Chelsea Ridley

Chelsea Ridley has a diverse range of work experience, starting as an Education Intern at the DuSable Museum of African American History in 2010. Chelsea later worked at Gilda's Club Chicago as a Program Administrator and Volunteer Coordinator. Chelsea then joined Chicago Cares, where they served as the Coordinator of Ongoing Volunteer Programs and later as an Education Site Leader. Chelsea also worked at the University of Illinois at Chicago as a Research Assistant and at the DuSable Museum of African American History as an Education and Outreach Coordinator and later as an Educational Services Manager. In 2016, they co-founded and curated the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot. Chelsea then took on the role of Senior Program Director at Mikva Challenge, where they managed the Citywide Youth Councils and the Teen Health Council. Chelsea recently completed a Fellowship at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. Their most recent position was Director of Community Engagement at Open Books, where they developed and implemented engagement strategies and oversaw the North Lawndale Reads initiative.

Chelsea Ridley's education history begins in 2010 when they participated in the Urban Studies Program at the Associated Colleges of the Midwest. From 2007 to 2011, they attended Illinois Wesleyan University, where they earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, Russian Language, Culture, and Literature. Following their undergraduate studies, they pursued a Master's Degree in Museum and Exhibition Studies (MUSE) at the University of Illinois Chicago from 2016 to 2018. Most recently, in 2023, Chelsea attended the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, completing a Certificate in Civic Leadership through the Civic Leadership Academy (CLA).