Welcome to the start of the Fall 2014 Semester. We are excited about the upcoming semester. We send good wishes to all as we wind down summer and prepare for the fall season.
Director’s Blog: New Semester, New Energy
Diverse Contenders for the Obama Presidential Library
The process to decide the location for the Barack Obama Presidential Library is currently under way. June 16th was the deadline for official bids for the Barack Obama Presidential Library.
GCI Staff Participate in the Ella Baker Institute
Last week, GCI staff attended the Ella Baker Institute for Organizers, Activists, and Social Justice Believers hosted by the Social Justice Initiative at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and Ella’s Daughters.
Program Models for Teaching Youth Entrepreneurship
Most entrepreneurship programs fit into three main categories: programs that emphasize an academic curriculum, project based learning and skills outcome, or business plan design and operations. But which is most effective?
Director’s Blog: Busy Summer at Great Cities Institute
We are busy planning for another productive year. GCI Director Teresa Córdova updates you on our summer activities in the latest Director's Blog, including new summer staff, Xiomara Pedraza and Sara Agate.
Director’s Blog: Re-valuing The Public
GCI Director Teresa Córdova wrote a blog post for our international partner INLOGOV, where she recently spoke at their summer symposium, entitled "Bridging the gap: how can local government unlock resources for the future?".
Seattle Passes $15 Minimum Wage: The Resurgence of Minimum Wage Debates
On June 3rd, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray signed a new ordinance raising Seattle’s minimum wage to $15 per hour. The new minimum wage will be implemented in phases, and by 2021 will be in full effect.
Director’s Blog: Join us for discussion on the Poverty Puzzle with Bob Herbert
Great Cities Institute has initiated a series entitled, Poverty to Prosperity, to provide a forum for tackling the difficult issue of poverty and to force the conversation about what needs to be done, what policy shifts need to occur.
Power & Popular Culture Images: Jane Caputi to speak at UIC
Professor Jane Caputi, Florida Atlantic University, will be visiting the University of Illinois at Chicago on April 15 to present an analysis of the “Orange is the New Black” series produced by Netflix.
Casinos as Economic Development: A Review
Gaming expansion has been an ongoing conversation in the Illinois General Assembly and in suburbs across the region for the past few years and as the state and local jurisdictions continue to face declining tax revenues from other sources- the easy to tax nature and high tax rates of the gaming industry provide a potential remedy to fill that revenue gap.