EPIC Academy Career Intensives Pair High School Students with High Profile Chicago Companies for Hands-On Experiences

 

EPIC Academy Career Intensives Pair High School Students with High Profile Chicago Companies for Hands-On Experiences  

Chicago, Ill. – Epic Academy College Prep, a public, open-enrollment charter high school, has carried on a long-time tradition of pairing EPIC Academy students with high profile Chicago companies through Career Intensives, EPIC’s signature career exploration program. The program provides hands-on career exposure and experience to students while in the classroom. Companies ranging from communication firms to tech companies meet with students during a two-week career exploration program that exposes students to unique career experiences while they are still in high school. Career Intensives allow students to learn, discover and connect with a myriad of careers and professions from around the city.   

Students select the career field in which they are interested to be matched with companies of various sizes, including small businesses, offering that career path. Representatives from the companies visit the campus and engage students through a classroom presentation where students learn about their career journey while collaborating on a work simulation project. The program concludes with students showcasing their knowledge through a presentation to the company representatives and other students.   

“Career Intensives provides a peek into real-world projects that many companies and their employees handle throughout the year,” said Dr. Kyla Mathews, Principal of EPIC Academy. “The networking opportunities with company representatives and hands-on approach provided to the students provides an early glimpse into a field of their choice. This rare and critical opportunity has helped students better hone their post-secondary education choices when it comes to what major they select and the schools in which they apply and attend.”   

Some of the companies who participated in the Winter 2022 Career Intensives program included:   

Woods Residential, Engineering and Inspection  

iCreate Media Group  

Chicago Bar Assocation, Lawyers in the Classroom  

CS- Effect  

SPACECO  

Dr. Milton Davenport, Advanced Endodontics of Chicago   

TJ Marie Consulting  

EPIC Academy hosts Career Intensives twice during the school year; the next one will be held in spring. For companies interested in participating, please send an email to developmentteam@epicacademy.org  

 Epic Academy College Prep, a public, open-enrollment charter high school, has served low-income African-American and Latino students in South Chicago since 2009. The South Chicago community, one of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods, has a 20% unemployment rate and a childhood poverty rate that is 86% higher than all other U.S. neighborhoods. Epic Academy serves one of the most challenging student demographics in Chicago: 96% free/reduced lunch, 23% of students with diverse learning needs, and 15% English Language Learners. Despite the obstacles EPIC students face, it has a 100% college acceptance rate and 81% of our students enroll in college upon graduation. 

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