passionate educators who show up every day for their students — and now, they finally have a space that gives back to them.
From new floors, lighting, and cabinetry to comfortable furniture and even a working sink and air conditioning, this renovated lounge provides a much-deserved place for teachers to plan, meet, and take a moment to breathe.
Thank you to everyone who made this possible. Together, we’ve created something lasting — a space that reflects the heart of Brennemann.
Where we started.
The original space was a 60 year-old, poorly lit multi-purpose room, with temperature-control issues and no running water. It was an uninviting environment with little inspiration for our educators. One not conducive to collaboration with others or for building community.
Before the renovation, teachers would often opt for their often windowless rooms or seek their own vehicles for breaks.
This renovation wouldn’t have been possible without two amazing partners: Leasing & Management Company, who helped project-manage and sourced vendors, and MDT Architects, a local architecture firm that donated their time and talent to design the space. This is a true community collaboration, and we’re thrilled to give our incredible teachers a space they truly deserve.
- Sink and running water for prepping meals and washing dishes (was previously non-existent)
- Small tables and coordinating seating for small-group collaboration
- Microwaves and refrigerators for enjoying more relaxing meals
- New floors and modern lighting to brighten the space make it more inviting and calm
- Air conditioning for temperature control
From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU to our partners and our donors for helping to make this vision come to life!