WE PUT TALENT TO WORK
Using project-based learning and immersion teaching, i.c.stars provides an opportunity for change-driven, future leaders to develop skills in business and technology.
WE’RE GROUNDED IN OUR VALUES
They define how we work and how we live our lives.
Stewards:
We’re committed to creating opportunity for others.
Teachers:
We know that to learn and lead is the greatest form of justice.
Agents to Change:
We invest in change and innovation, not charity.
Resilient:
We’re strong, courageous and capable of overcoming adversity.
Solution Finders:
We shape our future by solving problems in and with the community.
AND WE’RE GUIDED BY OUR VISION.
It’s our north star.
TO ACTIVATE A TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY OF CHANGE AGENTS TO POWER SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FREEDOM.
WHAT WE DO
At i.c.stars we provide a rigorous technology-based workforce development and leadership training program for low-income adults, developing Chicagoland’s most promising information technology talent with leadership goals and connecting them with career opportunities through our social enterprise and our partner organizations.
Our social mission is central to our work. Our primary goal as a social enterprise is to further our mission, and the profits earned through our business model support our training program. Working with low-income young adults, providing them with employment opportunities and preparing them for community-based advocacy allows us to achieve our social purpose.
SUCCESS & IMPACT
For two decades, i.c.stars has seen the world as an intersection of two powerfully aligned aspirations—success and impact. Some young adults already have what it takes to excel in technology careers and to play leadership roles in their communities. How do we know this? We discovered that the qualities that lead to excellence in technology are closely linked to those associated with community leadership—namely, solutions orientation, resilience, collaboration, commitment, empathy, reciprocity, and accountability. Through our recruitment and selection methods and our field-based curriculum, we generate unparalleled results for both young adults and employers.