Lumity - CTC Partners

Mayor Daley's Council of Technology Advisors has recommended that there be a CTC within walking distance of every Chicagoan.

Consulting Training Community Centers
of Excellence Information & Resources

African American Christian Foundation (AACF)
The AACF was established in 1985 as a community resource center working to bridge economic and educational gaps in Oak Park and Austin through technology and vocational training. AACF provides computer training services to displaced and underemployed workers, youth, and hard to serve individuals with identifiable barriers. Lumity provided planning assistance and support to improve delivery of services and training to help clients use technology to create opportunities for self-sufficiency and promote community stability. back to top

Alternatives, Inc.
Alternatives, Inc., a not-for-profit youth and family service agency established in 1971, annually serves 4,000 youth and families in Chicago ’s northeast neighborhoods. The agency provides crisis and counseling services, career and employment services, mentoring and leadership development for girls, conflict management, and education and prevention programs. By providing assistance with curricula, skills assessment tools, client participation and progress tracking procedures and tools, and monitor and measure outcomes, Lumity supported Alternatives, Inc. to enhance, design, develop, and implement technology initiatives that enrich services. back to top

Aunt Martha's Youth Service Center
Founded in 1972, Aunt Martha’s Youth Service Center Inc. is a nonprofit organization serving more than 16,596 children, youth and families in south suburban Cook County, and surrounding counties. The organization operates Transition to Independence Program and Shelter (TIPS), a transitional living facility for homeless youth ages 17 to 21. Participants are encouraged to pursue educational opportunities while working at least part time. The Accelerator has helped Aunt Martha’s add a CTC to provide homework help, distance learning and job-skills training for its residents. back to top

Casa Central
Casa Central was established in 1954 by a multi-denominational group of churches to provide social services for a growing population of Hispanics adjusting to life in Chicago ’s inner city. Each year Casa Central works with 20,000 low-income individuals through 25 social service programs including Head Start, after-school and gang-prevention activities, foster care, adoption, family services, employment training and placement, nutrition education, domestic violence intervention, emergency food, adult day care, a skilled nursing home for Hispanic elderly and transitional housing for homeless families. The Accelerator program has helped Casa Central add computer-related programs for adults and seniors, and expand their youth program offerings. back to top

Center on Halsted
Since 1973, the Center on Halsted (previously Horizons Community Services) has provided services to members of Chicago’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community. Through education, outreach, counseling and advocacy services, trained volunteers and professionals help individuals from across the Chicago area lead more productive, healthier lives. The Accelerator supports Horizons’ digital literacy, GED, and job-skills programs, as well as enhancing the center’s AIDS-education offerings and enabling participants to conduct online research on LGBTI-related issues. back to top

Centers for New Horizons
Centers for New Horizons is a comprehensive nonprofit human service agency founded 31 years ago to help families become self-reliant, improve the quality of their lives, and participate in rebuilding and revitalizing the community. Each day, the center’s 17 locations provide more than 2,000 individuals with services including early childhood education, after-school programs, family preservation, foster care, case advocacy, workforce development, senior outreach and technology training. The Accelerator assists with hardware acquisition, internet connectivity, software selection to support youth and adult programs, and provided technical assistance. back to top

Chicago Commons
Initiated in 1894 as part of the settlement house movement, Chicago Commons now provides more than 30,000 people a year with services including child and youth development, job training, adult education, emergency services, child welfare, senior day care, senior homemaker assistance and housing counseling. Lumity helps Chicago Commons take its technology-related programming to another level, with integrated multi-media offerings and expanded adult education. back to top

Erie Neighborhood House
Established in 1870 in the settlement house tradition, Erie Neighborhood House has evolved into a comprehensive social service agency serving more than 4,000 participants annually. The organization offers accredited child care; home daycare for infants and toddlers; adult education; citizenship services; career training and placement; technology instruction; tutoring, personal development and recreational opportunities for at-risk teens; and emergency food and referral services. Operating a nationally-recognized CTC, Lumity works with Erie to include distance learning and computer literacy programs for early childhood education staff, provide training for parents and other adults, and offer access by community groups. back to top

Gads Hill Center
Gads Hill Center is a community-based family resource center serving the low-income population of Chicago ’s Lower West Side since 1898. The center provides children, youth, adults and families with programs including tutoring and mentoring, children’s services and recreational activities, and parental education and support. Gads Hill also operates Teen Connection, the community’s first college preparatory program for public high school youth, which includes a CTC. The Accelerator provided technical assistance with program integration, staff technology training, and technical support for networking and administration. back to top

Hispanic Housing Corporation (HHDC)
Hispanic Housing Development Corporation (HHDC) was founded in 1975 to develop affordable housing within Latino communities in Chicago . It has grown into a multi-faceted organization that includes Real Estate Development, Property Management, Home Ownership Programs, Construction Management, Business Development, and Workforce Development. The Accelerator has supported HHDC in establishing a community technology center that provides training to increase employment skills among residents. back to top

Korean American Community Services (KACS)
Korean American Community Services (KACS) was established in 1972 and provides comprehensive and culturally sensitive family and individual counseling, health programs, community awareness and education, citizenship and naturalization assistance, employment counseling and placement, small business technical assistance, senior counseling and housing management, pro bono legal clinics, arts and cultural programs, ESL and computer education. The Accelerator supports KACS in improving the number of course offerings in both basic and intermediate computing, strengthen programs for “at-risk” youth, improved existing hardware and software, implemented client tracking mechanisms and program evaluation models, and volunteer management and program outreach. back to top

Lawndale Christian Development Corporation
Lawndale Christian Development Corporation (LCDC) was established in 1987 by the Lawndale Community Church to revitalize the lives and environments of Lawndale residents through economic empowerment, housing improvement, educational enrichment and community advocacy. The organization operates a 20-computer tech center offering courses in basic computer skills, Microsoft applications, and HTML programming and Web design. The Accelerator has helped the center identify and integrate appropriate software for after-school programs while providing technical assistance. back to top

Little Black Pearl Workshop
Since 1994, the Little Black Pearl Workshop has provided art education and business training to underserved youth in the Kenwood/Oakland neighborhood and surrounding communities on Chicago ’s south side. A nonprofit tax-exempt entity with 12 full-time staff members serving between 750 and 1,500 kids annually, LBPW creates an avenue for exposure to art and culture while teaching the profitable connection between art, education and business. Lumity supports the start-up of a state-of-the-art computer lab that has become a regular part of the programming at the agency. back to top

North Lawndale Employment Network
Created in 1997 to promote the economic self-sufficiency of North Lawndale residents, the North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN) is a partnership of community-based organizations, economic development agencies and businesses working together to meet the workforce development needs of North Lawndale residents and employers. NLEN’s Community Technology/Job Resource Center seeks to shrink the digital divide and increase employment and income levels of North Lawndale and other low income residents, particularly ex-offenders. The center serves approximately 700 job seekers a year. Lumity provided hardware and software, assists with programming and curriculum, provides training for CTC Staff, and resources for marketing and security. back to top

Onward Neighborhood House
Serving West Town for over 100 years, Onward Neighborhood House has adopted a collaborative model of service that engages our participants as leaders and decision makers. Working to empower low-income families, Onward provides early childhood education, after-school and summer programs for children, and youth, and community services for adults and seniors. The Accelerator supported the growth and development of Onward’s Community Computer Resource Center , which provides technology training to build self-esteem, responsibility, and leadership skills. Technology has been used by Parental Involvement Committees and families will ensure that services are relevant and responsive to community members’ needs. back to top

South Suburban YMCA
South Suburban YMCA is one of 26 centers operated by the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. South Suburban YMCA has anchored the communities of Harvey, Dixmoor, Markham, Phoenix, and Robbins in southern Cook County since 1944. It aids in the development of human values and supports the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of individuals and families in order to improve their quality of life. The CTC increases the economic advancement of residents in south suburban Harvey by providing opportunities for career development, job skills and practical computer skills training, computer-aided GED instruction, and web-based job searches. Lumity provides software, computer-based training, technical assistance with marketing, and staff training for South Suburban YMCA’s community technology center. back to top

Southeast Chicago Development Commission
The Southeast Chicago Development Commission (SCDCom) was formed in the early 1980s to work with residents, business and industry, government and other community partners to increase economic opportunities and improve the quality of life for the people of Southeast Chicago. Lumity added six workstations to its Job Resource Center, supported development of separate administrative space, provided technical assistance with setup and connectivity, and aided in developing courses and workshops. back to top

Street-Level Youth Media
Street-Level Youth Media is a community-based media arts organization that annually serves over 1,800 youth between the ages of 8 and 22. Through training in the media arts, youth negotiate differences, build community and develop critical thinking and artistic skills. By adding computers, software, and the internet as tools for art making, building community leadership and fostering transformation, Street-Level became one of the first organizations in the country to offer urban kids access to new technologies. Lumity supports Street-Level’s expansion in its teen programs and redesigning its multimedia Innovation Studio into a fluid space that allows for multiple kinds of programming, through portable equipment and a wireless network. back to top

Trilogy, Inc.
Since its founding in 1971 as a vocational workshop program, Trilogy has evolved into a comprehensive community mental health organization serving more than 700 clients a year. Trilogy provides vocational rehabilitation, socialization, and leisure time planning for mentally ill adults. Lumity supports Trilogy’s expanding computer and internet use to all adult clients for employment training, rehabilitation of cognitive deficits, maintenance of social networks, and researching mental illness treatments, supports, and advocacy efforts. back to top