blog posts

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  Sangamon CEO matches mentors for high school students, incubating startup ideas

  Nov 27, 2023 11:30 am

  Innovate Springfield, the University of Illinois Springfield’s downtown business incubator, is partnering with the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition (ISTC) to create a professional mentorship matching program for high school students in the Sangamon CEO program. 

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  Researchers, YouthBuild team up to train bedbug exterminators

  Oct 6, 2022 3:30 pm

  Partnership empowers local tenants to control infestations as part of UIUC commitment to social justice projects.

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  Report shows recent Illinois graduates succeeding despite pandemic

  Mar 9, 2022 8:00 am

  The seventh annual Illini Success report released today shows that University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates in summer 2020, fall 2020 and spring 2021 found jobs, enrolled in graduate school or began volunteer programs on par with previous years.

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  Real Impact: Robust collaborations activate diverse vendors' successes

  Aug 21, 2023 1:30 pm

  The Diverse Supplier Development Program welcomes minority-, woman-, persons with disabilities-, and veteran-owned businesses at no cost to participants. The diversity procurement program lives out the system’s commitment to creating a more inclusive Illinois economy.

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  Real Impact: Research without borders delights Mexican exchange student

  Jul 10, 2023 12:45 pm

  Students from Mexico studying here, as well as Mexican-American students doing research internships in Mexico, receive educational support and mentoring as part of the new Mexican & Mexican-American Students initiative (I-MMÁS).

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  Real Impact: Once-reluctant teen raises her hand for tech

  Oct 10, 2022 8:15 am

  Digital Scholars at Discovery Partners Institute helps high school and college students like Aijah Welch build confidence and skills while connecting them with Chicago’s dynamic tech community. 

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  Real Impact: Hope Chicago delivers wide welcome to students, families

  Jul 17, 2023 11:45 am

  For now, the program is available to about 4,000 students at five Chicago high schools – many from historically underrepresented groups – plus one parent or guardian each. Student support covers tuition and fees, room and board, books and a laptop, plus a yearly stipend.  

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  Real Impact: Giving back tops driven alum’s list of successes

  Sep 2, 2022 9:00 am

  University of Illinois Chicago alum Lura Buckley attributes her success to Chicago’s One Million Degrees, as well as support from family, friends, mentors and educators.

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  Real Impact: AP training equips high school teachers for stronger programs

  Jan 13, 2023 10:00 am

  Students from many Illinois high schools don't have full access to a key opportunity for success: Advanced Placement courses. During summer 2023, the University of Illinois System will offer – for the first time – Advanced Placement Summer Institutes at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and University of Illinois Springfield.

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  Program moves early childhood educators to next level in careers

  Jan 13, 2023 11:15 am

  At University of Illinois Chicago, dozens of early childhood teachers and their families celebrated the UIC Early Childhood Education Alternative Licensure Program. The program focuses on helping early childhood education professionals further their careers with tuition and fees covered by the City of Chicago Early Learning Workforce scholarship. 

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  Preparing CPS educators to teach next generation of biomedical engineers

  Feb 9, 2022 8:45 am

  The UIC College of Engineering and College of Education have received a $538,237 federal grant to continue a summer biomedical engineering program that has trained 27 Chicago Public Schools science teachers over the last five years. 

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  Pioneering female politicians’ papers available for review in UIC Library

  Mar 20, 2023 3:30 pm

  The collections span the careers of Cardiss Collins, who represented Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1973 to 1997, and Esther Saperstein, who served in the Illinois General Assembly from 1957 to 1975 and as a Chicago alderperson from 1975 to 1979. 

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  OSF HealthCare, UIC award nearly $1M in grants to promote health equity

  Feb 6, 2023 12:30 pm

  The Community Health Advocacy (CHA) program is creating fast solutions to improve access, communication & education. Ten projects will be funded by these grants, and recipients are expected to create solutions that can be deployed within four to six weeks.

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  Oak Park chooses UIC's Great Cities Institute for racial equity assessment

  May 22, 2023 10:00 am

  The Great Cities Institute is a university-wide, interdisciplinary research institute located within the university’s College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs. The village board all but unanimously approved the contract.

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  New virtual summer camp for high schoolers diagnosed with autism

  May 5, 2021 3:45 pm

  Rising sophomores, juniors and seniors at Illinois high schools who were diagnosed with autism and are considering attending the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign can explore and prepare for college life through a new virtual summer camp.

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  New UIC fellowship aims to diversify architectural community

  Jan 10, 2022 3:15 pm

  Martina Smith is the first recipient of the Hartshorne and Plunkard Fellowship, a new annual award given to a UIC architecture graduate student which aims to diversify the talent pipeline into the architectural profession.

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  New UIC early learning website focuses on kindergarten readiness

  May 1, 2023 10:00 am

  The recently launched website, The Ready Child, provides a shared definition of kindergarten readiness, as well as plentiful resources to give users the knowledge and skills needed to help children succeed in kindergarten.

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  New tech boot camps at UIC

  Jan 31, 2021 10:30 am

  To meet the demand for cyber-security and coding professionals, the University of Illinois At Chicago and Fullstack Academy are rolling out a new tech boot camp. 

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  New program to support UIUC freshmen with autism

  Jul 15, 2022 10:45 am

  Incoming freshmen at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with autism can avail themselves of autism-specific support by participating in the Illinois Neurodiversity Initiative, a pilot program getting underway in the fall semester.

   

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  New initiative to increase Mexican enrollment, partnerships

  Feb 18, 2021 8:30 am

  U of I System President Tim Killeen recently launched an initiative to expand connections with Mexico, seeking to increase enrollment of Mexican students as well as academic and research partnerships with universities, government agencies and private industry in Mexico.

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  New hybrid option improves access for future science communicators

  Jan 6, 2023 9:45 am

  New online master’s program and individual course modules reduce barries for journalists and prospective journalists who want to improve and specialize in science writing.

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  New center helps HS teachers enable students with significant disabilities gain employment

  May 19, 2022 3:45 pm

  The Illinois Center for Transition and Work provides resources and training for special educators and others who are preparing high school students with significant disabilities to work after graduation.

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  New AP training equips high school teachers for student success

  Feb 9, 2023 8:15 am

  While many high schools in the state offer some Advanced Placement courses, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) says nearly two-thirds of districts – mostly in rural areas – did not enroll any AP students last year. Turning that around means more Sparking Change-style experiences that lead to successful pathways for college and careers.

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  Krannert Art Museum teacher is Illinois Art Education Association 'Educator of the Year'

  Oct 16, 2023 10:15 am

  Krannert Art Museum education coordinator Kamila Glowacki won the award for her work designing and leading tours and programs for all age groups.

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  Japan House celebrates long history on Urbana-Champaign campus

  May 8, 2023 10:00 am

  Since 1975, Japan House’s mission is to interact with both the campus and the community as a whole and share traditional Japanese arts and culture.

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  I-Ready online camp offered for high school students with autism

  Apr 25, 2022 8:45 am

  Rising sophomores, juniors and seniors at Illinois high school who are on the autism spectrum are encouraged to apply for I-Ready, a virtual summer camp at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

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  Importance of our international students

  Jul 8, 2020 1:00 pm

  Students from dozens of countries are integral to the globally connected University of Illinois System, and they are valued members of our family. They enrich our universities and greatly enhance the educational experience for all.

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  Illinois Commitment

  Sep 10, 2018 2:45 pm

  A new financial-aid program, Illinois Commitment aims to make attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign more affordable for middle-income families in the state of Illinois. More...

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  Ida B. Wells Scholarship Fund announced at UIC

  Feb 23, 2021 8:45 am

  A new University of Illinois Chicago scholarship honoring the groundbreaking African American journalist and civil rights leader Ida B. Wells will serve Chicago Public Schools and Archdiocese of Chicago students.

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  iBSW Chicago Program

  Jan 5, 2021 10:15 am

  This two-year program allows community college graduates to complete University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign BSW degrees while residing in Chicago, through a combination of hybrid and online courses and metropolitan-area based internships.

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  Grainger College of Engineering, others to build tiny homes community in Urbana

  Jun 26, 2023 10:00 am

  The north Urbana community will be called Hope Village — a place for people who are medically fragile and chronically homeless to live and get the kinds of help they need.

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  Google to help DPI & Wilbur Wright College build diverse computing pipeline

  Mar 23, 2022 9:30 am

  The Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) and Wilbur Wright College are expanding their partnership to develop promising and diverse tech talent in Illinois, focusing on the student journey into computer and data science fields, with support from Google.

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  Gies launches fully online, stackable graduate certificates

  May 5, 2022 2:45 pm

  Furthering its longstanding commitment to break down barriers to business education, Gies College of Business is launching a pair of fully online, credit-bearing graduate certificates, the first ever offered by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

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  Gies Business partners with Google to prepare adult learners for career success

  Nov 3, 2021 8:30 am

  Gies College of Business at UIUC is partnering with Google to prepare learners in the Google Career Certificate programs with critical business skills like leadership, teamwork, and strategic thinking.

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  Future genetic counselor tells her own Illinois Commitment story

  Oct 28, 2022 11:15 am

  "When I look back at it, that one tiny mutation in (my sister's) DNA had a significant effect on the evolution of our family. For me, it set me on a path that brought me to Illinois."

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  Find Food IL Map gives guidance for people experiencing food insecurity

  Aug 28, 2023 10:00 am

  Illinois Extension's SNAP-Education program saw that existing community food resource maps were fragmented and scattered. The Find Food IL Map aimed to streamline access, whether a person needed free meals or used some sort of benefit.

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  Extension to ACES scholarships

  Jul 19, 2018 2:45 pm

  University of Illinois Extension and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences(ACES) are now offering up to 54 scholarships for the 2018-2019 academic year. More...

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  Expanded scholarship support

  Jul 20, 2018 2:45 pm

  UIC’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has received $1.5 million from The Davee Foundation to expand its scholarship support for high-achieving students with financial need. More...

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  Expanded funding for MAP grants and merit scholarships

  Jun 9, 2019 1:00 pm

  Tim Killeen, president of the U of I System, spoke with the Chicago Tribune about what the increase in state funding means for public higher education. 

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  Environmental Leadership Program prepares students to be sustainability leaders

  Oct 11, 2021 1:00 pm

  The Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) is a cutting-edge program launched by the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The program is designed to prepare Illinois undergraduates for leadership roles in the sustainability field.

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  Enrollment grows to nearly 89,000 students

  Sep 12, 2019 10:15 am

  Enrollment this fall across the University of Illinois System grew to a record high for the seventh straight year, increasing 3.8 percent to nearly 89,000 students, President Tim Killeen announced. More...

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  DuSable Scholars Program aims to increase number of students of color in STEM

  Aug 30, 2021 12:45 pm

  In an effort to bolster the number of Black and Latino students studying STEM-related fields, the University of Illinois Chicago has established a merit-based scholarship program within the College of Engineering and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

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  Dual credit class

  Jul 20, 2018 2:45 pm

  UIS is offering its first on-campus dual-credit class for high school students as part of a pilot program. The pilot course, CHE 199A: General, Organic, and Biochemistry, is taught by a faculty member and students earn high school and college credit. More...

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  DPI wins Joyce Foundation grant to examine dual-credit outcomes

  Oct 25, 2022 12:00 pm

  The Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) has been awarded $94,191 by the Joyce Foundation to fund a two-year study of Illinois’ dual-credit program, which enables high school students to undertake coursework that counts for high school and college credit.

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  DPI's Software Development Program: Confronting challenge, changing lives

  Apr 3, 2023 9:45 am

  Discovery Partners Institute’s Pritzker Tech Talent Labs Software Development Program aims to reskill and upskill adult learners that are rethinking their careers. Meet three of the apprentices in the program: Matthew, Zipporah, and Ainsley.

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  DPI’s IWERC awarded funding to expand research on education issues

  Jun 27, 2022 3:15 pm

  The Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) at the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) has been awarded a total of $275,000 in funding from three organizations — CME Group Foundation, Joyce Foundation, and Crown Family Philanthropies —  that will expand IWERC’s research on Illinois education issues.

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  DPI's IWERC awarded $1M for computer science education research

  Feb 3, 2022 10:30 am

  The Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) at the Discovery Partners Institute has been awarded $1 million to research computer science education in Illinois with the aim of helping schools meet new statewide requirements and recruit more women and people of color into the major at Illinois universities.

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  DPI Partners with OneTen to Advance Black Talent in Illinois

  Feb 22, 2022 9:15 am

  The Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) has been inducted into the OneTen employer partner network, a coalition of leading CEOs and their companies aiming to upskill, hire, and advance one million Black individuals without four-year degrees over the next decade.

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  DPI partners with Hope Chicago to expand access to tech apprenticeships

  Mar 6, 2023 11:45 am

  The new multigenerational partnership will create a new pathway to lucrative tech careers for thousands of Chicago Public Schools students and their parents.

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  DPI launches statewide mobile app development program for K-12 educators

  Oct 12, 2022 8:45 am

  The Discovery Partners Institute, in partnership with Apple, is launching a training program for teachers in mobile app development using Swift, enabling participants to gain programming skills and bring CS concepts into their K-12 classrooms.