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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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Support our Students
| It takes more than a traditional high school budget to help our students engineer their future.
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 and participate in job skill competitions.
Please help by sending us a check, payable 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 our office at (773) 534-6326 or visit us in Room 140. |
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Contact
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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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14 Students Work with Manufacturers Over Spring Break
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 | | Michael Hudson double checks his measurements at DeCardy Diecasting |
Instead of hitting the beach, 14 APA seniors decided to hit the career path by spending their spring break working with one of 11 dedicated APA partners. Students worked eight hours a day for 4-5 days, in a wide variety of departments including Quality Control, Design & Production, and HR. Michael Hudson spent his days working in the Quality Control department at DeCardy Diecasting . Hudson, who spent his last summer working at DeCardy, impressed his employers by the level of his professionalism. "I liked the fact that I got to put to use the knowledge I learned at school." Students appreciated the chance to showcase their skills in the real world while learning lessons that go beyond the classroom. Rashida Redmond who interned at Freedman Seating company reflected; "I liked that they made me feel like apart of the company . . .Teamwork is a big thing at the company, and I saw a lot of teamwork and encouragement."
 | | Desiree Weaver explains a shipping form from Freedman Seating. |
The Spring Break Internship program was a learning experience for everyone involved from students to partners. APA Career Program staff will continue to collect and share feedback on this experience so that we can continue to improve how we develop opportunities to connect partners and students in mutually beneficial ways.
 | | Arenique Green shines at Brite Site |
Special thanks to: CPS's Career and Technical Education Dept. who provided stipends for students, Brite Site, DeCardy Diecasting, Freedman Seating, Hudson Precision Co., Iverson & Co., Matrix Tooling, Inc., Overton Gear, Plymouth Tube Co., Temple Steel Co., Wrightwood Precision, and Unique Active.
 | | Gregory Butler poses with Plymouth Tube Co President Steve Koch |
Click here for more photos
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Tech Trip | Juniors tour UIC
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On April 13, seventeen Juniors took a field trip to take a tour of UIC and its facilities. Students were taken all over campus to see everything the UIC has to offer including the athletic facilities, dormitories and one of the school's many lecture halls. For a special treat the students visited the top floor of the UIC tower to see the surrounding area from a bird eye's view. The students also dropped by the Electronic Visualization Lab (EVL) to see what programs were UIC students were developing with the lab's advanced technology. Afterward, students spent the remainder of their day sitting in on an engineering class. Hopefully the insights gained on this field trip will aid Juniors as they prepare their own applications for college.
Click here to view more photos.
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Tech Trip | Freshmen visit LabelMaster
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On April 12, thirty-two Freshmen took a field trip to visit APA Partner LabelMaster. After a quick presentation, students split into smaller groups to tour of the LabelMaster's facilities. Freshmen saw how a design goes from the computer to the label and sent out to the customer. Manufacturing is still a relatively new concept for these young students. We greatly appreciate LabelMaster's participation in our Career Program to open their facility and take the time to expose our students to the variety of interesting manufacturing careers.
Click here to view more photos.
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Tech Trip | Sustainability Leaders Visit Green Tech Sites
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On a snowy April day, six APA Sustainability Leaders and their advisers spent the day visiting two important sustainability sites in Chicago: the Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT) and the Dept. of Water Management's Southside facility. At the CCGT our Leaders learned: what it meant to be LEED certified, the important role permeable concrete plays in water management, different types of green roofs and sustainable building materials. The Leaders spent time warming up in the CCGT's resource center exploring the displays on beekeeping, worm composting and different kinds of wall insulation. After lunch the Leaders got a unique opportunity to visit the highly-guarded Water Management facility, where they learned about what it takes to treat and pump billions of gallons of fresh water to Chicago residents. The Leaders met some of the engineers, chemists and machinists who are responsible for keeping the clean water flowing into our homes.
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