Students and teachers learn side by side in a computational summer intensive.
The CS Summer Intensives teacher education program at DPI has been selected as one of the top 100 finalists for the 24th annual Chicago Innovation Awards. The awards celebrate the most innovative new products and services in the Chicago region across all organization sizes, sectors and industries. Judges will select 20 winners, to be announced November 13 at the UIC Forum.
In addition to the 20 winners selected by judges, the general public is invited to vote for the People’s Choice Award, also given out November 13.
Pritzker Tech Talent Labs (PTTL) at DPI has run summer teacher training programs for the past two summers. Their innovation stems from having teachers learn alongside students.
Unlike traditional professional development, which often separates theory from practice, the Summer Intensives’ co-learning model embeds real-time, student-facing experiences into educator learning. Teachers experience firsthand how students interact with complex, tech-driven content.
“By incorporating innovation into the structure of how teachers learn,” said Danna Dotson, associate director of teacher training, “we are setting a new standard for what effective, equitable, and future-focused teacher training can be.”
PTTL began summer teacher programs in 2024 focused on three subject areas: iOS mobile app development, data science, and fundamentals of computer programming. This summer, they added a session on computational thinking and AI, and InnovatED, a two-week technology Intensive for pre-service teachers to learn to incorporate technology before their first official year.
Dotson said that InnovatED, which does not have the student co-learning component, is important to provide pre-service teachers with a strong foundation in digital tools and instructional technology. The early exposure builds confidence and ensures readiness, especially in under-resourced schools where support is often limited.
As one of the top 100 finalists, one PTTL staff member will receive a $2,500 scholarship to attend The Practical Innovator, a daylong executive education course on October 14 led by top faculty who teach innovation at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.
The teacher training program is the third DPI program to be recognized by the Chicago Innovation Awards. Its Wastewater-Based Epidemiology team, which informed statewide public health policy, won in 2022, and PTTL’s Tech Talent Accelerator program was a top 100 finalist in 2024.
You can vote!
Each of the Top 100 finalists is also in the running for the annual People’s Choice Award, selected through online balloting. DPI is on page 4.
Voting is open until October 9 and is free, although registration is required. One ballot per email address.
Vote for DPI (on page 4) for the People’s Choice Award.
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2025 Chicago Innovation Awards Top 100 finalist.
Author: Jeanie Chung