High School Partnerships

Elevate College Prep partners with high schools across the city of Chicago to create enriching programs that engage high school students in STEM-related fields and to provide college and career readiness preparation throughout the academic year.

Past programs have included:

  • STEM Day: In partnership with Chicago Public Schools, Illinois Tech created a day of programming designed to introduce high school students to hands-on STEM topics, including chemistry experiments, engineering labs, and a science fiction writing workshop. A notable young Illinois Tech alum also presented a keynote address. 
  • Lecture Series: Throughout the year, academic departments at Illinois Tech invite guest speakers and industry experts to share their insights on specific subject areas. The Elevate College Prep team works with Illinois Tech faculty to open these opportunities up to high school students, enabling them to engage with academic thought leadership. Past speakers have included Astronaut Ellen Ochoa and Professor Xiao-Li Meng, a member of Harvard University’s faculty of arts and sciences.
  • Opt4STEM: A partnership between Exelon, Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center, and Illinois Tech, Opt4STEM was created to prepare Von Steuben students with the foundation to succeed in a STEM degree at four-year research universities. It provided students with STEM enrichment, as well as college and career leadership and mentorship activities throughout their high school careers.

Interested in learning more? Contact us at precollege@iit.edu to learn more.

Current High School Partners

The Elevate College Prep team has established partnerships with the following high schools in order to connect their students to college access and dual-enrollment course opportunities, while also creating programs designed to help students enrich their experiences in STEM.

  • Butler College Prep
  • Dunbar Vocational Career Academy
  • Gary Comer College Prep
  • De La Salle Institute
  • Jones College Prep 
  • Kenwood Academy High School
  • Lindblom Math and Science Academy
  • Perspectives/IIT Math and Science Academy
  • Friedrich Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center
  • George Westinghouse College Prep