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Illinois Institute of Technology Boeing Scholars Academy

Applicants to the 2011-2012 IIT Boeing Scholars Academy should have received an email on Friday, May 6, from mspont@iit.edu or spont@iit.edu, notifying them of their admission status. Applicants should check both their inbox and their spam folder, and contact Marya Spont directly at spont@iit.edu if they have not received such notification.

Expanding Access and Opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) for High-Achieving High School Students in the Chicago Area

In today's rapidly changing world, science, engineering, technology, and critical issues related to our global environment are evolving at a dramatic pace. Yet the worldwide demand for college graduates prepared for careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields is not being met. This is especially true in the United States, where many of our most promising youth do not pursue opportunities in these areas. One of the most important national resources in the 21st Century and beyond will be talent: smart, sophisticated young people who are technologically literate, globally astute, and operationally agile; who both understand the complexity of the greatest challenges facing our global society and have technical expertise in specialized areas; and who possess the abilities to collaborate, innovate, and lead.

What is the Illinois Institute of Technology Boeing Scholars Academy?

The Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) Boeing Scholars Academy is a free, year-round educational enrichment program enabling access and exposure to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) academic and professional fields for high-achieving students from Chicago-area high schools. Through summer academic programming on the IIT campus; workshops, seminars, and field trips during the school year; college and career advising; leadership skills training and grant competitions, and mentoring support from STEM faculty, professionals, and undergraduates, the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy offers up to 100 rising juniors and seniors (students who are completing grades 10 and 11) per year the opportunity to immerse themselves in academic and hands-on experiences in STEM fields and to gain broader awareness of undergraduate, advanced degree, and career opportunities in these areas.

Founded in 2011, the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy is generously supported by a grant from the Boeing Company.

IIT Boeing Scholars Academy application icon

Click here to download and share the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy brochure.

What will I learn, do, and experience in the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy?

As a Boeing Scholar, you will gain valuable academic and professional experience in STEM fields — as well as guidance along the path to college, advanced degrees, and careers — through your participation in the following components of the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy annual program:

4-week, non-residential Summer Session (10 am - 5 pm, weekdays Monday, June 27 - Friday, July 22*)

3 weeks of interdisciplinary STEM-related educational enrichment programming: "Cities of the Future" (for Summer 2011)
- Each Summer Session, we will approach the intensive and interdisciplinary study of academic content in science, technology, engineering and math by focusing our forums, labs, projects, workshops, and field excursions on a single theme related to pressing world problems. In 2011, we will explore topics and issues related to the theme "Cities of the Future." You will also have the opportunity to attend general skills training workshops in areas such as leadership, research, project development, communication and presentation, advanced problem-solving, and teambuilding — some in cooperation with individuals from IIT's signature Interprofessional Projects program (IPRO).
1 week of college and career planning experiences: "Moving Forward & Making Your Mark"
- Through college and career fairs, application and financial aid workshops, and individual vision mapping exercises, in the fourth week of the Summer Session we help you prepare for future college and career success. We also provide you and peer IIT Boeing Scholars with the opportunity to collaborate and compete for Leadership Grant Program awards, with which to take lessons learned in the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy to impact change in your communities. Up to ten Leadership Grants, of up to $1,000 per team, will be awarded, for implementation during the following academic year.

*No programming will be offered on the July 4th holiday.

Academic-year Session (August 2011-June 2012)

Throughout the months following completion of the Summer Session, you will be expected to continue your involvement with the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy through participation in the 2011-2012 Academic-year Session. During this time:
- You will be invited to a number of designated program events — such as topical lectures and seminars, skills-based workshops, and community service projects — of which you must choose to attend at least one per month. You will also be expected to attend two field trips per year and meet regularly with program advisors and mentors to explore your college and career options.
- Additionally, you will be invited to share your learning with family members and friends at select sponsored events and with your high school teachers, who will be welcomed to apply for Innovative Teaching Grants, each providing up to $500 in seed funding to support new and innovative classroom practice.

Please note that the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy is a year-round enrichment program, requiring active participation throughout the 2011 summer and 2011-2012 academic-year sessions. If you know that you will be unable to make a full-year commitment to the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy, we encourage you to visit summer.iit.edu to learn about summer-only programs offered on the Illinois Institute of Technology campus.

Why is it important to think about the "Cities of the Future"?

According to the United Nations, more than 80% of the U.S. population, and about half of all people in the world, live in urbanized areas. These numbers are still growing, and climate change is further expected to speed up migration to the world's cities. Bigger cities of the future will face new challenges — to their systems of transportation and telecommunication, housing and civic structures, education, jobs, social services, and the management of infrastructure, not to mention water, food, land, air, and the health of their inhabitants. Some of these challenges cannot even be foreseen yet.

Although we cannot predict the future, we can investigate the ways in which these critical issues interconnect, and together we can seek interdisciplinary solutions to emerging problems. We can even create innovative devices, materials, designs, and processes to ensure that tomorrow's cities are — at minimum — functional and sustainable places to live, work, and educate the next generation of residents. Using the city of Chicago as a case study and a living laboratory, the 2011 Summer Session of the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy will explore and re-imagine the structures, needs, and assets of cities. Join us to begin developing the skills and knowledge of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields that will be required to address the coming challenges of the 21st Century and beyond. The complex problems of the cities of the future can — and must — be solved by the bright young minds of today.

Information for Admitted Students

Students admitted to the 2011-2012 IIT Boeing Scholars Academy should have received an email on Friday, May 6, from mspont@iit.edu or spont@iit.edu, congratulating them on their admission and informing them of "next steps." We ask that admitted students do the following:

Attend the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy Information Session on Saturday, May 21 (if driving to campus, print and use this parking permit. Please note that attending this event is strongly recommended, but not required.
Review the Frequently Asked Questions from Admitted Students document and contact Marya Spont, Program Director for the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy, at spont@iit.edu or 312.567.5193, with any additional questions.
Submit, in order to confirm enrollment in the program, originals (not faxed or emailed copied) of all four (4) required forms, signed by the admitted student and their parent/legal guardian, by Wednesday, May 25, 2011. Students can submit these documents, preferably in one packet, by mail or in person to:

IIT Boeing Scholars Academy
c/o IIT Office of Undergraduate Admission
10 West 33rd Street
Perlstein Hall 101
Chicago, Illinois 60616

We respectfully ask that admitted students who, for whatever reason, determine that they will be unable to participate in the program notify us as soon as possible, by indicating as much on the Program Enrollment Form. We were only able to select 100 students for this opportunity, and have placed other promising individuals on a wait-list in the event that a position should open up.

Am I eligible to be a Boeing Scholar?

Applicants to the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy should:

Be high-achieving, rising juniors and seniors (students who are completing grades 10 and 11) from Chicago-area high schools.
Have a record of and/or aptitude for strong academic performance in a college-preparatory curriculum.
Be on-track to take trigonometry, pre-calculus, calculus, or higher in your senior year of high school.
Demonstrate levels of motivation, maturity, and professionalism commensurate with successful participation in an intensive and collaborative learning experience like the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy, as well as a sense of vision and a commitment to community.

Applicants do not need to have demonstrated prior interest in STEM fields. First-generation college students, women, and students from populations underrepresented in STEM fields are especially encouraged to apply.

How — and when — do I apply to join the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy?

The deadline for admission to the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy for the 2011-2012 year has passed. Students who may be interested in applying to the program for next year, who would like to be emailed when the 2012-2013 application is available online, should email spont@iit.edu with the following information: first name, last name, gender, mailing address, email address, phone number, high school currently attended, and anticipated year of high school graduation.

Applicants to the 2011-2012 IIT Boeing Scholars Academy were required to submit an application form, including required essay; one official copy of their high school transcript; and two recommendation forms, one from a teacher and another from a non-relative adult of their choosing. All applicants who were chosen as finalists were required to attend an interview on IIT's campus. We anticipate that the application process will be similar for 2012-2013 program admission.

Why should I participate in the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy?

Through innovative, interdisciplinary programming, the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy provides you and other talented students from Chicago area high schools with the opportunity and resources to:

Expand your intellectual and professional options by advancing your knowledge of STEM fields and gaining a wide range of experiences in different settings, including interaction with professionals and professional communities.
Initiate and build positive relationships with renowned IIT faculty and undergraduates from multiple disciplines, as well as with other outstanding high school students.
Develop and demonstrate your academic excellence, sense of innovation, leadership and teamwork skills, and motivation for success in a college-level learning environment — all of which can strengthen your applications to selective colleges like Illinois Institute of Technology.
Navigate the college selection, admission, and financial aid processes with the aid of program advisors and career mentors, who provide valuable guidance as you develop your own roadmap for future success.
Be a community leader, creating lasting educational links between your sending classrooms, schools, and communities and the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy.
Collaborate with your peers to think critically across the disciplines and help find solutions to real-world problems.

"As a Chicago Public Schools student, I attended a summer program very similar to the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy. During that summer, I met amazing students who inspired me and who have remained lifelong friends. The educational experiences at IIT that summer changed my life forever. New doors were opened and new possibilities were created — ones that I could barely have imagined as a high school student.

Today, I want to encourage you to strongly consider the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy, and I want you to know, on behalf of the entire alumni community, that you will have our support today, tomorrow — forever."

—Andrea Berry, IIT Trustee and Alumna, Senior Vice President of Broadcast Operations, Fox Network Engineering and Operations, Los Angeles, California

To learn more:

Please contact Marya Spont, Program Director for the IIT Boeing Scholars Academy, at spont@iit.edu or 312.567.5193.

Thank you for your interest in the Illinois Institute of Technology Boeing Scholars Academy, and we look forward to welcoming you to campus this summer!