STEP-UP
The STEP-UP program is currently on hiatus. Stay tuned for new opportunities in 2024. Please reach out to the National Center for Urban Education if you have any questions.
STEP-UP (Summer Teacher Education Partnership for Urban Preparation) is a rigorous 4-week teaching and community internship and summer residency program for pre-service teachers from Illinois State University.
Students who are selected for STEP-UP (STEP-UP Fellows) live in Chicago in a partner neighborhood where they fully immerse themselves in the communities in which they serve. During the program, Fellows:
- assist in Chicago Public School (CPS) classrooms during summer school
- serve as an intern at a community-based organization
- engage in deep reflection about urban teaching through seminars and workshops taught by ISU faculty/staff, CPS teachers/administrators and community activists
- participate in other civically engaged activities in five culturally distinct Chicago communities.
STEP-UP has a strong focus on the role community plays in education and the ways in which teachers are a part of the greater community effort toward improving the quality of life for all residents.
Questions
If you have questions, email the National Center for Urban Education at NCUEISU@ilstu.edu or visit the NCUE office on campus in College Place Uptown, Suite B.