IEF Newsletter: Stepping Up
You Did It!
January 19th, 2012We always knew we had the most amazing, committed, generous supporters, but this time you’ve really bowled us over…
Calling All Community College Students!
January 19th, 2012The IEF is now accepting applications for our 2012-2013 Signature Scholarship Cohort. Apply Today!
The IEF Welcomes New Board Members
January 19th, 2012The IEF is thrilled to welcome two new board members to the IEF Board of Directors…
Bright Futures
November 15th, 2011On Friday, October 21, the IEF unveiled its vision for the future at the Third Annual Visionaries Luncheon…
Up Close and Personal with Daisy
November 15th, 2011Meet Daisy De La Cruz, one of the newest additions to our fabulous crop of IEF mentors. By day, Daisy is a co-founder and marketing maven of ‘De La Croix Media Group,’ which is focused on the ever-growing new media market. By night (well, mostly on weekends) she is committed to mentoring IEF Scholar, Alysa [...]
The Art of Fine Dining
November 15th, 2011Last week, IEF Scholars met for the annual Etiquette Dinner held at the Standard Club of Chicago. General Manager, Steve Thompson, guided scholars through the do’s and don’ts of dining, while regaling them with humorous real-life stories of etiquette blunders. Thanks to Steve’s expertise and the Standard Club’s generosity, IEF Scholars will be prepared to [...]
JP Morgan Chase Gives Big for College Readiness
October 20th, 2011The JP Morgan Chase Foundation is supporting the IEF’s newest initiative: SpringBoard!–a college readiness and access program. Springboard!, which targets high school seniors who are likely to attend community college, will launch at a number of CPS high schools this coming spring.
Calling All Small Business Owners!
October 20th, 2011The IEF’s valued partners, Goldman Sachs and the City Colleges of Chicago, are launching 10,000 Small Businesses, a cutting edge program designed to help small business owners develop the skills they need to grow their companies.
Infinite Aspirations
October 20th, 2011The 2011-2012 cohort has some big plans. At our last scholar development session, our newest scholars made their intentions known: they plan to maintain perfect attendance at all IEF events, a 95% annual retention rate, AND a cumulative GPA of 3.5. They’ve also given themselves a new name: Team Infinite Aspirations. Well team, you’ve set [...]
IEF Scholars Speak; Nation Listens
October 20th, 2011IEF Scholars Ada Escobar and William Mendez will participate in the Lumina Foundation’s ‘Student Voices’ conference from November 14-15 in Indianapolis. The conference will address ways to involve more students in improving the nation’s higher education system. Good luck William and Ada!
In Case You Were Wondering…
October 20th, 2011This past Friday, IEF Scholar Bruce Wilson, debuted his first solo exhibition at Rex Recycled Fashion in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. In Case You Were Wondering…features 15 of Bruce’s paintings and prints, as well as t-shirts with his signature design. When asked about his thoughts on the exhibition, Bruce eagerly replied, “What’s next?!” Currently attending Harold [...]
Alexi Giannoulias Nominated as Illinois Community College Chairman
August 18th, 2011Alexi Giannoulias, IEF Advisory Board member, has been nominated by Governor Pat Quinn for the position of Chairman of the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB). Through his involvement with the IEF, Giannoulias has helped champion the cause of community college education, and will no doubt be an incredible asset to the ICCB. “I am proud [...]
Making an Impact
March 15th, 2011Dear Friends, I wanted to share with you some exciting news. The IEF recently entered the Social Impact Exchange Business Plan Competition. This competition identifies nonprofit organizations with demonstrated impact and readiness to grow, and provides them with the resources to take the next steps in their growth trajectory. In this eight-month process, all competitor [...]
IEF Advisory Board Member First Latino Chair of U.S. Commission on Civil Rights!
March 15th, 2011Congratulations are in order for IEF Advisory Board Member, Marty Castro, who has been designated by President Obama as the Chairperson of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Marty is an invaluable member of the IEF Advisory Board and we wish him luck in his new position as Chairperson. Read the full press release here.
The Final Fitting
March 15th, 2011On Saturday March 5, 2011, our male scholars gathered at the Brooks Brothers store in the historic Rookery Building in Chicago where they had their final fitting for the suits they received at the IEF’s Suited for Success event. Thanks to the generosity and hard work of Brooks Brothers, Allen Edmonds, Morgan Stanley, The 900 [...]
Scholar Mocktail Networking Night: Who is in Your Network?
March 15th, 2011The IEF’s “It’s Who You Know” Mocktail Networking Night is right around the corner. Join us on Thursday, March 24th from 6p-8p for this hands-on introduction to the IEF and our scholars. The event allows time for structured engagement–speed networking–and less formal mingling over ‘mocktails’ with our scholars. Volunteers, who include many of Chicago’s nonprofit, [...]
Levelling the Playing Field
February 24th, 2011Dear Friends, As Black History Month comes to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on how the lessons of this month relate to the mission of the IEF. Celebrating this month helps keep the memory of injustice, courage, and progress alive. It reminds us that the struggle for equality is critical [...]
IEF’s Executive Director Awarded Foundation Fellowship
October 30th, 2010Congratulations are in order for the IEF’s Executive Director, Robin Redmond, who has been selected as a fellow for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Evaluation Fellows Program. This year-long fellowship is designed to help emerging organizations develop and implement rigorous evaluation standards. Robin will travel to Philadelphia in November where she will participate in an [...]
A Message from the Executive Director
October 30th, 2010Dear Friends, Midterms are right around the corner, and we have already accomplished so much since the beginning of the school year. On September 28th, the IEF held its semi-annual advisory board meeting at the Standard Club in Chicago. Advisory Board members from all over the state, including educators, legislators, and policy makers joined the [...]