CPS students can explore career paths in transportation engineering
In celebration of National Engineers Week, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) announced today that it is joining an initiative to bring CTA engineers into Chicago Public Schools (CPS) classrooms to ignite students’ enthusiasm for engineering. CTA is teaming up with E-Squared, a statewide speakers bureau that connects teachers and schools to practicing engineers, for this groundbreaking initiative, developed in partnership with the Illinois Engineering Initiative (IEI), the American Council of Engineering Companies Illinois (ACEC) and the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers (ISPE).
As an agency with a strong engineering focus with major upcoming and current capital construction infrastructure projects including the Red Line Extension (RLE) and Red Purple Modernization (RPM), CTA aims to inspire and connect CPS students with valuable engineering opportunities. This initiative strives to foster enthusiasm for STEM careers and create meaningful pathways that introduce young minds to engineering in the transportation field.
“By investing in the next generation of engineers, we are not only inspiring young minds but also strengthening our future workforce to ensure our city is in good hands with homegrown talent,” said CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen. “We are excited to bring real-world engineering experiences into the classroom and empower students to explore STEM careers.”
Through this partnership, CTA and E-Squared will build a powerful network of agencies, engineering firms, and professional organizations that will engage with students. CTA and its contractors will provide volunteers and project ideas, while CPS will offer access to students in schools in the Red Line Extension project area. Volunteers, including 13 from CTA and over 50 from ACEC and CTA contractors, will participate in one-hour class sessions at each participating school, working with students on engaging engineering projects.
Twenty-three schools in the RLE area have already confirmed they are participating in the program with established volunteers. These schools include:
- Wendell Phillips Academy High School
- Walter Henri Dyett High School for the Arts
- Johnnie Colemon Elementary Academy
- Countee Cullen Elementary School
- Daniel Hale Williams Preparatory High School
- Douglas Taylor Elementary
- Jesse Owens Elementary Community Academy
- Neal F. Simeon Career Academy High School
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr College Prep High School
- Edgar Allan Poe Elementary Classical School
- Bennett Elementary School
- Oriville T. Bright Elementary School
- Dunne STEM Academy
- Alex Haley Elementary Academy
- Ronald Brown Elementary Community Academy
- Edward E. Sadlowski Elementary School
- Edward H. White Elementary Career Academy
- George M. Pullman Elementary School
- Henry Clay Elementary School
- Marcus Moziah Garvey Elementary School
- Paul Laurence Dunbar Career Academy High School
- Chicago Vocational Career Academy
- Baker College Preparatory High School
Volunteers are confirmed at these schools and paired with a participating engineer. Additional schools are in the process of recruiting volunteers to expand the program’s reach even further.
E-Squared has already laid the groundwork for this program by developing age-appropriate materials and templates for classroom visits. To date, the program has been successfully implemented in a half dozen schools across Illinois, and efforts are underway to expand its reach to broader audiences.
"Illinois’ next generation of leaders, innovators and problem-solvers are in our schools right now and we are excited to help support and encourage them," said ACEC Illinois President and CEO Kevin Artl. "We are thrilled to collaborate with CTA and leverage their expertise to inspire this next generation of Illinois engineers."
“This partnership is a great example of the innovative programs that connect CPS students to real world opportunities in the community, hopefully inspiring them along their successful career paths,” said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. “Our budding learners will now have even more exposure to hands-on experiences and mentorship from practicing engineers. We are excited to see the impact of this collaboration on our students and their future aspirations.”