U.S. Department of Education Highlights City Colleges-CPS Partnership During Recent Webinar

Here in Chicago, a unique partnership between City Colleges and Chicago Public Schools is gaining national attention.

The Chicago Roadmap, our combined effort to support students along a seamless path to and through college and on their way to chosen careers, was recently the focus of a webinar hosted by the United States Department of Education.

During the online event, which took place on December 5, 2022, City Colleges Chancellor Juan Salgado and CPS CEO Pedro Martinez shared the story of how the Chicago Roadmap started and what we’ve learned throughout the journey. The goal was to showcase our accomplishments and challenges, and provide insights for educational institutions across the country that might seek to implement similar partnerships.

For his part, Chancellor Salgado acknowledged the robust planning that went into the effort:

“We engaged students, families, and staff very early on in the planning work,” he said.

WATCH THE WEBINAR:

The planning efforts included research, focus groups, interviews, and meetings with key stakeholders. As a result, the Roadmap team identified five pillars to guide the strategy. One of the pillars discussed in depth during the webinar was “Student Advising and Supports,” which includes placing post-secondary navigators directly into high schools to help guide students through the college admissions process. Today, 18 navigators are working in 84 high schools across Chicago.

Carolina Perez, now a first-year student at Olive-Harvey College who took part in the webinar, recalled meeting her navigator in September 2021. The navigator walked her through everything she needed to know about going to college, easing her anxieties about what it would be like, especially the financial aspect.

“As a first-generation student, when I would hear the word FAFSA, I would panic,” Carolina said. “Thankfully, my navigator helped each student understand the [financial aid] process. She told me about the Star Scholarship, and I felt so relieved. I knew I wanted to attend one of the City Colleges of Chicago.”

The Star Scholarship provides free tuition and books to CPS graduates who earn a 3.0 GPA or higher. Earlier this year, City Colleges launched another scholarship out of the Chicago Roadmap work known as “Options for the Future” for any graduate of a CPS Options or Alternative high school.

Ibrahim Gawusu, originally from Ghana and a graduate of Truman Middle College, an alternative high school, transitioned into college credit courses at Truman College for free with the support of the Options for the Future scholarship.

“Without this scholarship, there was no way I could have gone to college,” Ibrahim said.

In addition to scholarships, other students described the programs they’ve been able to take advantage of through the Roadmap, including free Early College classes, youth apprenticeship programs, success coaching for those with disabilities, and more. Their participation helped to outline the robust resources that are in place to support their success—at CPS, City Colleges, and beyond.

To watch or re-watch the webinar at any time, click here or press play on the video above. To learn more about the Chicago Roadmap, visit www.chicagoroadmap.org.