blog posts Impact on the state economy Aug 14, 2019 1:00 pm The U of I System contributes $17.5 billion annually to the state’s economy through its research, hospital, and entrepreneurial activities, along with the universities' students and visitors, according to a recent study. More... Training community firefighters Aug 19, 2019 1:00 pm As the statutory fire academy for Illinois, the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) serves firefighters throughout Illinois and beyond with coursework and hands-on training at regional centers throughout the state. More... Child Protection Training Academy Aug 19, 2019 2:00 pm The Child Protection Training Academy at the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) trains case workers and investigators to better spot and report kids who might be in danger. More... Assisting military-dependent communities Aug 19, 2019 2:30 pm UIC has received a $2.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Economic Adjustment to support economic research and resiliency in Illinois’ military-connected communities. More... Two projects to help communities with lead-elimination Oct 16, 2019 2:45 pm UIC received $1.7 million in research funding from HUD to study lead and other household health hazards. The funds will support two different projects in Illinois communities. More... New Peoria Innovation Hub to be part of statewide network Nov 4, 2019 2:45 pm The Peoria Innovation Hub will be dedicated to finding solutions to improve the wellness of underserved populations and advance systems related to food, farming, and transportation. More... Studying access to early childhood education in Illinois Feb 10, 2020 2:45 pm UIC researchers, supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, will examine feedback from families who are living with the effects of their child’s expulsion. More... Gov. Pritzker commits $500 million to IIN and DPI Feb 12, 2020 2:45 pm The State of Illinois is moving forward with $500 million in capital funding for the University of Illinois System’s Illinois Innovation Network and Discovery Partners Institute – a network of research and innovation hubs that will serve as a magnet for technology and talent. More... U of I at Urbana-Champaign helping families across the state Feb 18, 2020 2:45 pm Here's just 10 ways the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is helping kids and families across the state. More... UIS helping private and community colleges and state agencies transition to remote learning May 5, 2020 9:45 am The University of Illinois Springfield Center For Online Learning, Research and Service (COLRS) is helping Illinois private and community colleges and state agencies transition to remote learning as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. UIC leads largest nationwide effort to protect the monarch butterfly May 5, 2020 9:45 am Since 2017, the University of Illinois at Chicago has partnered with more than 45 energy companies and transportation agencies to develop the first nationwide Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances to engage in important conservation actions to protect the monarch butterfly. Child Development Laboratory cares for children of essential, critical personnel May 5, 2020 10:00 am Since mid-March, the staff at the CDL has stepped up to provide emergency childcare for a limited number of essential and critical personnel during the pandemic, under the state’s emergency childcare license. South Shore clinic expands COVID-19 testing May 5, 2020 10:15 am UI Health Mile Square Health Center — a network of federally qualified health centers, or FQHCs, in Chicago — is now providing COVID-19 testing to community members on the South Side who meet testing criteria at its South Shore clinic, located at 7037 S. Stony Island Ave. DPI launches new education and workforce research center May 31, 2020 8:30 am The Discovery Partners Institute has launched a new education and workforce research center, IWERC, with $3.9 million from some of the city’s most influential philanthropists and foundations. UIS offers free public webinar series on community health Jun 17, 2020 8:45 am As part of the Springfield Innovation Hub, UIS and the Community Health Roundtable have launched a new webinar series on community health with immediate focus on the impact of COVID-19. Awards recognize UIUC excellence in public engagement Jul 10, 2020 8:45 am The Campus Awards for Excellence in Public Engagement spotlight faculty members and staff at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who have consistently applied their knowledge and expertise to issues for the public good. Fund to aid family advocacy initiative at law school clinic Jul 20, 2020 2:45 pm A new fund will help support those in need of representation in family law matters through UIC John Marshall Law School's Pro Bono Litigation Clinic. Instructors benefit from UIS course on teaching online Jul 29, 2020 2:00 pm The University of Illinois Springfield ION Professional eLearning Program’s Overview of Online Instruction course is helping Illinois higher education professors and K-12 teachers to better teach online during the pandemic. U of I to expand COVID saliva testing nationally Aug 10, 2020 3:15 pm The U of I System has embarked on a broad effort to expand the reach of saliva-based testing pioneered by U of I researchers that supports widespread testing with rapid results to limit spread of the COVID-19 virus. Healthcare leaders protect homeless during pandemic Sep 9, 2020 3:15 pm Chicago nonprofits, shelters, city and healthcare leaders, including UI Health, have come together to address the problems those experiencing homelessness are facing while protecting public health. Community map locates food assistance sites Sep 29, 2020 3:00 pm To help Illinois residents meet their basic food needs, University of Illinois Extension launched a new Illinois community food map that allows individuals to search by Illinois zip code for all food resources in that area. Pop-up testing clinics for Rantoul ag workers Dec 2, 2020 1:30 pm An interdisciplinary team of scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is working with clinicians and community researchers to expand access to COVID-19 testing by providing pop-up testing clinics for agricultural workers and others at various locations in Rantoul, Illinois. Donation to help DPI develop more inclusive tech talent Dec 15, 2020 1:15 pm A $10 million gift will establish the Pritzker Tech Talent Labs at DPI, which will help Illinois workers better adapt to a challenging and quickly changing economy, and help thousands of women and people of color secure high-paying tech jobs. Technology loan program helps families Dec 18, 2020 9:30 am A technology loan program provided by the Illinois Early Intervention Clearinghouse at UIUC is helping many families across the state obtain the equipment they need to participate in live video – or telehealth – visits with their children’s therapists. UIC recognized for recovering food for homeless Jan 8, 2021 1:00 pm In the fall of 2020, volunteers with UIC’s Food Recovery Network (FRN) chapter collected 7,589 pounds of food and donated it to area homeless shelters. UIC has been recognized for the achievement of the most recovered pounds by any FRN chapter nationwide in the Fall of 2020. In person or over Zoom, UIC students help the community Feb 3, 2021 9:00 am Nearly 200 UIC students spent their day off volunteering in the Chicago community for the MLK Day of Service. UI Health leads Chicago in providing vaccines for phase 1B Feb 10, 2021 9:15 am The first day it opened a community COVID-19 vaccination site UIC and UI Health administered more than 1,600 shots to phase 1A and phase 1B eligible people, representing nearly a quarter of all vaccine doses (23%) distributed in Chicago on that day. Preventing child fatalities and training the workforce Feb 10, 2021 1:45 pm The UIS Child Protection Training Academy has trained close to 1,000 DCFS child protection investigators over the last five years. The model has been expanded to Chicago and will soon be replicated at Southern Illinois University. U of I System receives FDA authorization for covidSHIELD test process Mar 1, 2021 1:15 pm The University of Illinois System received emergency use authorization (EUA) today from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for covidSHIELD, its innovative saliva-based COVID-19 test that was used on the U of I campuses to hold the virus in check by utilizing widespread testing with rapid results. UIC works with Chicago to deliver vaccinations to city's most vulnerable Mar 16, 2021 10:00 am The University of Illinois Chicago along with Protect Chicago Plus have partnered to provide 1,000 COVID-19 vaccines to residents in the Englewood neighborhood, with plans to expand to other city areas with vulnerable populations Volunteers help Chicago residents without internet connect to COVID-19 vaccines Mar 23, 2021 10:30 am A UIC computer science student created a volunteer group on Facebook aimed at helping individuals from Chicago's Black and brown communities book vaccine appointments online. Saliva test being expanded in Champaign-Urbana community Mar 24, 2021 10:15 am OSF HealthCare announced a new partnership with the University of Illinois Tuesday that will expand the U of I’s saliva-based COVID-19 test into the broader Champaign-Urbana community. K-12 Shield Playbook offers guidance for reopening schools Apr 15, 2021 12:15 pm A new resource is available to help guide teachers and school administrators as they reopen schools amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, assembled by researchers and experts at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Community colleges in Illinois now have option to provide free covidSHIELD tests to state residents Apr 19, 2021 1:00 pm Community colleges across the state now have the ability to provide the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s (UIUC) innovative, saliva-based COVID-19 test at no cost to any state resident who wants one. State invests big in COVID tests for schools May 12, 2021 6:00 pm In an effort to ensure in-person learning can fully resume as quickly and safely as possible, the Illinois Department of Public Health today announced a $225 million investment to expand access to covidSHIELD saliva-based testing, developed by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, to middle and high schools across the state at low or no cost. UIC to create kindergarten readiness website May 24, 2021 8:30 am Educational researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago have received a $100,000 grant to help fund the creation of an online kindergarten readiness website for teachers and family. IDPH & DPI announce statewide system to monitor COVID-19 in wastewater May 25, 2021 8:30 am The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) today announced a statewide system to monitor the virus that causes COVID-19 and its variants in wastewater, providing public health officials with early warnings of a potential outbreak on a county-by-county basis. Helping prevent postpartum depression in Black women Jun 2, 2021 12:45 pm The Sunnyside for Moms app created by researchers at University of Illinois Chicago aims to help pregnant women of color who are shoing signs of depression but haven't reached the point of clinical depression. SHIELD CU helping raise vaccination rates among people of color Jun 16, 2021 9:00 am The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's SHIELD CU team is partnering with local organizations to help boost COVID-19 vaccine rates in Champaign County's community of color. Illinois Extension contributes to vaccination awareness effort in state Jul 19, 2021 10:15 am A new partnership is empowering land-grant universities across the country to strengthen immunization education with a special focus on adult vaccine hesitancy around both COVID-19 and other adult vaccines. Evaluating plastic litter prevention strategies on Lake Springfield Jul 27, 2021 9:30 am Researchers at University of Illinois Springfield are examining pollution in and around Lake Springfield and devising strategies to reduce the litter and its impact on the environment. Improving health and wellness in urban communities Jul 28, 2021 2:45 pm Peoria, Illinois-based OSF HealthCare is partnering with the University of Illinois Chicago to establish the Community Health Advocacy (CHA) applied research program to address health and wellness challenges in urban communities. Sampling sewer water for COVID-19 in the C-U community Aug 9, 2021 11:45 am Illinois State Water Survey researchers have been sampling sewer water to look for traces of SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19, at the neighborhood level in Champaign-Urbana to help monitor the spread of the disease. Grant to foster health equity among Chicago youth Aug 25, 2021 9:45 am A new grant will help reduce disparities in healthcare through a unique new training program led by Carle Illinois College of Medicine’s Ruby Mendenhall. Bringing more healthcare services to Southwest Side Sep 28, 2021 3:45 pm With approval from the Board of Trustees to purchase a recently closed clinical building at 5525 S. Pulaski Road, the UIC and UI Health will move forward with plans to increase access to comprehensive health care in Chicago’s Gage Park and West Elsdon communities. Working to improve rural healthcare Oct 14, 2021 8:45 am UIC Medicine students in the rural healthcare program in Rockford are preparing to make a difference in healthcare in rural communities in Illinois and across the country. Collaboration to better serve pediatric patients Nov 3, 2021 8:30 am Cook County Health and UI Health — the leading public health care providers in Cook County and Illinois — will collaborate on specialty pediatric services under the Partnership for Pediatric Care, a new clinical affiliation for shared services. New molecule targets, images and treats lung cancer tumors in mice Nov 3, 2021 8:30 am University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers have developed a finely tuned molecular agent that can target lung and other cancer cells for imaging and treatment. Preparing students for medical careers through human nutrition program Nov 17, 2021 9:15 am Lauren Moy forged her path to the UIC College of Pharmacy by way of an undergraduate human nutrition concentration at the College of ACES at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Researchers to combat systemic racism in access to nature Nov 19, 2021 10:00 am Researchers from the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism in the College of Applied Health Sciences at UIUC plan to give a formal evaluation of efforts by the Urbana Park District to increase acceess to nature and recreation opportunites among diverse residents.
