The Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI) manages a portfolio of programs designed to strengthen our network of colleges and to create opportunities for an increasingly diverse population to benefit from private, liberal education.
By leveraging the expertise of our members and the resources of our funders, ACI collaborates with the business, government, not-for-profit and philanthropic communities to identify Illinois' most pressing educational problems and develop working solutions. Today, ACI pursues a continuum of outcome-oriented programs, including:
- ACI's Center for Success in High-Need Schools seeks to close the achievement gap between low-income students and their more affluent peers by recruiting, preparing and retaining excellent teachers for high-need schools.
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ACI's College Readiness Program increases the number of minority and low-income students who successfully graduate from high school and enter college.
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ACI's College Success Network seeks to increase the number of minority, low-income and first generation college students who successfully complete undergraduate degrees within six years.
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ACI's Scholarship Program, Illinois' largest, statewide private scholarship resource, distributes more than $236,000 annually to more than 130 deserving students in FY 2005.
ACI's innovative solutions attract active participation from prestigious businesses, foundation, and not-for-profit agencies. Today, ACI raises nearly $3.0 million annually, returning more than 80% of those dollars to Illinois students, colleges and communities through scholarships, grants, and direct services.
After more than 50 years, ACI's mission and our member colleges and universities remain relevant to a changing, global society. Our smaller, private institutions provide underserved students with the special attention they need to grow – academically and personally. Our members' liberal arts and sciences curricula equip students with the critical thinking and communications skills, conceptual abilities, and cultural awareness required to perform successfully in diverse public and private sector jobs. Our colleges' longstanding commitment to values and ethics ensures that ACI alumni hold themselves accountable for their performance as parents, employees, and citizens.
