CHICAGO, Aug. 6, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- LINK Unlimited Scholars, which prepares high-achieving African American youth for college and beyond through its unique approach and mentoring, today launched an immersive, four-day Design Camp for high school students in Chicago, in partnership with global design firm, IDEO. The camp will take place at DePaul University.
LINK Unlimited Scholars is working to change the trajectory of high-potential African American youth through educational support, mentors and financial subsidies, providing the necessary backing to help close opportunity gaps and further ensure economic stability for participating scholars. For 20 years in a row, 100% of LINK high school seniors have been accepted to selective colleges and universities, including Ivy League, HBCUs, and locals like Northwestern and UIC.
While Chicago was recently reported as one of the top markets in the nation for tech, one of the challenges facing the city is ensuring that its youth receive the training and mentoring needed to prepare for jobs in this exciting market. LINK's partnership with IDEO, known for many first-of-its-kind innovations such as the Apple Mouse, offers scholars the opportunity to learn directly from some of the industry's most experienced and influential designers during the camp.
"We are honored to serve as IDEO's inaugural community partner for their first-ever design camp outside the San Francisco Bay Area," said President and CEO of LINK Unlimited Scholars Jonathan T. Swain. "Our scholars stand to gain invaluable hands-on experience from the best professionals in the tech and design sphere that will prepare them for college and their career, which is the root of LINK's mission. We couldn't be more thrilled to offer this once in a lifetime opportunity to our scholars."
During the camp, LINK scholars will have one-on-one access to some of IDEO's top talent and the opportunity to participate in design training workshops focused on what it means to operate as a human centered designer. The camp will feature design thinking challenges, system thinking workshops, and other group and individual activities focused on technology and design. LINK scholars will have the option to select one of the following options for a design challenge project: how to make public transportation in Chicago easier to access for teens, how to tell the positive story of neighborhoods that are often portrayed in the media as negative, how to better help high school students pick the right college, or how to help high school students be better prepared for college classes. Each student will have the opportunity to present their creative designs on Friday.
"Our goal is to expand access to design thinking at an earlier age through IDEO's Design Camp to young people from diverse communities, including communities of color, LGBTQIA groups, and under-resourced neighborhoods which traditionally aren't exposed to design." Ovetta Sampson, IDEO design research lead said. "LINK was a perfect partner because they share our interest to help bring exposure of foundational skills to students that they can use throughout the rest of their lives to make an impact in the world."
LINK's mission to prepare scholars for college expands outside the classroom and is strengthened by community partnerships with organizations such as IDEO.
About LINK Unlimited Scholars:
LINK Unlimited Scholars has worked to change the trajectory of high-potential African American youth in the classroom and beyond. With educational support, mentors and financial subsidies, LINK provides the necessary backing to help close opportunity gaps and further ensure economic stability for participating Scholars. For 20 years in a row, 100% of LINK Unlimited Scholars' High School Seniors have been accepted to selective colleges and universities.
For more information, visit https://linkunlimited.org/.
SOURCE LINK Unlimited Scholars
Share this article