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Harper College

Harper president visits White House for Communities in Action forum

Illinois State Senator Cristina Castro and Dr. Avis Proctor attend the 2024 Communities in Action forum at the White House.

Dr. Avis Proctor, Harper College's president, attended the Communities in Action forum on February 1 at the White House. She gathered with community leaders and local officials, including Illinois State Senator Cristina Castro (above) and Dr. Ngozi Ezike, CEO and president of the Sinai Chicago hospital system (below).

Dr. Avis Proctor, Harper College’s president, visited the White House on February 1 to attend Communities in Action: Building a Better Illinois and Indiana. Community leaders and local elected officials gathered to highlight how they’re working to create and expand opportunities in our region.

From federal grants to national initiatives aimed at spurring innovation, Dr. Proctor shared ways in which the Biden-Harris Administration’s support is helping Harper transform lives and strengthen communities.

Dr. Avis Proctor and Dr. Ngozi EzikeShe reflected on recent grants, including the U.S. Department of Education awarding $3 million to Harper to expand educational opportunities for Latinx students. Harper is among 64 Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) to be awarded the federal grant funding.

In addition, Harper received about $500,000 through the Childcare Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Program to assist Pell Grant-eligible student-parents with subsidized childcare services, as well as $400,000 from the National Science Foundation via the Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) Grant to develop workforce development programs in emerging technologies.

Dr. Proctor said Harper is also excited to be located in one of the 31 inaugural Tech Hubs designated by the administration due to the region’s readiness to create a technology ecosystem to support global readiness in emerging technologies. Harper is collaborating with City Colleges of Chicago in partnership with Chicago Quantum Exchange to apply for an U.S. Economic Development Administration grant to address the need for a diverse, highly skilled Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST) technician workforce.

Last Updated: 3/14/24