A new collaboration between Chicago Public Schools (CPS), City Colleges of Chicago, and ComEd—the city’s primary electrical utility company—is creating direct pathways into science and engineering careers for students from underrepresented communities, with broader implications for military service academies seeking to diversify their ranks.
The $100,000 investment by ComEd will bolster the Early College STEM (ECSTEM) program at Chicago Military Academy (CMA), giving students access to industry-informed curricula, work-based learning experiences, and early college credit. Key to the initiative is the inclusion of City Colleges of Chicago’s Dawson Technical Institute, where participating high school students can earn associate degrees in construction management and engineering while still in school.
“This partnership is about building a foundation for a stronger, more inclusive future workforce.”
Juan Salgado, chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago
Set to launch in fall 2025, the new degree offerings include an associate degree in applied science in construction management and, beginning in spring 2026, also in construction engineering and management. Both tracks are designed to meet the growing demand in Illinois for trained professionals in the utility and clean energy sectors, which could see up to 150,000 new jobs by 2050.
CMA, one of CPS’s ECSTEM schools, will serve as the anchor campus for this workforce development effort. With existing programs in IT, engineering, and 3D modeling, CMA already offers a framework for integrating applied STEM instruction with career preparation.
“Engineering and technical service careers will play a critical role in building a cleaner, more sustainable energy future,” ComEd President and CEO Gil Quiniones said in a press release. “So ComEd is partnering with Chicago Public Schools and City Colleges of Chicago to give more young people exposure to these promising career paths.”
The initiative comes as some federal lawmakers are increasing scrutiny on the lack of diversity within the nation’s military academies. U.S. Representative Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL), whose district includes CMA, says this type of early-access STEM program could also help increase Black and Hispanic enrollment at institutions like West Point and the Naval Academy—which have historically struggled with representation.
Jackson emphasized the importance of early academic and physical preparation—beginning as early as the ninth grade—for students pursuing a military academy appointment. Programs like “Ignite Your Future” at CMA, he said, could help fill that gap by equipping students with both the technical knowledge and the academic discipline required for admission.
Currently, military academy demographics fall short of reflecting the nation’s makeup. For example, African Americans make up just 4% of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s student body, and 1.7% at the Merchant Marine Academy, compared to 14.4% of the U.S. population. CPS, meanwhile, enrolls over 325,000 students— 47.3% Latino and 34.2% Black—many of whom are economically disadvantaged and underrepresented in elite academic and military institutions.
City Colleges’ involvement brings critical higher education infrastructure to the effort, ensuring that students aren’t just earning credentials, but progressing toward long-term careers. Through the Chicago Roadmap initiative, a joint venture between CPS and City Colleges, students are offered a structured path from high school into associate degrees, workforce credentials, and eventually, four-year degrees or direct employment.
CPS CEO Pedro Martinez sees collaborations like this as central to the district’s mission.
“Chicago’s young people deserve every opportunity possible for a bright future,” Martinez said in the release. “We are grateful for this partnership, which adds to our growing efforts to make sure our students have as many pathways as possible to a promising career after graduation.”
By merging higher education, industry training, and national service opportunities, the new program at CMA aims to not only prepare students for careers in STEM—but also to reshape who leads America’s energy and defense sectors in the years to come.
