The West Loop independent school is the only PreK-12 institution selected as a finalist for its pioneering Bennett Mastery Pathway, replacing traditional letter grades with competency-based assessment.

CHICAGO, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Out of more than 350 regional nominees, Bennett Day School of Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood has been selected as one of the Top 100 Finalists still in the running for the 25th annual Chicago Innovation Awards. The awards celebrate the most innovative new products and services in the Chicago region across all organization sizes, sectors, and industries. Over 700 business and civic leaders will come together to honor the winners when they are announced on November 17th at the UIC Forum.

Bennett Day School was recognized for redefining how schools measure student growth through its pioneer program, the Bennett Mastery Pathway. One of the first in the nation to extend competency-based learning and the Mastery Transcript into middle school, Bennett replaces traditional letter grades, standardized test scores, and point averages with proof of real understanding. Through living digital portfolios, students demonstrate mastery over skills across disciplines—creating a comprehensive record of learning that colleges recognize while fostering self-directed learning and agency. Bennett is the only PreK-12 school in the Chicago area named to this year’s Top 100 Finalists list.

“We are honored to be named a Top 100 Finalist alongside Chicago’s most forward-thinking institutions. The mastery transcript tells the whole story of who a student is becoming, not just how they performed on a single test. By bringing this framework to younger learners, our students are showcasing to the region and the nation what the future of education looks like.”

— Heidi Hutchison, Head of School & COO of Bennett Day School

“I did really well in the traditional model. I could memorize material, do well on tests, and I got straight A’s for most of my education. But when I became an entrepreneur, I realized that what mattered most — solving ambiguous problems, communicating ideas, working with other people, creating something from nothing — wasn’t what my education had measured… Because the goal at Bennett is mastery rather than simply accumulating points for a grade, there’s a very different kind of pride that comes from being able to say, ‘Here’s what I can do, and here’s the evidence.’”

— Kris Petersen, Bennett Day School parent and founder of GearTagz

“Chicago continues to rise as a global hub of innovation that cuts across industries, large corporations and startups, for-profits and non-profits,” said Luke Tanen, President and CEO of Chicago Innovation. “The impact that this year’s nominees generated is profound – their new products and services generated $3 billion in revenues and raised nearly $1 billion in investment capital.”

As one of the Top 100 Finalists, Bennett Day School will receive a $2,500 scholarship to attend The Practical Innovator, a day-long executive education course on October 13th led by top faculty who teach innovation at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

Each of the Top 100 Finalists is also in the running for the annual “People’s Choice Award,” selected through public online balloting at https://chicagoinnovation.com/nominations/.

Out of the Top 100 Finalists, the judges will select 20 winners of the Chicago Innovation Awards. In addition to being celebrated at the Chicago Innovation Awards ceremony on November 17th, the winners will be invited to ring the Nasdaq Bell in New York City and receive widespread media recognition.

About Bennett Day School
Located in Chicago’s West Loop (955 W Grand Ave), Bennett Day School is a private school serving over 425 students ages 2 through 12th grade. Built for what’s next, Bennett matches academic rigor with humanity—cultivating essential human advantages like curiosity, collaboration, character, and creativity. In a world being reshaped by AI and technology, Bennett students graduate ready to solve problems, lead teams, and adapt to whatever comes next. For more information or to plan a visit, please visit www.bennettday.org.

Media Contact:
Samantha Rud, Director of Marketing
Bennett Day School
samantha.rud@bennettday.org
312-762-5170
https://bennettday.org/

Chicago Innovation Contact:
Luke Tanen
Luke@chicagoinnovation.com
312-988-1516

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SOURCE Bennett Day School