The Alliance for Minority Participation (AMP) program was established in 1993 and is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The Chicago AMP is part of a nationwide consortium of colleges and universities located in the United States and Puerto Rico. The specific goal of the program is to quadruple the number of undergraduate and graduate degrees awarded to under-represented minorities in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (SMET) by the year 2000.

The Chicago AMP represents the Illinois branch of the National AMP program; it consists of nine (9) Chicago Universities, nine (9) regional community colleges and several research organizations. Together, these groups participate in a collaborative effort to provide programs that improve the quality of Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology education for minority students. Each of these organizations has made a commitment of faculty, staff, research facilities and technical assistance to ensure successful opportunities for students participating in the ChAMP Program.

Chicago AMP activities are comprehensive and multi-disciplinary, focused specifically on SMET education. Great effort is expended to address transition points in student's undergraduate experience, specifically for students who are more likely, without intervention, to decide to withdraw from the SMET pipeline. Consequently, critical transition points along the SMET education pipeline are high school to college, two-year to four-year, undergraduate to graduate study and graduate study to careers. These transition points are all addressed in various innovative ways. Eligibility Requirements

Any undergraduate minority students majoring in Science, Mathematics, Engineering or Technology (SMET) disciplines who are enrolled at any of our alliance institutions are eligible to participate in the ChAMP Program. The following minority groups are eligible for AMP awards: African American/Black, Hispanic and Native American. High school college bridge students may also receive AMP awards for the summer.

While students who are enrolled in SMET disciplines are encouraged to participate in AMP activities, only those who meet NSF's definition of membership in an under-represented group are eligible for Chicago AMP awards. Students majoring in SMET fields who would like to pursue professional degrees in medicine and health related fields, while not funded, are encouraged to participate in various workshops and retention programs.

Chicago AMP financial award decisions are made by the individual member universities and community colleges. Please apply for support through the program coordinator.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Main Goals?

To increase the number of individuals from under-represented groups in Science, Math, Engineering and Technology (SMET).

To have more minority students pursue bachelor degrees at four-year colleges in SMET fields.

Who can benefit from ChAMP at Daley?
Students must be:

African-American, Hispanic-American, or tribally-enrolled Native American;

Majoring in Science (biology, chemistry, physics, geology, astronomy), Mathematics, Computer Science or Engineering;

Planning to complete a B.S. degree at a four-year University; and

Planning to transfer to one of the ChAMP schools.

What does ChAMP at Daley offer students?

Financial assistance

Tutoring

Faculty mentoring

Research and laboratory experience

Connections between two-year and four-year institutions

Summer educational experiences

What can students at Daley actually receive from ChAMP?

Book waivers

Additional tutoring

Laboratory instruction including lab prep and set-up

Student receptions to provide networking with four-year ChAMP students

Organized campus visits to four-year colleges

Graphing calculators

Stipends for specific expenses (books, travel, etc.)

Experience teaching K-12 students

What Daley strategies can be replicated at other community colleges?

Connection with science/math faculty

Smoother transition between two-year and four-year colleges

Networking of minority science/math students

Provision of lab and teaching experiences

Future Plans at Daley?

Participation of ChAMP students in Back-to-School Fair and Science Fair

Increased involvement of all faculty in the ChAMP Program

Increased opportunities for ChAMP students to attend and actively participate in AMP Research Conferences and Workshops

Daley ChAMP Faculty

Dr. Frank Kovarik, Engineering
773.838.7719
fkovarik@ccc.edu

Dr. Tom Kodogeorgiou, Physics
773.838.7717
tkodogeorgiou@ccc.edu

Mr. Abolhassan S. Taghavy, Mathematics (Program Coordinator)
773.838.7646
ataghavy@ccc.edu

University Members
Chicago State University
DePaul University
Governors State University
Illinois Institute of Technology
Loyola University
Northeastern Illinois University
Northwestern University
University of Illinois at Chicago
Western Illinois University

Community College Members
Daley College
Harold Washington College
Harry S. Truman College
Kennedy-King College
Malcolm-X College
Olive-Harvey College
South Suburban Community College
St. Augustine College
Wilbur Wright College