Shkolla Shqipe Arbëria (Chicago)

Shkolla Shqipe Arbëria is an Albanian language and culture school for children and youth ages 7 to 17, serving families across the Chicago Albanian-American community. Classes meet at 10050 Ivanhoe Ave in Schiller Park, Illinois, in second-floor classrooms, with the school presenting itself publicly as "Shkolla Shqipe 'Arbëria' – Albanian Language School – Chicago."

The program runs on a weekly Sunday schedule during the school year. Albanian language classes (Shkolla Shqipe) are held Sundays from 12:30 to 1:30 pm, and the cultural dance group, Grupi Arbëria, meets every other Sunday from 1:30 to 2:30 pm. The homepage frames the mission plainly: learn Albanian language, culture, and dance.

Tuition is charged per semester. Language classes are $125 for the first child and $75 for each additional child in the same family; Grupi Arbëria is $75 per participant. Payment is accepted by cash, by check made out to "Albanian Language School – Chicago" with the memo "Shkolla Shqipe," or by Zelle. Registration is handled online through a Google Form or with a downloadable form submitted by email or in person.

The school is a 501(c)(3) and is explicitly non-religious. Its admissions page notes that it has families from all faiths and does not teach religious education, distinguishing it from church-based Albanian language programs in the Chicago area. For a community focused on language maintenance and cultural continuity, that secular, family-oriented stance is the school's defining feature alongside its dance and language curriculum.