Discovery Partners Institute

And just like that, the 5th cohort of trainees in our Software Development Foundations Tech Apprenticeship program in the Pritzker Tech Talent Labs earn their certificates of completion. Congratulations to all! 🎉

Discovery Partners Institute is thrilled to welcome our new corporate engagement lead, J Bradley Spirrison! Brad talks about his vision for tech in Illinois, and the role he sees DPI playing. #discoverdpi #tech https://lnkd.in/ghbm-PNd

There was a buzz of excitement all morning as Digital Scholars held its much-anticipated Gallery Walk! Each class - iOS App Design & Development, Foundations of Computer Science & Coding, Exploring Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Data Science Discovery – received a dedicated time slot to showcase their final projects to guests and fellow students.    Symone, a rising senior, enthused, “I loved how we got to see other people’s projects and I liked how different everyone’s projects were.” Mary, a rising junior, appreciated the interest people showed and the thoughtful questions they asked. All in all, she thought it was an enjoyable experience. Sincere, another junior, felt the Gallery Walk “was amazing - it showcased our final projects and what we’ve all been working on these past 6 weeks.”   On the penultimate day of this summer’s Digital Scholars, they also shared their thoughts of the program. Mary highlighted the assignments she completed for ECE and how it was “good to try something new.” It really helped that the class had “an open environment with hands-on learning, which was good because I am a hands-on learner.”   Symone appreciated hearing from the guest speakers; one in particular really inspired her because he showed that you can overcome academic challenges to become a success. Sincere also underscored the value of hearing from the daily speakers: “They showed me different paths and how anyone can enter these fields.”   It is hard to believe, but Digital Scholars 2024 is nearly in the books! Discovery Partners Institute is so proud of every participant – their diligence and perseverance are evident in every final project!   #DiscoverDPI #StudentSuccess

Today is the Discovery Partners Institute Digital Scholars Gallery Walk and students put the finishing touches on their presentations yesterday, demonstrating dedication and hard work right up to the last minute!   Emmanuel Oginni, a rising college freshman who presented in Foundations of Computer Science & Coding today, commended his classmates for fostering a welcoming environment and shared, “The class was great - I learned teamwork and communication skills, and the instructors were always there to help.”   Jay, a rising high school senior who took Data Science Discovery, stated, “I learned a lot and since I’m a hands-on learner, it made me very proud of myself to learn on my own without having the instructors make everything really obvious for me. Overall, it was a fun class and I would definitely recommend it to others.”   Less than an hour until the final presentations are exhibited! Based on the outstanding work displayed so far, visitors are going to be very impressed by what these scholars have accomplished!   #DiscoverDPI #StudentSuccess

📚 New Study Highlights Ongoing Post-Pandemic Learning Challenges for Illinois Students At DPI, we are committed to supporting educational initiatives and fostering collaboration to improve student outcomes through efforts like the Illinois Workforce & Education Research Collaborative (IWERC). The COVID-19 pandemic has left a lasting impact on education. A recent study by IWERC shows that Illinois students are still grappling with significant learning losses, highlighting the urgent need for continued support and innovative solutions to bridge the educational gap. 🔍 Discover more of the study from IWERC here: https://lnkd.in/g_x4BSCi #DiscoverDPI #Education #Illinois #PostPandemic #LearningLoss #StudentSuccess #DPI

Final preparation work is underway for this Thursday’s Gallery Walk! Today Digital Scholars students in Foundations of Computer Science & Coding, Exploring Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Data Science Discovery dedicated their time to class level presentations. Meanwhile, those taking iOS App Design & Development had the special opportunity to pitch their app ideas in a competition hosted by Daniel Yao and Everyone Can Code Chicago and evaluated by judges Elvis Guzman, Hollie Jaye, Jake Brekelbaum, Paul Hamilton, and Timothy O'Connell.   Rory, a rising senior in the ECE course, has been working on a robot that can follow sound and was “excited to show off the chassis that I 3-D modeled.” Despite some stress prepping the presentation, he knew that he “could give it anyway because the class is supportive.” Overall, he thought the course was “fun and I had a great time figuring out the Arduino.”   Ifra Qazi and Waniya Zahid, rising college freshmen taking the iOS pathway, presented their app designed for college students who need textbooks related to their major. They found the experience less daunting than anticipated and are proud of their accomplishment. They expressed gratitude to Duke Best, Raymond Kotty, and Ian Aguilar for all their work “guiding us through on what to expect” and providing behind-the-scenes support.   Discovery Partners Institute applauds the scholars for all their dedication and hard work over the last six weeks and is eagerly anticipating the final presentations this Thursday! #DiscoverDPI #EveryoneCanCodeChicago #StudentSuccess

Meet the Digital Scholars student coordinators: Alayna Avila, Anthony Valenzo, Ian Aguilar, and Rebekah Cheung!

The Digital Scholars speaker series concluded with an exceptional treat for the students: Steven Galanis, the co-founder & CEO of Cameo, visited Discovery Partners Institute to share his entrepreneurial journey and the origin of Cameo! He also emphasized the resilience required to launch and run a business and the importance of taking intelligent risks.   Student feedback for the presentation was overwhelmingly positive:   Emmanuel Reese, a rising college freshman, remarked, “It was very clear to see his drive and passion for being an entrepreneur, and it inspired me to be better and more motivated about what I want to do.” He added, “There was one part where he said you don’t have to be the best coder or the smartest person in the room, but as long as you work hard you will succeed and that really resonated with me.”   Jorge Rosado, another freshman, reflected, “I liked how he described his journey and highlighted his struggles; his path to creating Cameo was not easy. This inspired me to work toward my dreams even if everyone else is saying that it can’t happen - he showed that it really can.”   Yarely, a rising high school senior, appreciated “how he got into detail about every step of how Cameo started and how there were both good and bad parts - he didn’t just talk about the good parts, he explained the difficulties as well.” She also internalized that regardless of which stage you're at, there is someone who believes in you and will want to invest in you, as evidenced by the interest Steven garnered for Cameo.   DPI cannot express enough gratitude to Steven for sharing his time with the scholars. This was an unparalleled opportunity for them to hear from a highly successful entrepreneur and gain key insights into realizing their own ambitions!   #DiscoverDPI #StudentSuccess #Entrepreneurship

Students in the Summer Tech Interns program got an incredible learning experience at Discover Financial Services last Friday, where the day encompassed three essential sessions:   First was a financial literacy workshop, led by Amruta Kudale, Anitha Yeddula, Josh Roberts and Susan Devlin. Here participants learned about credit scores, credit card management, and how to balance their financial and life goals – vital information that will impact them beneficially for years to come.   In the afternoon was a career panel where Jasleen Bedi, M., LeRoi Catlin Jr, CSM, Lisa Davis Nestingen and Susan discussed embracing failure as learning experiences and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable in order to grow. The audience left feeling empowered and ready to take on new challenges!   In between those two sessions, they discussed game-changing networking strategies. Participants learned how to effectively leverage their network to find different mentors (e.g. technical experts, executive presence coaches, personal brand specialists) and the value of advance research for meaningful conversations with recruiters.   Thank you so much to Michelle Polonsky, M.A. and everyone at Discover Financial Services for providing such important guidance to the interns. For university students, this kind of information is crucial in ensuring their financial and professional futures are bright! #DiscoverDPI #DiscoverFinancialServices #FinancialLiteracy #Networking #CareerDevelopment #StudentSuccess

Last Friday’s workshop for Digital Scholars centered around college and career readiness, with each session packed with valuable information. In the first half, participants split into two groups: incoming college students and future college applicants.   Moises Orozco Villicana, Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Chicago and Kyle Williams, M.A. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign led the discussion for scholars preparing to apply to universities. They emphasized the importance of students taking charge of their college exploration journey, discussing majors of interest and providing tips for writing compelling college essays. Karthik, a rising senior whose top choice is UIUC, shared his thoughts: “It was really interesting to hear from the admissions officers, to see what they review in the application and to learn how to set yourself apart.” He particularly appreciated the opportunity to connect with Kyle afterwards. For students soon heading to college, Kay Monelle, Sonia Pulido, M.Ed, and Tony Torres provided a comprehensive overview of what to expect and how to best prepare. There was a range of topics discussed, including campus involvement, tutoring resources and studying tips. Ishba Aftab, a rising freshman, gained significant insights from the presentation. She noted, “It’s really important when you get to campus that you find your own community. A lot of people join sororities and fraternities, and those connections last a lifetime.” She also underlined the criticality of reaching out for support: “If you are dealing with mental health issues or depression, which is really common when you get to college, you need to reach out.”   The second part of the workshop focused on a critical lesson about LinkedIn. Ansam B. from COOP underscored the value of thoroughly researching potential employers and building a strong network. She provided a practical demonstration of how connections (e.g., 2nd, 3rd+) work, using audience volunteers to illustrate the concept. The session included an engaging challenge to create a post about the event and tag Discovery Partners Institute.    Karthik stated, “It was cool to see how you can filter by your specific interests and an easier way to find internships.” He also learned “how much recruiters actually care about your LinkedIn profile so you need to make sure it’s as professional as possible.” Ishba reflected, “I learned that you need to increase your network on LinkedIn because a lot of recruiters would not be able to access your profile unless you have a mutual connection.” She also highlighted the importance of listing specific skills, work experiences, and volunteer activities, ensuring they are kept up to date.   The workshop concluded with a vital discussion by Tony on interviewing in general, technical interviews, and resume tips. Friday undoubtedly provided essential, relevant and timely information to all participants! #DiscoverDPI #CareerInsights #CollegeInsights #StudentSuccess