Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools today announced the three industry partners supporting Solorio Academy, Crane Medical, and Infinity Math and Science Academy – the district’s new Early College STEM Schools (ECSS) that were announced this spring. Through Early College STEM programming, students get access to industry expertise, while learning a 21^st Century STEM Curriculum, increasing opportunities to earn college credit, internship experiences, and working toward an associate degree while still in high school. 

Early College STEM schools leverage external partnerships to prepare students for the technology careers of the future; the following industry partners have newly paired, or expanded their partnership, with the following schools:

• Crane Medical Preparatory High School – Rush University Medical Center
• Infinity Math, Science, and Technology High School – Verizon
• Solorio Academy High School – Salesforce.org

“STEM programs in our neighborhood schools provide students with the opportunity to build 21^st century skills today that help them succeed in college and career,” said Mayor Emanuel. “These industry partnerships help provide our students both with the academic foundation and the critical real-world experiences necessary to secure the jobs of tomorrow.”

Industry partnerships provide both support for students with a connection between classroom learning and the real world. The partners also provide mentorship programming, internships, and other work-based experiences for students. Through these unique programs, students will graduate prepared to explore careers in science and technology and with early college and career credentials that give them a head-start on their college degree.

“A true holistic education combines classroom experiences with real-life learning opportunities to help prepare our students for life after high school, which epitomizes the Early College STEM experience at CPS,” said CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson. “We will continue to prepare students for the jobs of the future by investing in STEM education and we are grateful to our industry and higher education partners for providing unique opportunities for our students to gain real-world experience in growing fields.”

Salesforce.org is partnering with Solorio Academy High School to provide holistic support of the school and its students, which includes providing new technology, academic acceleration and teacher training. In addition to supporting new infrastructure and human capital at the school, the Salesforce team will work with students through employee engagement.

“Salesforce.org is committed to investing in young people from the classroom to the boardroom," said Ebony Frelix, EVP and Chief Philanthropy Officer. “This investment builds on our employees’ tremendous volunteer support in Chicago schools and will help ensure our students are prepared with the skills they need to thrive in the careers of the future.”

Rush University Medical Center, a longstanding partner of Crane Medical Preparatory High School and City Colleges, will provide additional mentorship, paid internships, support staff and scholarships to students from the school. With this expanded partnership, Crane is the City’s only ECCS focused on Health Sciences.

“Expanded STEM programming will make Crane Medical Prep an even brighter West Side success story,” said Dr. Larry Goodman, CEO of the Rush system and of Rush University Medical Center.  “Dozens of Crane Medical Prep alums have already launched meaningful health and science careers, and more STEM programming means even more will enter their 20s already well into healthcare studies and careers.”

Since 2013, Rush University Medical Center has partnered with City Colleges and Crane Medical Preparatory High School -- the City’s only ECSS high school focused on Health Sciences – to provide the academic and technical training, internships, mentoring, networking and scholarships to prepare students for careers in healthcare.

Verizon has provided funding to support the transition of Infinity Math, Science, and Technology High School to become an ECSS school. Infinity will partner with Chicago’s Department of Innovation & Technology (DOIT) to support enrichment, professional development and project-based learning experiences and opportunities for workplace and career exposure for students. DOIT will also support through mentorship, volunteering and workplace access.

There are now eight ECSS high schools at CPS, each of which are paired with a City College to provide students with increased access to Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment program and an associate degree pipeline. Solorio Academy High School and Infinity Math, Science, and Technology High School partner with Richard J. Daley College, and Crane Medical Preparatory High School has a partnership with Malcolm X College. The district also recently announced that the new state-of-the-art Englewood high school will be the city’s ninth ECSS school, which will partner with Kennedy-King when it opens in Fall of 2019.

“Through our early college programs, we are meeting Chicago students where they are at, allowing them to explore in-demand career fields and pursue college courses as soon as they are ready, saving them time and money on a college degree,” said City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Juan Salgado. 

ECSS: Preparing Students for the Jobs of Tomorrow

Solorio Academy High School, Crane Medical Preparatory High School, and Infinity Math, Science, and Technology High School became Early College STEM Schools this school year – giving an additional 2,000 students access to a 21^st Century STEM curriculum while providing unprecedented opportunities to earn college credits. 

STEM programs help students earn college and career credit while they’re still in high school, and this investment will move the district closer to Mayor Emanuel’s goal of 50 percent of graduating seniors earning college and career credit by 2019. More than 46.6 percent of 2018 CPS graduates earned one or more college or career credentials through IB, AP, dual enrollment and other rigorous programs – representing a 50 percent increase since 2014.

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