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Sparking Change
Read the latest stories about how the University of Illinois System is widening doors of opportunities, creating a stronger, more diverse workforce for our state and beyond.
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  • UIC statue on campus

    UIC named top school in the Midwest for diversity, No. 6 in U.S.

    Feb 24, 2022 12:45 pm

    The University of Illinois at Chicago ranks highest in the Midwest for the diversity of its students and faculty in the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings. 

  • Chicago skyline

    DPI Launches First Apprenticeship Program with Cognizant

    May 26, 2022 8:45 am

    The Discovery Partners Institute’s Pritzker Tech Talent Labs is launching its first apprenticeship program in partnership with global professional services leader Cognizant, aimed at advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the tech industry.

  • A conceptual drawing of one of the tiny houses to be built in Hope Village in north Urbana

    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.

  • Al Ronan at podium

    UIC Athletics announces third-largest endowed scholarship

    Mar 18, 2021 9:15 am

    The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Athletics Department announced today a $250,000 commitment from football letter winner and two-time alumnus Al Ronan ('69 & '70) to establish the Al Ronan Family UIC Athletics Scholarship Fund.

  • UIC campus

    UIC creates program for students with intellectual disabilities

    Nov 30, 2020 1:15 pm

    The University of Illinois Chicago announced a $2.5 million grant to develop an accredited postsecondary two-year certificate program aimed at preparing people with intellectual disabilities for employment opportunities.

  • University of Illinois Chicago alum Lura Buckley at graduation with her mother

    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.

  • downtown Chicago at night

    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.

  • Four Black students smiling around a table

    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.

  • the UIS quad from above

    UIS closes gaps in transfer process to help students complete degrees

    Jun 5, 2023 2:45 pm

    The University of Illinois Springfield is making it easier for community college transfer students to complete their bachelor's degree. Initiatives include reducing the gap between when transfer applicants are admitted and their initial advising appointments, developing clear articulation pathways for top feeder community colleges and establishing advising hours on the community college campus.

  • College of Medicine campus

    UIC College of Medicine decreases tuition

    Jan 16, 2020 2:00 pm

    The University of Illinois College of Medicine will reduce its tuition rates for all students, beginning with the 2020-21 academic year to address the rising indebtedness of medical students upon graduation. More...

  • student in front of colorful computer display

    UIC launches online master’s program in artificial intelligence, machine learning

    Apr 27, 2022 8:45 am

    A new Master of Engineering online degree program will increase access to graduate degrees for working engineers, scientists and managers with strong quantitative backgrounds as well as meet the growing demand for artificial intelligence and machine learning professionals.

  • administrators posed in front of Malcom X college and UIC banners

    UIC, City Colleges of Chicago to offer dual admission for BSN seekers

    Dec 21, 2021 12:30 pm

    UIC College of Nursing, UIC Extended Campus, and City Colleges of Chicago (CCC), will offer a dual-admissions pathway from the CCC Associate Degree in Nursing to UIC’s online RN to BSN degree-completion program.

  • Ida B. Wells

    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.

  • Raymond Harshorne and James Plunkard in suits in front of office building

    UIC fellowship aimed at increasing diversity among architecture students

    Jul 30, 2021 10:15 am

    Raymond Hartshorne and James Plunkard have committed $500,000 to the University of Illinois Chicago’s School of Architecture to create an endowed fellowship aimed at increasing diversity among students obtaining a UIC architecture education at the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts.

  • Young black female smiling in front of buildings in Chicago

    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.

  • students on UIC campus

    U of I System universities formalize partnerships with Hope Chicago

    Jun 9, 2022 8:45 am

    All three U of I System universities are among the 23 institutions that have formalized partnerships with Hope Chicago, the innovative two-generation scholarship program providing college and vocational scholarships to Chicago Public School students and their parents.

  • Headline: Expansion of Digital Scholars program

    Discovery Partners Institute, UIC CHANCE expand Digital Scholars

    Jul 5, 2022 10:45 am

    The Discovery Partners Institute and University of Illinois Chicago (UIC’s) CHANCE program, in partnership with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, announced the expansion of its Digital Scholars Program to support and develop promising and diverse tech talent in Illinois.

    Digital Scholars, now in its third year, is an intensive, free, five-week summer program for high school students and incoming UIC freshmen. 

  • OUR CHICAGO, ABC7, skyline art

    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. 

  • Urbana students

    American Talent Initiative

    Jul 20, 2018 2:45 pm

    The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has joined the American Talent Initiative, a coalition of top universities committed to enhancing the recruitment, enrollment and graduation of high-achieving lower- and moderate-income students. More...

  • Chicago skyline with "MCS in Chicago: Built to accelerate your career"

    UIUC to launch Master of Computer Science Degree with DPI in Chicago

    Sep 23, 2022 2:45 pm

    The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is launching a new Professional Master of Computer Science degree in Chicago with the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI), designed as a path for CS students to continue their education and accelerate their careers.

  • people at a table with papers and pamphlets on it

    UIC College of Dentistry creates new training program

    Apr 10, 2023 9:45 am

    The Dental Assistant Pathway Program aims to alleviate the national dental assistant shortage and provide a no-cost employment pathway for those who may never have considered a career in dentistry.

  • Woman with laptop, her image reflected in the glass wall she leans on

    DPI, Interapt, CVS Health to launch program to develop diverse tech talent for Illinois companies

    Sep 23, 2022 2:30 pm

    Chicago/Skills will provide tuition-free technology training and paid apprenticeship opportunities to as many as 2,500 people over five years.

  • Outdoor portrait of former high school principal Jason Leahy, who now leads the Illinois Principals Association, with his daughter Emma. The first-year University of Illinois Springfield student started college with 15 credits hours by taking AP courses and tests in high school.

    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.

  • UIC campus

    UIC is No. 3 in ‘Best Bang for the Buck’ ranking

    Sep 1, 2020 9:00 am

    The University of Illinois Chicago stands out as one of the “Best Bang for the Buck” institutions in the Midwest, according to the 2020 edition of Washington Monthly’s annual College Guide and Rankings, which were released this week.

  • student working on laptop

    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.

  • class picture of nursing school in 1925

    Traveling exhibit, website highlight history of Black nurses in Chicago

    Apr 18, 2023 12:15 pm

    The Mapping Care Project explores the history of nursing education for Black nurses and nursing schools in the Chicago area that served many or only Black nursing students. 

  • Alma Mater statue dressed in commencement regalia

    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.

     

  • Person welding with safety mask on

    UIC-led manufacturing consortium earns $5M DOD grant

    Oct 10, 2022 10:00 am

    A consortium led by the Nathalie P. Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Improvement at the University of Illinois Chicago received a five-year, $5 million grant through the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program.

  • Fulbright scholars banner above Alma Mater

    UIUC among top producers of Fulbright US Student, US Scholar awards

    Feb 13, 2023 10:45 am

    The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is among 18 institutions recognized as top producers for both Fulbright Students and Fulbright Scholars. With eight faculty members named, this is the second year in a row that Illinois was named a top producer of U.S. Scholars.

  • Harumi Barron, a Hope Chicago student at UIC

    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.  

  • Four years. Free Tuition.That's Illinois Commitment.

    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...

  • flowers in a field

    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.

  • Female teacher of color in front of classroom

    UIS partners with school district to support diverse workforce pipeline

    Mar 2, 2022 10:45 am

    The University of Illinois Springfield School of Education has partnered with Springfield School District 186 to support the district’s new Diverse Workforce Pipeline Program to increase the number of diverse teachers in classrooms.

  • Kenneth Nixon, left, talks to police recruits about his own wrongful conviction at age 19 for a murder he did not commit.

    Changing police culture with stories of wrongful convictions

    Jun 14, 2023 11:45 am

    The Illinois Innocence Project at the University of Illinois Springfield developed the Wrongful Conviction Awareness and Avoidance course at the Police Training Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • students on campus

    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...

  • The mansion at Allerton Park in Monticello, Illinois

    Allerton preparing for inaugural year of Illinois' first folk school

    Aug 7, 2023 2:30 pm

    The Farms will offer classes, workshops, and gatherings focusing on art, outdoor education, science, storytelling, and wellness. All experiences value hands-on, experiential teaching and learning, and are facilitated by and for the members of the community.

  • four smiling UIUC students

    UIUC designated as a First-gen Forward institution

    Sep 1, 2022 10:45 am

    The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has been recognized for its commitment to the support and success of first-generation students.

  • Terrell Morton

    UIC to lead $8.8M grant analyzing what 'Blackness' means in STEM

    Oct 25, 2022 10:45 am

    UIC is one of six institutions that will split an $8.8 million National Science Foundation grant to develop theories, research methods and tools to help expand and tailor the field of STEM education to support Black students.

  • Nariah Romero-Rudy enjoys a sunny fall day in this environmental portrait

    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."

  • Business Instructional Facility at UIUC

    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.

  • An Advancement Placement science student shows a young student how to work in the lab. Both wear safety goggles.

    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.

  • Young girl ponders paint colors in containers in front of her

    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. 

  • Black man teaching at white board

    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. 

  • Mexican flag & I-MMAS logo

    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.

  • chairs and computers in a classroom

    UIUC partners with Champaign Park District for new STEAM programming

    Mar 13, 2023 2:00 pm

    The park district's new Martens Center will host STEAM-focused learning as part of a two-year partnership with the University. Programming will feature computers, 3-D printers, LEGO projects, and more.

  • DPI aerial rendering

    DPI and UIC CHANCE Announce Expansion of Digital Scholars Program

    Apr 2, 2021 9:30 am

    The Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) and University of Illinois Chicago (UIC’s) CHANCE program today announced the expansion of its Digital Scholars Program to support and develop promising and diverse tech talent in Illinois.

  • Alma Mater statue

    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. 

  • Reon Gillespie putting on UIC hat and necktie from 2018

    Call Me MISTER graduates hope to inspire, mentor

    May 5, 2022 2:45 pm

    The first three students of UIC's Call Me MISTER initiative will graduate from the UIC College of Education May 6, and be one step closer to becoming Chicago-area teachers and mentors to students who look like them.

  • aerial rendering of future DPI campus

    DPI aims to diversify Chicago's tech sector

    Jun 9, 2022 8:45 am

    The U of I System-led Discovery Partners Institute's Pritzker Tech Talent Labs are a resource to help increase the diverse supply of tech talent for Chicago-area businesses. DPI Director Bill Jackson writes about why it is so important in an OpEd in Crain's Chicago Business.

  • UIC students crowded around laptop at outdoor table

    $40M donation to support UIC first-gen and low-income students

    Jun 16, 2021 8:30 am

    The University of Illinois Chicago is the recipient of a $40 million donation from philanthropist and novelist MacKenzie Scott. It is the largest gift from an individual in school history. The funds will provide life-changing support for first-generation and low-income students attending UIC.