Home
ABOUT
PARTNERSHIPS

Partnerships

Partnerships for Progress

National Louis University is home to leading experts in teaching practice, education reform, literacy and sustainable community development. NLU was founded on the conviction that education is the engine of prosperity and social justice. For that reason, our faculty scholars and students collaborate with dozens of local and regional partners to extend the transformative power of an NLU education to the schools and communities that need it most.

Education Partnerships

The National College of Education (NCE) at NLU is a recognized leader in innovative classroom instruction and school administration with a focus on urban and multicultural schools. Through its Office of Partnerships, NCE faculty members have forged extensive collaborations with the Chicago Public Schools system, suburban school districts, and nonprofit reading, literacy and teacher development organizations. Here is just a sampling of these critical partnerships:

Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL): NLU is the university partner in this groundbreaking program to train teachers to make a difference in Chicago’s “turnaround” schools. Students earn a master’s or doctoral degree from NLU while completing a yearlong residency in the classroom. Chicago Public Schools have hired more than 300 NLU graduates of AUSL, many of whom are now training the next generation of urban teachers.
Center for City Schools: NLU's urban initiative partners with Northeastern University and the Chicago Teacher Center GEAR UP grant to increase student achievement by focusing on improving instruction, sharpening teacher content knowledge, and supporting teacher leadership in disseminating new ideas and curricula.
Chicago Literacy Initiative Partnership: The NCE Reading Center at NLU partners with teachers and principals in targeted schools to train reading instructors in a graduate-level literacy certification.
National Teacher Education Center (NTEC): NTEC specializes in the design of on-the-job alternative certification programs that allow committed adults to earn their license in shortage areas while serving their communities as full-time paid teachers.
NLU-KIPP Educational Leadership Program: Over the last seven years, more than 160 Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) Charter School Network school leaders have earned their M.Ed. degree from NLU, as well as leaders from other charter schools across the country.
Urban Scholars Teacher Education Partnership (USTEP): Candidates in this program are matched with mentor teachers and their students at urban high schools, allowing them to apply and strengthen their teaching skills over the course of a full school year. There is also a similar Suburban Scholars Teacher Education Partnership (SSTEP).

Community Partnerships

In addition to the extensive outreach work done by the National College of Education, NLU has launched a number of institutes and initiatives that serve our communities, from providing lifelong learning resources to promoting leadership roles for women in local businesses. Learn more about some of these programs:

Lifelong Learning Institute: NLU supports a community of active learners over 55 in classes designed to stimulate discussions about art, politics, literature, science, film and more.
Women’s Leadership Institute: Founded by faculty of the College of Management and Business (CMB) at NLU, the Women’s Leadership Institute holds an annual leadership conference for entrepreneurs and members of the business community.
Gidwitz Center for Urban Policy and Community Development: Through speaker series, seminars and workshops, the Gidwitz Center advocates for public policy reforms that respond to the most critical needs of Chicago communities.