Synchrony Foundation and University of Illinois System help Chicago youth access higher education and tech skills training

The Synchrony Emerging Technology Center at Research Park was recently profiled in an article by the Office of Corporate Relations at the University of Illinois.

Synchrony, a leading consumer financial services company, is supporting a class of 125 local Chicago students who are gaining technology skills training as they attend the Pritzker Tech Talent Labs’ Digital Scholars program with the Discovery Partners Institute, part of the University of Illinois System. The Digital Scholars program is a free summer program for underrepresented high school students to build computing skills, increase college and career readiness, and make connections to Champaign and Chicago’s dynamic tech communities.

This program helps link Chicago high school students to the University of Illinois and, through Synchrony, the Research Park, further developing a strong talent pipeline.

Synchrony opened its Emerging Technology Center (ETC) in the Research Park in 2018 to focus on advancing Synchrony’s finance and technology capabilities. It focuses on developing students’ real-world skills in artificial intelligence, data science, human-centered design, and other emerging technologies. Exposing high school students to the work done at the ETC shows them the employment opportunities found in the Research Park, further developing their careers.

This partnership between Synchrony and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign highlights the importance of investing in education and supporting students at the start and throughout their academic journeys.

Read the article on the Corporate Relations website.