About Austin Polytech
| Austin Polytechnical Academy is an engineering- and manufacturing-focused and college prep public high school on Chicago's West Side.
Thanks to over 60 partner companies, our students learn about the many different career opportunities in manufacturing through field trips, guest speaker visits, job shadowing opportunities, internships, and more.
Austin Polytech is a project of the Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council. Our career program is operated by the Center for Labor and Community Research.
Learn more at austinpolytech.org
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Join our Newsletter List
| Sign up to receive e-mail updates from Austin Polytechnical Academy, including our monthly newsletter Tech Talk. You may also opt to receive updates from the Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council.
We will never share or sell your personal information, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
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Support our Students
| It takes more than a traditional high school budget to help our students engineer their futures.
We need to invest in our world class machine shop, college- and career-prep program, and work-based projects and activities.
For example, APA has a SkillsUSA chapter in which students meet weekly to work on school and community leadership projects, attend regional and state conferences to participate in job skill competitions.
Please help by sending us a check, made out to the Center for Labor and Community Research, at 3411 West Diversey, Suite 10, Chicago, Illinois 60647.
You can also contribute online securely through PayPal by clicking below:
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Career Program
| The career program at Austin Polytech is operated by the not-for-profit Center for Labor and Community Research.
If you have any questions, please call the Career Services office at (773) 534-6326 or visit us in Room 140.
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Tech Talk Archive
| Love reading Tech Talk, but hate waiting a month between issues? Now you can view past newsletters online whenever you like:
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Contact
| Austin Polytechnical Academy
231 N. Pine Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60644
Main Office: (773) 534-6301
Career Services: (773) 534-6326
Fax: (773) 534-6046
austinpolytech.org
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Juniors tour the International Manufacturing Technology Show
| Austin Polytech's entire junior class visited the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) at McCormick Place on September 15, just two days after eight seniors were invited to cut the inaugural ribbon at the event's NIMS Student Summit.The IMTS
is the largest manufacturing trade show in the United States. Over
92,000 guests attended this year's show, including 12,000 students from
around the country.
APA was well-represented with our group of 91 students, who prepared for their trip by researching several companies online in class. The group focused on designated "student-friendly" exhibitors, such has FANUC Robotics, Haas Automation, Okuma GmbH, DMG / Mori Seiki, Index Corporation, GF AgieCharmilles, and Hardinge Inc.
Junior Lekesha Bowles said, "The IMTS was informational. I got to talk to one of the Haas salesmen, who told me what it was like to sell the big machines, and he even helped me make my own souvenir on one of those machines!" After the group returned to school, students who successfully completed the fact-finding "treasure hunt" assignment were entered into a raffle to win one of four Best Buy gift certificates.To top it all off, one lucky student, Diquan Weaver (right), won an iPad through the NIMS Student Summit daily raffle!
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New patent law program at Austin Polytech | by APA junior Torres Hughes
| Every Thursday, 12 Austin Polytech students meet with 6 John Marshall Law School students for a Patent Law Workshop. This extracurricular activity started Thursday, September 23, and is a great opportunity for students who want to become a lawyer or inventor.
We meet every Thursday during lunch to talk about the challenges and opportunities of becoming a patent lawyer or patent inventor. We have mock trials, and soon we will also have job shadowing opportunities, which will help us to build our portfolios and résumés. This is a GREAT opportunity for Austin Polytech students and I'm proud to be a part of it.
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Manufacturing Technology Center to offer adult training courses in 2011
| Starting in January 2011, Austin Polytech's Manufacturing Technology Center will open for adult education courses. Trainees will learn to operate Computer Numerical
Controlled (CNC) machines in order to earn the CNC
Operator and CNC Set-up,
Program, and Operator certificates from the National Institute for
Metalworking Skills (NIMS).
These industry-recognized certificates are respected by manufacturers throughout the United States. Entry-level CNC operator jobs pay $16/hour on average, and open doors to exciting, rewarding manufacturing careers.
Priority enrollment will be given to qualifying parents and guardians of APA students, but the adult training program will also serve as a resource to all community residents and local employers who need additional training.
Special thanks to The JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust, and The Polk Bros. Foundation for making this exciting new program possible.
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APA partner Johnson Controls leads mentoring activity for seniors
| On September 22, APA partner company Johnson Controls brought 20 staff members to Austin Polytech for a mentoring activity with nearly 100 seniors. Following an informational presentation about renewable energy, Johnson Controls selected six students for a competition to see whose wind turbine design generates the most energy.
The seniors then split into small groups, and chatted over lunch with the Johnson Controls staff about their plans for the future and the challenges and opportunities facing students as they begin their last year in high school. Special thanks to the Johnson Controls staff for planning a great presentation on renewable energy, providing lunch, and listening attentively and sharing their own experiences and advice with students.
View our photo gallery |
| APA welcomes new NIMS instructor Mr. Pablo Varela | Please join us in welcoming our newest addition to the APA team, NIMS instructor Mr. Pablo Varela, who will work closely with machine shop
instructor Mr. Tom O'Brien to prepare juniors to earn up to two machining certificates from the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS).
Mr. Varela has over 20 years of industry experience, including eight years of teaching experience, and holds five NIMS credentials. Most recently, Mr. Varela worked as a CNC Milling & Turning instructor at Instituto Del Progresso Latino and Wilbur Wright College.
"I have experienced the importance of having a well rounded understanding of machining and manufacturing, leadership, integrity and respect for the [machining] profession. My hopes are to pass this knowledge to this next generation," Mr. Varela said.
Special thanks to APA partners Steve Kersten, president of WaterSaver Faucet, and the TMA Education Foundation for sponsoring a second machine shop instructor this year. Their support has greatly increased APA's capacity to provide high-quality machining instruction for our students.
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