February 25th, 2010
At the Chicago Center, you get to work in an internship in Chicago while being supported by peers who are doing the same thing and a staff who is ready to help you make the most of your internship experience and your time in Chicago. That is the great part of being in a Chicago internship program rather than simply finding an internship on your own.
We’ll help you take your work experience and understand it in the context of the city and its unique cultural and economic background. Meanwhile, you’ll be in charge of your own career education while you are on the job. There are many things you can learn from an internship, whether it’s your first one or one of many you’ve worked in. Here are just a few of the skills you can expect to pick up in an internship in Chicago.
Multitasking and Time Management
In high school and college, you have to balance many time commitments, classes and jobs, but when you work in an internship or job, you realize how different multitasking on the job can be. Rather than being able to dedicate your full attention to one task for an extended period of time or until it’s finished, you often have to juggle projects and finish them all quickly and efficiently. Read More
February 16th, 2010
While you will definitely learn career skills and other practical knowledge during your time in your internship at the Chicago Center, you will also learn directly from being immersed in our home city: Chicago. As you study off campus in Chicago, you will learn directly from the rich diversity of Chicago neighborhoods; the opportunities that come along and teach you the most might not be the ones you are expecting!
Community Education Chicago: A Definition
Community education means exactly what it sounds like– learning directly from Chicago’s neighborhoods by participating in activities and events important to the community itself.
Chicago Center calls this educational philosophy First Voice pedagogy. We engage students with urban resources, realities, and issues through a First Voice pedagogy which utilizes the city directly as a teaching resource. First Voice pedagogy integrates community based resources and experiential education into more traditional ways of learning; seminars are designed to extend the text into the dynamics of the city. Read More
February 16th, 2010
Michelle Bess, LearnChicago! Coordinator
The Urban Apprenticeship is an exciting opportunity we offer Chicago Center alumni that have just graduated college. More than a job it offers opportunities for learning and skill development in a supportive urban learning community.
The apprenticeship started in 1990 and grew out of the mutual interests of Chicago Center alums to prolong their contact with Chicago Center and the Center’s interest in strengthening its staff and program. It has exceeded expectations in both arenas and has become a great strength of Chicago Center. The Urban Apprentice usually spends one full year in residence at Chicago Center. This month Michelle Bess, LearnChicago! Coordinator talks about her experience with Chicago Center. Read More
February 8th, 2010
Although it’s still winter here in Chicago, you may want to start making your summer plans … even if it’s just so you can think about warm weather and classes being out! If your summer might include working in a Chicago summer internship, here are some ways to start looking and prepare yourself.
What kind of Chicago summer internships are there?
Chicago, being the 3rd largest urban center and having the 2nd largest job market in the country, hosts many industries and offers various types of employment. Some college students know exactly what kind of internship they want and which industry they want to work in; those students can get started right away on their Chicago Center application and look through examples of internships on our internships page. We have networked with hundreds of agencies, corporate organizations, arts groups and more to find internship sites that will give you great guidance, experience and let you contribute to the community in significant and meaningful ways.
However, if you aren’t exactly sure what career you may want get started in, here’s how you can start your research on Chicago summer internships: Read More
February 1st, 2010
Chicago internships can teach you a lot about yourself and your chosen career, and while you are working in one, there are probably tons of questions you may want to have answered. Luckily, Chicago Center provides a built-in support system to help you find answers to your own questions. From working in an office, to communicating with coworkers, to meeting deadlines, you may run into challenges in your Chicago internship program, but we’ll be there to help you address them, while also learning from them!
But you might have heard the saying, “Nothing worthwhile ever comes easily.” The amazing experiences you have as an intern and a student in Chicago are so great because they teach you that you can rise to meet the challenges you face! Chicago Center assists you in learning from your internship and succeeding in it.
Working an internship in Chicago, IL can provide challenges that help you learn about yourself.
The great thing about the Chicago Center internship programs is that we’ll be there the whole way to help you deal with any challenges you might meet. Whether challenges should rise in your Chicago internship, in your studies, or in your experience living in the city, you have an entire staff at your disposal, who have been through the Chicago Center experience themselves, to support you and help you learn and grow! It is a truly a unique community experience that helps you face any problem you meet.
And we’ll start helping you right here, by outlining some preliminary challenges and questions that our students meet and how to deal with them. With the help of our staff, you can navigate through challenges, and learn from the ones you must face! Read More
