City Colleges Of Chicago Will Present The 2022 Seven Strong Speakers Series

Join City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) and City Colleges of Chicago Foundation for five engaging discussions, online, that work together to build back a stronger community and Chicago. Today, it is imperative that corporations, institutions of higher education, industry thought leaders, government, and other advocates double-down on the call to diversify their workforce and create economic mobility for those that have long been marginalized and excluded.

"I believe we all have a role to play in supporting our students and their communities, so we can build a stronger and just Chicago," said Juan Salgado, Chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago. "Our students are at the heart of everything we do and hosting these important conversations to affect change, and at this time, are vital and amplify our collective fight for creating economic mobility and academic achievement for our communities."

Racial and ethnic inequities in Chicago's vulnerable communities is pervasive and consequential. With a lack of access to equitable resources and the added layer of the pandemic, the challenges that exist in our communities have widened, and our students and their families have been among the most impacted. Breaking down barriers and creating access is essential to building back a vibrant Chicago economy.

"These discussions on the essential roles inclusion and equity play in building a diverse workforce are essential if we are to make positive changes," said Rhonda Brown, Vice Chancellor-Institutional Advancement at CCC. "Due to the generosity of our sponsors and partners, CCC can offer this important series at no cost to participants. Only together can we increase access and expand opportunity to those who need it the most."

Rooting action in advancing racial and ethnic equity is deeply personal work that requires all of us with the goals of building trusting relationships and providing safe space to process new information; and reflect on our own personal journeys. We hope you can join us to learn about City Colleges' long-term commitment to adult learners, equity, economic mobility, innovative degree and certificate programs, and access completion of these programs at low or no cost. You will also hear from students how they are succeeding in their chosen field. Below is a list of the five online events:

The 2022 Seven Strong Speakers Series Essential Inclusion: Solutions for a Vibrant Chicago Economy is as follows:

Honoring The Essential Worker

Monday, May 9, 11:45am - 1pm

City Colleges of Chicago recognizes the sacrifices and ceaseless efforts to protect our health and keep our country's economy moving forward amid the pandemic. Frontline workers have helped to provide safety, healthcare, education, and much more. This session will bring together experts from various fields to pay tribute to essential workers and discuss the way City Colleges of Chicago is helping students to take advantage of opportunities in high-demand fields such as healthcare, technology, food service, and agriculture.

Equity and Inclusion When Rebuilding The Economy

Wednesday, May 11, 11:45am - 1pm

There has never been greater urgency for businesses to rebuild the economy with diversity, equity, and inclusion at its core. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, local leaders can rebuild better, generating higher-quality job and wealth creation opportunities in the local economies that advance racial inclusion. This session will bring together leaders from key sectors to discuss how City Colleges of Chicago is positioned to support a more equitable and inclusive economy.

The State of the Supply Chain

Monday, May 16, 11:45am - 1pm

Labor shortages in manufacturing, transportation, distribution, and logistics sectors have been among the most significant contributors to the strains in supply chains Chicagoland, the United States, and beyond. This challenge provides opportunities for City Colleges of Chicago students to secure living wage opportunities for themselves and their families. This session will bring together experts in the industry as well and City College of Chicago leaders to discuss how they are working to prepare students to enter these high-demand fields.

Cannabis Education & Preparation: A Matter of Civil Rights and Racial Justice

Wednesday, May 18, 11:45am - 1pm

The racial disparity in the legal cannabis market continues to disproportionately impact communities of color. This session highlights the efforts of the Cannabis Studies program at City Colleges of Chicago to educate the future workforce, activists, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs in the Illinois cannabis industry, thus empowering individuals who have been disproportionately affected by the war on drugs through restorative justice.

Seven Strong: Our Path Forward, a Virtual Streaming Event

A Call To Action for Chicago Corporations to Build a Stronger, more inclusive Economy

Wednesday, May 25, 8:30am- 9:30am

The Speaker Series culminates with a virtual even featuring the region's most prominent civic leaders and partners. A final panel discussion will host industry leaders and discuss how City Colleges is leveraging the urgent workforce needs of high-demand industries with the vision and mission to ultimately help students achieve economic mobility.

In addition, City Colleges of Chicago will present Accenture with the Ella Flagg Young Award on May 25 in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the education and advancement of Chicago students by an individual or organization. Accepting the award on Accenture's behalf is James Coleman, Chicago Senior Managing Director at Accenture. Accenture and Mr. Coleman are champions that work tirelessly to bridge the gap by raising awareness of apprenticeships and helping more businesses establish successful programs. As a result of the partnership, 75 of CCC students have been hired by Accenture.

The Ella Flagg Young Award recognizes outstanding contributions such as Accenture has made by being an active supporter of City Colleges through its partnership in developing relevant curriculum; providing workforce opportunities through CCC's cyber-boot camps; co-founding the Chicago Apprenticeship Network to aid students in gaining real life work experience; and its philanthropic generosity to the College.

For more information and to register for the online series click here or visit: https://sevenstrong.ccc.edu/seven-strong-speaker-series-2022/#sessions

Special thanks to these sponsors for their generosity and partnership: Accenture, Bank of America,

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Cabrera Capital Markets, Comcast, JGMA, Peoples Gas, Pritzker Traubert Foundation, Saint Anthony Hospital, and Union Pacific.