Bronzeville Opportunity Engine
For more than 130 years Illinois Institute of Technology has called the historic Chicago neighborhood of Bronzeville home, maintaining a longstanding relationship with the community and its surrounding neighborhoods. In a new federally funded initiative proposed by the university, coined the Bronzeville Opportunity Engine, Illinois Tech will continue to deepen its ties with the community by providing a training and incubator space that will support thousands of local residents in harnessing cutting-edge skills for a modern job market.
Education and Opportunity for All
The entire fifth floor of Michael Paul Galvin Tower on Illinois Tech’s campus will be transformed into the Bronzeville Opportunity Engine, where community members who are looking to start or advance careers in high-growth tech industries can learn through high-impact tech and entrepreneurship programming. This will include training for certificates and industry credentials in areas such as cloud computing, data science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, electronic arts, high-tech manufacturing, semiconductor and microelectronics, and more.
Deepening Community Ties
The Bronzeville Opportunity Engine aims to support the residents of Illinois Tech’s surrounding Chicago neighborhoods, but will primarily narrow its focus to the Bronzeville community. Through this programming, local small business owners, students from middle school through adulthood, and working professionals will be able to level up their skills and train for a modern job market. This initiative’s location in the heart of Bronzeville demonstrates a new commitment to creating positive generational impact and transformational economic mobility for Bronzeville residents and beyond.