Illinois Tech has received a $75,000 grant from the College Compact Promising Practice Innovation Fund to support its Empowerment, Leadership, and Mentorship (ELM) program. The initiative focuses on training Chicago Public School (CPS) alumni enrolled at Illinois Tech to mentor other CPS alumni students. This mentorship aims to enhance student retention rates by developing learning strategies and mentorship skills.
The ELM program includes courses that teach general learning strategies (GLS), self-care, cognitive and metacognitive techniques aimed at improving academic performance and personal development. Joseph Orgel, Professor of Biology and Biomedical Engineering at Illinois Tech, leads the program alongside Ph.D. psychology students. Orgel emphasizes the "train the trainer" model as crucial for effective learning and mentorship.
Since its inception in 2019 with just ten students, enrollment in these courses has grown significantly, reaching over 200 students by fall/spring 2024. With the new funding, the program aims to train 30–40 CPS alumni coaches by 2025.
Miguel Saucedo from Chicago Public Schools hopes this initiative will create a pipeline of CPS students into Illinois Tech. He stresses that mentoring goes beyond academics and affordability; it also involves ensuring students feel comfortable and supported within their academic community.
“This is our attempt to strengthen our relationship,” says Saucedo. He adds that mentors will receive stipends while helping improve graduation rates for CPS graduates compared to their peers.
The grant application highlights significant improvements among disadvantaged CPS students participating in the ELM program over recent years despite challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. Saucedo notes that Illinois Tech's was one of only nine university programs funded by PPIF this year.