“Carreras en Salud”

The Wright College Humboldt Park Vocational Education Center’s Carreras en Salud (Careers in Health) program, a collaborative effort with Association House of Chicago, Instituto del Progreso Latino and National Council of La Raza, is now in the second half of its second year. With students attending classes at HPVEC, Association House and Instituto del Progreso Latino, we have seen a constant progression of program participants from one skill level to the next.

Presently there are 57 students enrolled in four LPN programs, 31 students are taking pre-requisite classes, 26 students are taking pre-LPN classes, and 24 students are enrolled in VESL classes for a grand total of 138 participants in the CES program. In addition, there are 51 students who have completed all of the pre-requisites and are waiting for acceptance into the next open LPN program. A total of 32 CES students have graduated from the LPN program of which 24 have taken and passed the state licensing exam and four are taking a PN Review. The remaining four either did not yet take or failed to pass the licensing exam. Placement for these students has been highly successful (100% of those becoming licensed) with starting wages between $15 and $22 per hour.

This highly successful program has been receiving national attention from the Department of Education, the Aspen Institute and several institutions of higher education. Partners of the program have been invited to present at several national conferences including the upcoming annual conference of National Council of La Raza. In addition, the program has been the subject of written reports including a recent report to the Joyce Foundation entitled “Promising Practices from the Chicago Bridge Training Program Pilots” based on a formative evaluation of three pilot bridge programs by authors Davis Jenkins and Judith Kossy.

Latino Development and Technology Accelerator Center (CIMA)

The Humboldt Park Latino Development and Technology Accelerator Center , spearheaded by State Representative Cynthia Soto, is proud to announce that it will be starting its first classes on March 10, 2007. With the construction now complete, a ribbon-cutting ceremony has been scheduled for Friday, April 13^th to commemorate the grand opening. The Latino Technology Center will be offering a wide range of computer career courses from A+ Computer Technician Certification, continuing with Network+ Certification and culminating with Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA) training. In addition, Basic Computer Literacy courses will be offered to allow all residents of Humboldt Park , West Town and other surrounding Chicago area communities access to training that will lead to improved job readiness and employment possibilities. One of the goals of the Technology Center is to provide training for high technology careers and to bridge the digital divide experienced by community residents. It will also provide intensive workforce training geared toward emerging technologies to help meet the hiring needs of area employers. This training will be both comprehensive and intensive and will lead to immediate employment opportunities, with the primary focus on wireless technology. The proposed program will also address the need for remediation training, in the form of a bridge program for individuals who do not meet the entry level skill requirements for the computer training. For more information you may go to www.cimacenter.org

Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High School Students at HPVEC

For a second semester students from Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High School have been attending classes at HPVEC as part of a dual-enrollment program funded by the State of Illinois. Fifteen students are currently enrolled in English and Math classes at the college level thanks to the help of our newly elected City Clerk of Chicago, Miguel Del Valle. In addition, four mid-year graduates of this successful alternative high school have transitioned to higher education and are currently enrolled in college credit classes at HPVEC and the main campus.

On Saturday, January 5^th, six students graduated from the Wright College Certified Nursing Assistant program.

Advanced Pathways to Health Professions Program (APHPP)

The University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, Urban Health and Diversity Programs, is working in collaboration with the entities of the Humboldt Park Community of Wellness, of which HPVEC is a member, to run the Advanced Pathways to Health Professions Program in four local high schools located in the 4^th Illinois Legislative District, specifically in West Town and Humboldt Park community areas of Chicago. The four high schools are: Albizu Campos, Clemente, El Cuarto Año and Wells. The project, which received state funding through the support and efforts of State Representative Cynthia Soto, was designed to follow 80 students annually (2006-2008) between 10^th and 12^th grades. 25 students enrolled in the 30-week Saturday College that began in October and another 55 will enroll in the 6-week Summer Institute. The University of Illinois at Chicago and the Community of Wellness aim to contribute to the elimination of health disparities through having the high school students explore careers in public health sciences. The APHPP will do this by designing and implementing public health related activities that will increase students’ motivation to study science, mathematics and develop better writing skills. The partnership also aims at furthering students’ health professions plans through their interaction with health professionals from predominantly Hispanic/Latino communities, such as Humboldt Park and West Town . The first cohort of students will be completing the program in early June and the students have already attended three of six scheduled community workshops addressing prevalent health issues such as diabetes, asthma, depression, smoking, HIV/AIDS and obesity. St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital and the West Town Neighborhood Health Center have been very supportive of the project in providing the use of their facilities for preceptor sites. The students have been participating at these preceptor sites to shadow and observe health professionals in action. These doctors, nurses and technicians also act as mentors to the students in order to help them make their respective career choices in the future. Additional support has been provided by Sinai Urban Institute, Stroger Hospital and area community-based organizations.