In a groundbreaking initiative to bridge the educational gap and meet the growing demand for skilled tech professionals in Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech), City Colleges of Chicago (CCC), and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) launched  Runway 606—the first-of-its-kind program aimed at providing Chicago Public School students with a clear, accelerated pathway to high-demand, well-paying tech careers. Runway 606 is a collaborative initiative built on a successful cybersecurity-focused pilot program in CPS Early College STE(A)M Schools to offer supported pathways, tutoring, mentoring, and other support services to foster college readiness and success for participating students. While the program is starting with a cybersecurity pathway, the aim is to quickly expand the fast-track pathways beyond cybersecurity into other in-demand tech fields such as computer science and business analytics, and shortly after that, grow to include a wide array of STEM career paths. After the successful pilot cybersecurity program at CPS Early College STE(A)M schools with 85 students (42 juniors and 43 seniors) that began in fall 2023, the partner institutions—Illinois Tech, CPS, and CCC—signed a landmark collaboration agreement in December to launch Runway 606 citywide, with the aim of expanding to other in-demand STEM career pathways within a few years.  This fall, juniors and seniors in any CPS school who meet the relevant eligibility criteria can participate in the dual enrollment Runway 606 cybersecurity pathway.  For more information about Runway 606, visit iit.edu/Runway606 or contact Runway606@iit.edu.

Photo Credit: City Colleges of Chicago