Our Latest CCCAC Cohorts Projects
As part of the intensive three-month Chicago College and Career Advising Credential (CCCAC) training, youth development professionals work on group projects based on their learnings and expertise from the training content. Projects range from a podcast on creating an internship program to a short video explaining apprenticeship and resources on becoming an entrepreneur. The range of subject matters and styles is tremendous, so dig in and explore! All projects are open source and intended to be shared widely.
The projects below correspond with each of the following categories
Videos
Career Readiness
Postsecondary Pathways
Professional Fields
Underserved Youth Populations
Coaching and Counseling Best Practices
Resources for Parents
Videos
Title: Apprenticeship
Speaker: Jasamine Young-Paulhill
Project Theme: Postsecondary Pathways
Provides general information about apprenticeships, their benefits and drawbacks, as well as common industries where they can be found. (2:39)
Title: College
Speaker: No speaker
Project Theme: Postsecondary Pathways
Gives basic information about college characteristics, paying for college, and the benefits of college. (1:39)
Title: Job Training
Speaker: No speaker
Project Theme: Postsecondary Pathways
Describes job training characteristics, financial considerations, program time frames, and some common job training industries. (1:08)
Title: Military
Speaker: No speaker
Project Theme: Postsecondary Pathways
Provides the benefits of joining the military and describes four ways of joining it. (1:29)
Title: Service/Gap Year
Speaker: No speaker
Project Theme: Postsecondary Pathways
Describes the features of service and gap years, along with the career benefits, financial considerations, and time commitment. (1:08)
Title: Introduction to the Entrepreneurship Industry
Speaker: Colleen Egan, President & CEO of ISTC
Project Theme: Pathways in Entrepreneurship, Finance, IT, Healthcare, and Manufacturing
Describes the characteristics of entrepreneurs, support for new entrepreneurs, and the speaker’s personal journey of becoming an entrepreneur. (3:57)
Title: Introduction to the Healthcare Industry
Speaker: Essence Underwood, Research Scientist at AbbVie
Project Theme: Pathways in Entrepreneurship, Finance, IT, Healthcare, and Manufacturing
Describes a variety of healthcare careers and the speaker’s journey from being a phlebotomist to an X-ray tech and finally a research scientist. (1:38)
Title: Introduction to the Healthcare Industry
Speaker: Essence Underwood, Research Scientist at AbbVie
Project Theme: Pathways in Entrepreneurship, Finance, IT, Healthcare, and Manufacturing
Shares his journey from training with i.c.stars to becoming a cloud solution architect at Microsoft, describes his daily responsibilities, and offers suggestions for pursuing a career in technology. (7:31)
Title: Introduction to the Manufacturing Industry
Speaker: Haven Allen, CEO and Co-Founder of mHub
Project Theme: Pathways in Entrepreneurship, Finance, IT, Healthcare, and Manufacturing
Shows people doing different manufacturing jobs, such as laser cutting, CNC, and 3-D printing. (1:14)
Title: Finance and Insurance
Career OneStop Career Cluster Industry Video
Project Theme: Pathways in Entrepreneurship, Finance, IT, Healthcare, and Manufacturing
Describes types of financial industries, how the financial sector works, and future prospects for specific positions. (2:17)
Click HERE for all Career OneStop Career Cluster videos.
Career Readiness
Project Topic: Building an Internship Program
Format: Podcast
Team: Gabriela Martinez, Nia K. Benton, Nicole Jovicevic
Hear about important considerations for building a successful internship program. The podcast is divided into four parts, each of which has a corresponding audio handout that is provided in a podcast guide. There is also an accompanying one-pager.
Project Topic: Internship Tracker
Format: Spreadsheet
Team: Alexa Charsha-Hahn, Jomarie Coloriano, Miranda Olander, Sonia Pulido, Nena Benitez
Use this Google sheet to keep track of records, access resources and track internship applications and experiences. People can also customize the sheet by making their own copy of it. Geared towards youth or youth guides.
Project Topic: Guide for Remote Work
Format: Guide
Team: Esther Reyes, Andrea Barron, Tara D. Driver, Ashley Thompson
Identify different types of remote work and best practices for the virtual workspace. Geared towards people working remotely for the first time.
Coaching and Counseling Resources
Project Topic: Assessing the Whole Person: The First Step of Career Exploration
Format: Resource Guide
Team: Christy Begeschke, Tracy Lampkins, Kathryn McIntosh
Explore a host of videos, tools, and resources on topics ranging from cultural competency and trauma-informed care to personal values and financial needs.
Project Topic: Financial Aid Requirements for College and Pathways
Format: PPT
Team: Alexa Charsha-Hahn, Jomarie Coloriano, Miranda Olander, Sonia Pulido, Nena Benitez
Learn the basics about financial aid and scholarship opportunities for college and other postsecondary pathways.
Project Topic: Post-secondary Planning
Format: Resource Guide
Team: Ruth Thurston, Brian Melvin, Jessica Schraft, Rosa Nanez
Find resources for career exploration, identify the necessary training and education for careers, and explore match and fit for college.
Postsecondary Pathways
Project Topic: Exploring Postsecondary Pathways
Format: Interactive PPT and Guide
Team: Molly Zolianbawi, Grant Vitale, Paw Ku, Jane Baron, Dani Berny
Learn general information on various pathway options (4-year colleges, community colleges, apprenticeships, military, job training, trades) from this PPT. The guide offers a one-pager on each of the pathways. Geared towards youth.
Project Topic: Postsecondary Paths
Format: Short Videos and Resources
Team: Michelle Polyakov, Tony Petraitis, Tracey Abrams, Jasamine Young-Paulhill
Watch short videos and access resources on multiple pathway options (apprenticeships, college, gap/service year, military, and trade/job training). Geared towards youth.
Project Topic: “One Stop Shop” for Progressive Pathways
Format: Linktree Webpage
Team: Ruth Thurston, Brian Melvin, Jessica Schraft, Rosa Nanez
Find resources for career exploration, identify the necessary training and education for careers, and explore match and fit for college.
Project Topic: Postsecondary Pathway Conversation Guide
Format: One Pager
Team: Jeffery Davis, Darlene Harris, Stefany Montgomery, Mersiha Abdic, Josh Symbal
Gain ideas for an initial pathway guidance conversation with a 9th grader; three scenarios are presented, along with a glossary of common pathway terms.
Project Topic: Progressive Pathways: Alternatives to College
Format: Interactive PPT
Team: Dominique Zewde, Jaclynn Powell, Jo-Anne Butt
Use this PPT to provide an overview of different pathway options (military, skilled trades, apprenticeships, and technical skills).
Project Topic: Entrepreneurial Skills
Format: Interactive PPT and Resources
Team: Beatrice Smith-Redd, Felipe Luna, Alan Bath
Use this PPT to assess whether being an entrepreneur is a good fit. Geared towards jobseekers. Discover entrepreneurial resources aimed towards different populations (experienced workers, returning citizens, and youth). Geared towards youth guides.
Project Topic: Pathway Profiles
Format: Webpage
Team: Maggie Im, Ashley Letteney, Ziomara Gil, Anita Vaughan, Marisela Morales
Explore links to tools and resources for a variety of postsecondary pathway options.
Project Topic: Chicagoland Apprenticeship Database
Format: Spreadsheet
Team: Ian Shaw, Cristina Carpio, Maria Rodriguez
Identify apprenticeship opportunities in the city and suburbs ranging from dog training to graphic arts, IT, and pipefitting.
Project Topic: Interactive Decision Map for Postsecondary Pathways
Format: Infographic & Linktree Webpage
Team: Teri Ford, Fantazia Berry, Warren Riley, Reyna Smith, La Norra Dennis
Explore postsecondary options for education, work, and beyond with an interactive infographic that links to a Linktree webpage.
Professional Fields
Project Topic: Chicago STEM Opportunities
Format: Spreadsheet
Team: Jesus Ayala Jr., Gabriela Fuentes, Tiffany Man, Ann Pacyna,Stef Walker
Review extensive lists of local STEM opportunities for various youth populations
(high school youth, postsecondary youth, and college youth).
Project Topic: Pathways in Tech, Ed, and Construction
Format: PPT
Team: Carlos Catalán, Leah Rietveld, Wai Su
Discover a wide range of entry-level and advanced roles in these three fields, as well as their respective job duties and required education. Geared towards youth.
Project Topic: Pathways in Entrepreneurship, Finance, IT, Healthcare, and Manufacturing
Format: Resource Guide, Videos, and Spreadsheet
Team: Emily Cooper, Bryan Pruitt, Felicia Lerner, Melissa Barboza, Amber Kienutske
Find pathway descriptions, short videos about people working in the pathways, and local organizations that can assist with pursuing these pathways.
Project Topic: Short-term Careers in Kane County
Format: One-pager
Team: Amie Adams, Jackie Bello, Anna Marchionna
Identify options for pursuing a short-term career through job training programs in Kane County.
Underserved Youth Populations
Project Topic: Learning Disabilities
Format: Resources and Guide
Team: Jose Mosqueda, Juan Fuentes
Gain general information and resources on learning disabilities, including organizations that provide employment for individuals with learning disabilities, as well as those leading advocacy efforts. Some resources are provided in Spanish. Geared towards youth guides.
Project Topic: Professional Development Resource Guide for Youth Ages 18-24
Format: PPT
Team: Samera Hadi, Celeste Hall, Krishina Ingram, Pam Johnson Davis, Musa Macenyane, Jasmine Nelson
Access resources specific to many underserved populations, such as youth experiencing homelessness, pregnant and/or parenting youth, and youth involved in legal systems. Geared towards youth guides.
Resources for Parents
Project Topic: Engaging Parents in Understanding Alternative Pathways
Format: One-pager in English/Spanish & PPT in English
Team: Sotero Barraza, Jocelynn Vega, Diana Cimino-Cordon, Tashawnna Johnson, Lluviana Arizmendi
Provide parents with general information for multiple postsecondary pathways in English and Spanish.