Category: Education

Whitney M. Young Magnet High School’s decathlon team took second place over the weekend at the rigorous and highly-competitive United States Academic Decathlon National Competition in Frisco, Texas, earning one of the school’s highest scores to date at the national level. Of note, both Lane Tech College Prep High School and the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences also participated at the national level in Texas but in a separate division with Lane Tech taking second place in that division and both schools bringing home individual gold medals as well. During the U.S. Academic Decathlon, each student competes in 10 events both objective and subjective: Art, Economics, Literature, Math, Music, Science, Social Science Essay, Interview, and Speech. Team scores are then calculated using the top two individual scores from each division. Earlier this school year, the Dolphins, the city champions who represented Illinois in the national competition, landed the school’s 20th consecutive state championship win at the 2023 Illinois Academic Decathlon State Competition with Lane Tech College Prep and Amundsen High School taking second and third place. At the national competition, Whitney Young 11th and 12th graders Amber Sun, Leon Cao, Om Raizada, Renee Picard, Zara Khan, Gabriel Ratner and Daniel Lee all won gold medals across multiple subjects while Juniors Yiheng Gao and Taihei Eastwood earned silver and bronze medals in Social Science, Music, Math, and Economics. Whitney Young has participated in the state competition for nearly 40 years, earning the State title for the past 20 years and rising to the rank of second in the United States three times, in 1995, 2007 and 2012.

Photo Credit: Chicago Public Schools

Graduate students from the University of Illinois-Chicago recently scored the winning design for an underdeveloped Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) site as part of a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Innovation in Affordable Housing (IAH) Competition. Their design plans beat out finalist groups at Harvard University, University of Texas and University from Maryland. The four teams designed solutions for a CHA site at 420-430 W. North. UIC, which won the $20,000 first place prize, was announced as the winner at an event earlier this month at HUD Headquarters in Washington D.C. The Innovation in Affordable Housing Student Design and Planning Competition is an initiative from HUD’s Office of Policy Development & Research. Now celebrating its 10th year, the competition invites teams of graduate students from multiple disciplines to submit plans in response to a “real life” affordable housing design issue. The primary goal of this year’s competition was to maximize the number of affordable units on the North Ave site, which is located in a thriving neighborhood and contains two vacant, low-rise six-unit public housing buildings past their useful life. For additional information, please visit the About the Competition page https://www.huduser.gov/portal/challenge/about.html

Erikson Institute, a graduate school in child development, is offering a unique seminar series in both English and in Spanish. Early childhood professionals can choose to take the 3-day workshop in either language. El poder de las relaciones: El enfoque FAN y el desarrollo del bebé/niño pequeño or The Power of Relationships: The FAN Approach & Infant/Toddler Development, will explore the incredible power of attunement as a mechanism to promote healthy infant/child development, increase parental/practitioner confidence, and strengthen relationships with children, caregivers, or colleagues. To learn more, please visit our website: https://www.erikson.edu/academics/professional-development/courses-programs/summer-learning-series/

El equipo de decatlón de Whitney M. Young Magnet High School obtuvo el segundo lugar el fin d semana en la rigurosa y altamente competitiva Competencia Nacional de Declatón Académico de Estados Unidos en Frisco, Texas, ganando una de las mejores calificaciones de la escuela hasta la fecha a nivel nacional. Tanto Lane Tech College Prep High School como Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences participaron también en el nive lnacioanl en Texas, pero en divisiones separadas, con Lane Tch obteniendo el segundo lugar en esa división y ambas escuelas llevando también a casa medallas de oro individuales. Durange el Declatón Académico de E.U., cada estudiante compite en 10 eventos, tanto objetivos como subjetivos: Arte, Economía, Literatura, Matemáticas, Música, Ciencias, Ciencias Sociales, Ensayos, Entrevistas y discursos. Las calificaciones de los equipos se calculan utilizando las dos mejores calificaciones individuales de cada división. A principios de este año escolar, los Dolphins, los campeones de la ciudad que representaron a Illinois en la competencia nacional, obtuvieron la vigésima victoria consecutiva del campeonato estatal de la escuela en la Competencia estatal de decatlón académico de Illinois 2023 con Lane Tech College Prep y Amundsen High School ocupando el segundo y tercer lugar. En la competencia nacional, los estudiantes de 11º y 12º grados, Amber Sun, Leon Cao, Om Raizada, Renee Picard, Zara Khan, Gabriel Ratner y Daniel Lee obtuvieron medallas de oro en múltiples materias mientras los Juniors Yihen Gao y Taihei Eastwook obtuvieron medallas de plata y bronce en Ciencias Sociales, Música, Matemáticas y Economía. Whitney Young ha participado en competencias estatales por cerca de 40 años, ganando el título del Estado en los últimos 20 años y subiendo el rango de segundo en Estados Unidos tres veces, en 1995, 2007 y 2012.

Estudiantes graduados de la Univrsidad de Illinois-Chicago lograron recientemente el diseño ganador para un sitio subdesarrollado de la Autoridad de Vivienda de Chicago (CHA) como parte de una Competencia de Innovación en Vivienda Asequible (IAH) del Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano (HUD) de EE. UU. Sus planes de diseño superaron a otros grupos finalistas de la universidad de Harvard, la Universidad de Texas y la Universidad de Maryland. Los cuatro equipos diseñaron soluciones para el sitio de CHA en el 420-430 W. North. UIC, que ganó el premio del primer lugar, de $20,000, fue anunciado como ganador en un evento a principio de este mes en las oficinas de HUD en Washington D.C. El Concurso Estudiantil de Planificación e Innovación en Vivienda Asequible es una iniciativa de la Oficina de Desarrollo e Investigación de Políticas de HUD. Celebrando ahora su 10 aniversario, la competencia invita a equipos de estudiantes graduados de múltiples disciplinas para enviar sus planes en respuesta al problema de diseño de vivienda asequible de la “vida real”. La meta primaria de la competencia de este año era maximizar el número de unidades asequibles en el lugar de la Ave. North, localizada en un floreciente vecindario y que contiene dos edificios de viviendas públicas vacantes de seis unidades, de poca altura, que han superado su vida útil. Para información adicional, visite la página ‘About the Competition’ https://www.huduser.gov/portal/challenge/about.html

Investing in our schools is an investment in our students and that makes our state stronger, and our country greater. That’s why providing scholarships for STEM is so important so that our future will continue to be bright in a thriving industry that has seen job growth surpass 75% in the last two decades. The National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) has opened the application period for the annual Lt. Governors’ STEM Scholarship Program, sponsored by ACT, to award up to $1,000 to 12 schools nationally to support STEM-related activities for youth. Applications will be accepted until May 1, 2023, with award recipients announced and funded in Summer 2023. NLGA will award 12 scholarships to 12 schools in 12 different states and territories, worth $10,000 total. The Scholarship Program is administered by NLGA, the nonpartisan, nonprofit association for the nation’s seconds-in-command, and sponsored by ACT, the education and career readiness nonprofit. Applications will be reviewed in Spring/Summer 2023 with award winners announced at the NLGA Annual Meeting in August 2023. Additional information on the STEM Scholarship Program, including instructions for applying, can be found at https://nlga.us/strategies/nlga-state-strategies-in-stem/.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director John J. Kim honored a group of creative fifth and sixth grade students selected for their artistic and writing skills used to express environmental awareness, as part of the Agency’s Annual Poster, Poetry, and Prose Contest. The students selected from throughout Illinois were recognized at a ceremony at the Henson Robinson Zoo in Springfield and in conjunction with the Earth Awareness Fair. Each year, fifth and sixth grade students in Illinois take part in the Poster, Poetry, and Prose contest as part of the Agency’s Environmental Education initiative. Through the program, participating schools study environmental concepts with an emphasis on the current year’s environmental theme. Each participating school is eligible to select four works in each category to submit for competitive judging. This year’s theme, Environmental Justice – A Healthy Community for All! focused on understanding environmental justice and how it relates to healthy communities.

Poetry/Prose Top Award Winners

Aniyah Hawkins
Providence St. Mel School, Chicago

Sephera Hutchinson
St. Monica Academy, Chicago

Julia Vogt
St. Monica Academy, Chicago

Sophia Zayas
St. Monica Academy, Chicago

Posters Top Award Winners

Haasika Arunkumar
Glenn Elementary, Normal

Olivia Bafia
St. Monica Academy, Chicago

Sophia Faryjewicz
St. Monica Academy, Chicago

Eleni Malliaras
St. Monica Academy, Chicago

The presidents of Lewis University and St. Augustine College on Tuesday announced a plan to merge both institutions, with both Boards of Trustees unanimously approving the decision. The schools will now submit an application to the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) to make St. Augustine College a part of Lewis University. The joining of both schools is centered around a shared mission to expand access and opportunity for students who are often underrepresented and underserved in traditional higher education.  “Our two institutions are well-matched in mission and values,” said Dr. David Livingston, Lewis University president. “We fill a unique niche within higher education, serving students from all walks of life with affordable programs that deliver a liberal arts core and an emphasis on career and workforce preparation. Through this merger, we will build upon the legacy and tradition of St. Augustine College, offering an expanded range of bilingual education programs, services and outreach to the growing Hispanic population in Chicago.”

The merger builds on the legacies of both institutions – each established to meet the needs of underserved communities – providing education as a life-changing pathway to expanded opportunity. In a unified university, more degree programs than ever before will be at the forefront of an expanded bilingual educational experience. Students are expected to be able to attend courses in bilingual format at urban or suburban locations.  “We are excited for this once-in-lifetime opportunity. La única,” said Dr. Reyes Gonzalez, St. Augustine College president. “Together, we will realize the dreams held by our founders; dreams of providing education to all, regardless of social class. Our combined strength will allow us to support more students with a life-changing educational experience that equips them for success in the marketplace. We will create a wider bridge to economic prosperity, one that is as expansive as the enterprising spirit of our students. This is the educational experience that will make us a leader for our entire region.”