UP²’s inaugural program in partnership with Chicago Hope Trade Academy, Chicago, IL

UP² partners with excellent private schools that serve predominantly low-income, minority student populations, to offer hands-on career and technical education programming in the construction trades, empowering students to pursue in-demand careers right out of high school.

For its inaugural program, UP² focused on the Chicagoland area and found an ideal partner in Chicago Hope Academy (CHA), a private Christian college and life preparatory school founded in 2004 in Near West Side Chicago.

In partnership with UP² Chicago Hope Academy now offers Career and Technical Science (CTS) and workforce readiness programming to 11th and 12th graders. Alongside the same high-quality learning and personalized attention CHA offers in each class, upper class students can now take hands-on classes in the construction trades, visit the state-of-the-art training facilities or each trade partner, and be fast-tracked for coveted apprenticeship openings with UP² partners.  

 UP²’s CTS instructor at Chicago Hope Academy is Mr. Kevin Walters, a 20-year veteran in residential, industrial, and commercial electrical installations, maintenance, and repair and a member of IBEW Local 134. 

 Learn more about the Chicago Hope Trade Academy here.