Career Education Corporation and Chicago Urban League Partner to Bring STEM Education to Local Schools
November 03 2011 - 11:25AM
Business Wire
Career Education Corporation has awarded a $50,000 grant to the
Chicago Urban League in support of the Urban League’s efforts to
increase African American participation in future careers based in
science, technology, engineering and math—or STEM. The grant was
announced Oct. 31 at Benjamin E. Mays Academy in Chicago, where the
Urban League hosts a leadership development program for middle
school students. The announcement, which was part of a special
school assembly, featured local doctors, engineers and other
professionals who have turned their STEM education into successful
careers.
Students at Benjamin E. Mays Academy in
Chicago talk with Walter Pryor, vice president of government
relations for Career Education Corporation, about future careers
based in science, technology, engineering and math--or STEM.
(Photo: Business Wire)
“Our nation has fallen behind the rest of the world in STEM
education achievement. Unfortunately, achievement in these areas is
worse among African American students. We see the results in the
preparedness of some students entering our postsecondary schools.
So we’re proud to work with the Chicago Urban League to improve the
emphasis on STEM subjects and careers among local middle schools
students,” said Walter Pryor, vice president of government affairs
for Schaumburg, Ill.-based Career Education Corporation. “More
students need to see that studying science, technology, engineering
and math can lead to interesting and rewarding careers.”
“We are grateful to Career Education Corporation for their
partnership and for making this tremendous investment in our
children,” said Andrea L. Zopp, president and CEO of the Chicago
Urban League. “An education curriculum with an emphasis on science,
technology, engineering and math can lead to a promising career.
African American children are being left out of their future jobs
because of a lack of exposure to STEM. We must change this trend
and our NULITES program is one of the best programs to introduce
STEM to young people. This support from Career Education
Corporation builds on our 95 year tradition of creating
educational, economic, and social opportunities with the power to
transform people’s lives.”
STEM education will be integrated into the
Chicago Urban League’s curriculum for the National Urban League
Incentives To Excel and Succeed (NULITES) program in January 2012.
The NULITES program, a National Urban League initiative that the
Chicago Urban League has operated since 2007, works with local
middle school students to develop leadership and academic skills to
ensure success in high school, a successful transition into college
and ultimately graduation with a higher education degree.
STEM education and career exploration will be added to NULITES
activities that include educational seminars, financial workshops,
high school preparation sessions, community service projects and
field trips. Since its local inception, students in the Chicago
Urban League’s NULITES program have consistently demonstrated
increases in academic performance, leadership and social skills,
and high school preparation. NULITES programs are currently offered
at Benjamin E. Mays Academy and Charles S. Deneen and Elihu Yale
Elementary Schools.
In an inspiring demonstration of what lucrative opportunities
are available to those who pursue STEM careers, the grant
announcement featured several local professionals who motivated
more than 100 students to take advantage of STEM education. Special
presenters at the Mays Academy assembly included:
- Jason Coleman, an engineer who is the
Executive Director of Project SYNCERE, an organization that
introduces students to the STEM fields;
- Octavia Hooks, manager of community
affairs at the Museum of Science and Industry;
- Dr. Daniel Johnson, Section Chief,
Academic Pediatrics, Associate Chair for Research, Associate
Professor, The University of Chicago Medical Center;
- Carmen Patton, an executive in research
and innovation in the ethnic development division of L’Oreal;
and
- Dr. Karriem S. Watson, Clinical
Research Specialist, Department of Neurosurgery, University of
Illinois Medical Center.
In addition to curriculum and guest speakers, the Career
Education Corporation-supported NULITES STEM component will include
a variety of hands-on activities that will give students first-hand
exposure to STEM careers. Those opportunities will include visits
to the Museum of Science and Industry and Microsoft offices.
About the Chicago Urban League
Established in 1916, the Chicago Urban League works for
economic, educational and social progress for African Americans and
promotes strong sustainable communities through progressive
advocacy, effective collaboration and innovative programming. For
more information, visit www.thechicagourbanleague.org.
About Career Education Corporation
The colleges, schools and universities that are part of the
Career Education Corporation (“CEC”) family offer high-quality
education to a diverse student population of more than 100,000
students across the world in a variety of career-oriented
disciplines through online, on-ground and hybrid learning program
offerings. The more than 90 campuses that serve these students are
located throughout the United States and in France, Italy, the
United Kingdom and Monaco, and offer doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s
and associate degrees and diploma and certificate programs.
CEC is an industry leader whose institutions are recognized
globally. Those institutions include, among others, American
InterContinental University (“AIU”); Brooks Institute; Colorado
Technical University (“CTU”); Harrington College of Design; INSEEC
Group (“INSEEC”) Schools; International University of Monaco
(“IUM”); International Academy of Design & Technology (“IADT”);
Istituto Marangoni; Le Cordon Bleu North America (“LCB”); and
Sanford-Brown Institutes and Colleges. Through its schools, CEC is
committed to providing high-quality education, enabling students to
graduate and pursue rewarding career opportunities. For more
information, see CEC’s website at www.careered.com. The website
includes a detailed listing of individual campus locations and web
links to CEC’s colleges, schools, and universities.
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