i.c.stars

The Inner City Computer Stars Foundation

Founder(s)	Sandee Kastrul & Leslie Beller
Founded	1999
Area served	Chicago
Focus	Developing Community Leaders
Motto	1,000 community leaders by 2020
Website	i.c. stars

History

i.c. stars | * is a not for profit organization in Chicago that was founded in 1999. The mission of the organization is to develop 1,000 community leaders within 10 years by providing training in technology, training in leadership and training in business skills for adults 18 and up. http://icstars.org/

Programming

The Inner City Computer Stars Foundation, better known as i.c.stars, was formed in 1999 to develop 1,000 Community Leaders by 2020. They are a non-profit organization in Chicago for adults with a high school diploma or GED. Using project-based learning and full immersion teaching, i.c. stars provides an opportunity for change-driven, future leaders to harness the strength of business for social and economic leadership. By integrating business training and leadership development, i.c.stars is shaping the next generation of community leaders.

At the moment, there are up to four cycles of interns accepted into the program a year with a total of 10 to 15 interns per cycle. However, i.c.stars is planning to expand to ten times their current size. The program is rigorous and requires an ability to work long hours and nights. It primarily teaches business, leadership, and technology skills.

Many low-income communities face major challenges such as low academic achievement, low graduation rates, massive incarceration, unplanned prisoner reentry, uninsured families, unmet housing needs, and other social challenges. Often residents of these communities are single parents and working poor who are unable to make ends meet or contribute in a meaningful way to the economic development of their communities.

The current situation is part of a vicious cycle that reduces the ambitions and opportunities afforded to each successive generation. In addition, policy responses continue to be informed by individuals from outside the community, who often exacerbate the lack of opportunities.

To break the vicious cycle, our program develops three types of leaders: Civic, Business, and Service Leaders.

Civic Leaders engage directly in the policy arena through volunteer participation in local school councils, chambers of commerce, advocacy-focused non profits, and electoral politics. They break the “bad policy” part of the cycle through the ability to organize and mobilize a base of people.

Business Leaders directly create economic opportunities by achieving levels of managerial responsibility where they make hiring decisions and/or own their own businesses that employ community members and break the opportunity gap through the creation of local GDP.

Service Leaders focus on developing the ambitions of the youth in our communities through writing, teaching, being role models, and mentoring.

http://icstars.org/