Chicago public high school students are about to get a college-level experience to take on the real world.
DePaul University will partner with Lake View High School, and Loyola University is set to work with Senn High School in Edgewater, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Wednesday.
"By partnering with two top universities in Chicago, these neighborhood schools will provide students with a better education and the skills they need for a successful future," Emanuel said.
This program is part of an initiative announced by the mayor in February that includes making Lake View High School one of five STEM schools. STEM schools focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, according to the STEM Education Coalition's website.
Emanuel announced in March that CPS was increasing the number of schools with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, with Senn High School seeing an expansion of its IB program.
Lakeview's partnership with DePaul also includes opportunities for students to enroll in DePaul's classes while they are still in high school, and for DePaul to support curriculum development to put the high school to college standards.
"By providing Lake View students with greater access to DePaul's high-quality faculty and facilities in science and technology, we hope to ease their transition into college and send them on the path toward entering careers in these fields," said DePaul president Rev. Dennis Holtschneider.
Senn's arrangement with Loyola will include work with the high school's principal and administrative team to improve the curriculum and support teacher training.
"Our School of Education has a number of other successful partnerships throughout the CPS system," said Loyola President and CEO Michael Garanzine.
Garanzine went on to say the program will be led by the school's college of education, but will include other schools as well.
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"This collaboration will provide our students with a rich and unique curriculum and help prepare them for college and successful careers," CPS CEO Jean-Claude Brizard said.
