1. Nominate Your Mentors for the Mentor of the Year Award! – Deadline 3/10/24

Do you have a mentor who has made a significant impact on your academic or personal journey? If so, we encourage you to nominate them for the Mentor of the Year Award!听Nominating your mentor is a wonderful way to show appreciation for their dedication and commitment.

To submit your nomination, please fill out the nomination form by Sunday, March 10th, using the following link:

Your nomination could make all the difference in recognizing the hard work and dedication of your mentor. Don’t miss this opportunity to shine a spotlight on someone who has made a positive difference in your life!

2. CTA One Summer Chicago High School Internship Program!

The City of Chicago’s One Summer Chicago (OSC) Program seeks to create meaningful summer employment opportunities for Chicago’s youth, and is looking for students like you to join them this summer as an intern with the CTA!

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will be providing 250 high school interns with a 7-week paid internship, where interns will participate in a robust hybrid experience that includes an innovative approach to their hallmark program model of work experience, professional development, and mentorship from transportation industry leaders.

Benefits Include:

• $15.80/hour with FREE CTA, Pace, and Metra transportation
• Networking opportunities
• Professional development, financial literacy, and career exploration workshops
• Opportunity to be paid to earn college credit at the City Colleges of Chicago
• Technology provided during internship to enhance hybrid experience

Requirements Include:

• Must be a rising-sophomore to graduated senior, actively enrolled in high
  school
• 2.5 GPA or above
• Eligible to work in the United States
• Students under 16 years of age are eligible with work permit
• COVID-19 Vaccination NO LONGER REQUIRED

This program will run June 17 – August 2, 2024, Monday – Friday, from 9:00am – 2:30pm. Apply before April 15, 2024!

3. Chicago City Council Latino Caucus Foundation (CLCF) Scholarship – 5/03/24

Are you a college-bound high school student or current undergraduate student in Chicago?

The Chicago City Council Latino Caucus Foundation (CLCF) is providing $5,000 scholarships to qualified students from across Chicago. Students can apply online via the Caucus鈥� website at . The deadline to apply is Friday, May 3, 2024 at 11:59pm.

4. Nominate A Prospective Scholar!

Do you know a current HS junior that would be a good fit for CS? If so, nominate them to apply!

We also want you to encourage Chicago HS juniors to sign up for a Virtual Open House or Application Support Workshop via our website!

To be a Chicago Scholar, we are looking for:

• Chicago high school juniors who will graduate in 2025.
• Students who will be a first-generation college student and/or students who come from a low-income household.
• Academically ambitious/motivated students who believe in their unique superpowers.
• Students who are demonstrated leaders in their schools, communities, or homes.
• Commitment to furthering your education with a strong desire to attend a 4-year college.
• Full commitment to a rigorous academic and leadership development program.
• Students with a minimum GPA of 3.0听

5. Join Us In Mentor Recruitment For The Class Of 2029!

Calling all mentors and scholars! Join us in Mentor Recruitment for the upcoming Class of 2029!

Mentor Recruitment Events You Can Participate In

猸� Virtual New Mentor Open House

• Share your story/experience to individuals unfamiliar with the program!

猸� Virtual New Mentor Interview Nights:

• Participate in the selection process
• Help identify qualities that make exceptional mentors

猸� PR Opportunities

• Potential feature in media [TV, radio, print]
• Amplify the reach of our community and your story

Any Questions? Reach out to us: getinvolved@chicagoscholars.org

6. Check Out Our Scholarship Page!

Check out available scholarship opportunities on our CS Scholarship page!

Learn more about scholarships like:

• ATLAS Fellows – due 3/3/24
• Chicago Engineers Foundation – due 4/1/24
• HEAR Foundation – due 2/11/24, 9 pm
• Pullman Foundation – due 2/1/24, 5 pm
• Renaissance Foundation – due 2/1 or 5/1
• Wentcher Foundation – due 2/7/24, 6 pm
• Additional 海角乱伦社区 Scholarships – apps due starting 3/1/24

And more! Check out the scholarship page below and explore various opportunities, including unique scholarships offered ONLY to CS scholars!

Google Chicago is proud to present High-Tech CHI, a CSEdWeek 2023 Celebration, in partnership with City of Chicago Department of Family Support Services (DFSS), CS for Success and Discovery Partners Institute at our Fulton Market Office next month!

馃挕 High-Tech CHI is a city-wide, family-friendly event that will bring together students and families from across Chicago to showcase the computing-based opportunities available to youth across our city, inspire them to get involved, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers and partners in our local tech ecosystem.听

馃棑 Saturday, December 9th from 9:30AM to 2:30PM at Google Chicago.

馃懃 Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from industry experts, explore exhibits from our sponsors, including local colleges, universities, and community-based organizations, and participate in hands-on workshops.

鉁� Register now at !听

4 Wellness Tips for Surviving the Holidays

馃尡 C鈥嬧�嬧�嬧�嬧�媜ntinue Healthy Habits

Even though the holidays can definitely change up your normal routine, do your best to try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep, limit the amount of sweets you eat, and be mindful of your alcohol consumption. It鈥檚 easy to overdo it during the holidays, especially when there are parties to attend and family to see.

馃弮 Stay Active听

A听simple way to keep your personal wellness in check is to try your best to stay active. Whether it be a brisk walk in the afternoon with the family or a yoga class for just yourself, remaining at least a little more active during the holidays should balance out any stress you may put upon yourself regarding your holiday eating habits.

馃攷听Don’t Compare Yourself

Over the holidays, we tend to see friends, family, and other acquaintances we may have not seen in a while.听 That being said, it鈥檚 in our nature to compare ourselves to others, so try to remember that you don鈥檛 need to validate your existence by measuring yourself against others.听

馃摑 Make Attainable Resolutions

Most of us make New Year鈥檚 resolutions that we seem to never really follow through on. This is an easy way to set yourself up for failure. In order to help keep your personal wellness in check, start small with your resolutions, making ones that are easy to obtain so you can feel good about yourself when you reach that goal. Remember that you are in control of your own happiness.

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Wellness Tips for Making the Most of Your Senior Year

馃寵 Sleep

Sleep is essential to your mental and physical health! Lack of sleep can make you emotionally and physically exhausted, leading to more stress and burnout. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep every night to let your mind and body rest, and you鈥檒l find yourself ready and energized for the day!

鈴� Be Present

You may find yourself often consumed with thoughts of your future, like grades, graduation, and college. While these are essential things to keep in mind, you also need to balance being in the present.听 If you鈥檙e with your friends, focus entirely on being with them. If you find your mind drifting as you work, get up and take five minutes to do something else. Once you take this time to come back to the present, you鈥檒l find yourself more focused when you return to your task.

When you are overwhelmed with anxiety, try the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique and use your five senses to help you focus on the current moment. After taking some deep breaths, identify five things you can see, four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. Enjoy your time with your friends and family and do something that makes you happy!听

鈽�锔徧齋oak Up The Sun

Going outside and soaking up the sun can elevate your mental health and increase the brain鈥檚 release of serotonin. Plan an activity with friends, or grab a blanket and enjoy a few hours in the sun as self-care!

馃弸锔徧鼸虫别谤肠颈蝉别

Exercise is known to be good for your physical as well as your mental health, including your mood, sleep, and concentration. And it doesn鈥檛 have to be strenuous either! It can simply be going for a 30-minute walk a few times a week. Aim for a total of 150 minutes of exercise each week, and if that seems too much, doing something is always better than doing nothing. Ask a friend if they鈥檒l exercise with you. Having someone else with you can be a great motivator, and they鈥檒l make sure you stick to your schedule.

猸� Create Goals

Set reasonable goals for yourself. Creating some healthy habits can help your mental health. If your current sleep schedule isn’t working try to go to bed 45 minutes earlier than usual, and observe how you feel the following day. Are you more energized? Give it seven days, and if you find yourself feeling better, stick with it!

The future is daunting and stressful to think about. We鈥檝e all been there. At the end of the day, what matters most is you. So make sure you鈥檙e taking care of yourself and enjoying the present!

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Wellness Tips for Soon-to-Graduate High School Students

馃彙 Stay Connected To Home

It’s a good idea to find ways of keeping yourself connected after graduating. A favorite stuffed animal, some photos, or a friendly, familiar voice to call can go a long way towards helping you feel grounded as you make a new start.

馃檵 Be Open To Meeting New People

Soon you鈥檒l find yourself surrounded by new faces, such as roommate(s), classmates, coworkers, and new neighbors. Challenge yourself to be the first one to say hello, to start a conversation. 鈥淧utting yourself out there鈥� is a skill you can develop over time. Start now!

馃槉 Go Easy On Yourself

All this time, you thought graduating was the hard part鈥� but now there鈥檚 so much to think through and handle! Be patient with yourself: This is uncharted territory, and you鈥檙e doing the best you can.

馃棟锔� Let Yourself Dream

From their school guidance counselors, to commencement speakers, to relatives with hard opinions,听graduating seniors are given a whole lot of unsolicited advice. Allow yourself to dream about your future for awhile. And if someone asks you what your exact, 10-year plan is, don鈥檛 worry if you鈥檙e not sure just yet. (Spoiler alert: None of us are!)

馃弮 Care For Your Body

We know you鈥檝e heard it all before, but sometimes it helps to hear it from someone other than your dad or your health teacher: Drink plenty of water. Find exercise you enjoy and make time for it each day. Get enough sleep. Educate yourself on sexual health. Nourish your body with colorful, nutritious, satisfying food. This is age-old advice for a reason, we promise you.

馃�� Learn To Quiet The Mind, Naturally

From round-the-clock fast food access to drugs and alcohol to credit card reps offering you a special low-interest rate, you won鈥檛 have to look far for potential ways to distract yourself. Our advice? Learn to quiet your mind naturally, and you鈥檒l have access to all the calming benefits without the consequences.

馃専 Savor The Experience

This summer after graduating will be over in the blink of an eye. Try to pause every now and then to breathe in, look around, and take a mental snapshot of what you鈥檙e experiencing.

馃憢 Give Thanks

There will be moments after graduating when you can鈥檛 believe how much fun you鈥檙e having. And there will be moments when life feels anything but 鈥渇un鈥�. Learn to feel gratitude in both extremes (and every situation in between), and you鈥檒l have unlocked a key to lasting wellness.

馃�� Be A Helper, And Accept Help Yourself

There鈥檚 this idea floating around that the world is divided into those who help others and those who need help. But, that鈥檚 a lie. We鈥檙e both, every one of us. So, look out for the people around you. And when you鈥檙e in need of help, ask for it.

馃�� Embrace Change

There鈥檚 no doubt about it: Change is hard. You might feel yourself being pulled in new directions, and you might notice changes in your relationships with the people around you and at home. Try to remember: Change is growth. Give yourself time and freedom to evolve. And if you could use some support along the way, we鈥檙e here for you.

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