Sarah Atlas

Sarah Atlas is an educator, administrator, project manager, and artist. She joined MPC as a research assistant and in 2023 came on board as an Associate on the Equitable and Sustainable Communities team. She has 20 years experience in program development and nonprofit leadership, largely in out-of-school time education and arts organizations working to advance postsecondary access and career development opportunities with young people. In 2022, Sarah earned a Masters in Social Work from the University of Chicago with a focus on public policy and social administration, gaining experience and skills in research, community development, child advocacy, philanthropy, and social policy. Sarah’s artistic and community-based work is focused on social change and education equity. She is a co-founder of the Chicago ACT Collective, an artist group building political artistic collaboration, models of collective care, and capacity to create work that addresses social inequities, supports local communities and grassroots movements, and deepens the impact of creative resistance. She is a California native who has been in Chicago over 15 years and has grown to love the lake and lakefront almost as much as the ocean.