In the summer of 2020, DPI launched the Digital Scholars Program to build a deeper and more diverse pool of students pursuing computer science and tech-related degrees. The program is a partnership between UIC CHANCE, UIUC Grainger College of Engineering, UIUC College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and Swift. To date, the program has reached nearly 400 students and involved 175+ representatives from Chicago’s tech community.
This no-cost program is intentional about serving Black, Latine, female, gender-expansive, and first-generation students from Chicago Public Schools and Chicago-area districts.
Digital Scholars have the opportunity to enroll in one of five courses:
Students meet and make meaningful connections with members of Chicago’s dynamic tech community through daily talks with tech entrepreneurs, technologists, business strategists, & civic leaders.
Students participate in weekly workshops that dive into key topics such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, entrepreneurship, data science, and presentations from Chicago’s top tech incubators.
Beyond the college-level course, participating students get additional experiences to build essential skills such as communication, collaborating in teams, how to create a personal brand and build a professional network, as well as other work-readiness skills.
Rising 11th and 12th grade students, as well as first-year college students at City Colleges of Chicago and Illinois institutions, are invited to apply to this summer program. The 2025 Digital Scholars Program will take place daily and in-person from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM beginning Monday, June 23rd through Friday, August 1st, 2025 at 565 W. Adams Street in downtown Chicago.
“The Digital Scholars program has helped me learn more about computer science, app development and has really made me more inspired about what I want to do in the future.”
“This was an experience that has greatly changed my mindset and thought process. It gave us the opportunity to have conversations with some of the most successful people in the Chicago tech community.”
“I’m glad I was able to challenge my computer science skills and work with new people. Not only did they fill me sense of excitement heading towards my career path, but also made me more prepared for life after high school.”
“Being a part this program has been incredibly beneficial to me, especially since I’m a rising Freshman at UIC. We had daily speakers tell us about their life stories and how they got to where they are now… like Anthony Rod from NetherRealm Studios and Amita Shetty from Breakthrough Tech.”
DPI’s ambitions are large and transformative in scale. The Pritzker Tech Talent Labs is building programs and partnerships to reach thousands of learners to transform the composition of Chicago’s tech workforce.
We will not be able to achieve this impact without the development of strategic partnerships to map out a learner’s journey from middle school to a successful career in tech. Our Digital Scholars Program partners include school districts, community colleges, non-profit program providers, four-year institutions, and employers.