Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students will have the opportunity to attend five Early College STEM Schools (ECSS) that focus on technology skills and career readiness – as well as earn college credits– under a partnership agreement with five technology companies, CPS and City Colleges of Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Tuesday. The five technology companies, IBM, Cisco, Microsoft Corporation, Motorola Solutions and Verizon Wireless, will help develop a unique curriculum at each new school to teach students the skills required in that marketplace, as well as provide mentors and internships. Upon graduating from these tailored programs, the students will be prepared for careers in science and technology.

The neighborhood high schools offering these programs include Lake View High School, (4015 N. Ashland), Corliss High School (821 E. 103rd Street), and the new southwest area high school being built at 7651 S. Homan. Michele Clark High School (5101 W. Harrison Street) and Chicago Vocational Career Academy (2100 East 87th Street) will also offer the programs and are available to students city-wide. An ECSS is located in each of the five high school networks, providing access to every student in Chicago. All of the new schools will open in September 2012 with a class of ninth graders. Each student will be able to graduate in four-years with a high school diploma with college credits, with a goal of graduating within six years with an Associate of Science (AS) degree in Computer Science or an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Information Technology. The college courses will be taught by professors from CCC.