About CCAS
Northeastern Illinois University’s Center for College Access
and Success (CCAS) is the university’s educational outreach center. Founded in 1978 as the Chicago Teachers’ Center, CCAS initially provided research-supported professional development for educators and administrators. In response to the needs of Chicagoland schools and communities, CCAS shifted focus to students and their families as well as their teachers and administrators, guiding them through critical educational transitions. CCAS innovates by creating model programs that translate visions for school improvement into concrete action. CCAS staff develop collaborative partnerships that engage the entire community to help students succeed academically and socially.
CCAS has been a leader in equitable, diverse, and inclusive practices for over 80,000 students, their families, and school students, families, educators, schools, and communities. Over the past 44 years, CCAS committed to achieving equity for the communities we serve by identifying and rectifying systemic exploitation, disenfranchisement, disregard, disrespect, and exclusion that has institutionalized unequal access to opportunities, resources, and support. CCAS values the
diversity in the backgrounds, identities, abilities, cultures, and experiences of communities in order to identify and rectify structural inequities. CCAS holds in high regard the knowledge systems, perspectives, and experiences of those historically marginalized to inform equitable decision-making processes, policies, practices, in order to create inclusive practices that overcome barriers.
The goals and objectives of every single program, regardless of funding source, are meant to increase diversity, eradicate equity gaps, and create inclusive practices in educational spaces, specifically for Black and Latinx communities within Chicagoland.
CCAS participants have experienced lower dropout rates and remain on track to graduate high school within four years,
enroll in postsecondary education, and persist to degree attainment.CCAS closes the educational attainment gap for traditionally underrepresented students, many of whom are Black, Latinx, first-generation and low-income.
