There would be no shortage of electricians anywhere if more young people knew what the job entails. That idea came to us after we had a chance to visit a remarkable school, Chicago Hope Academy. 

Consider this analogy from the world of Major League Baseball. While most cities do not have even one MLB franchise, Chicago has two—the Cubs and the White Sox. Thousands of school-age baseball players have dreamt about being on a big league team roster. Those young players have been able to dream those dreams primarily because they have had some practice at throwing, catching and swinging a bat at a baseball. Call it “hands-on experience.” 

And that’s central to our story about Chicago Hope Academy. It was started 20 years ago by Bob and Tina Muzikowski, New Yorkers who relocated to Chicago and shortly thereafter launched a neighborhood Little League program. Their aim was to attract young players from disadvantaged inner-city neighborhoods. 

The program was fabulously successful. But it soon drew the Muzikowskis’ attention to the far-from-successful public high school system in that part of the city. Springing from this epiphany came Chicago Hope Academy, which over the past 20 years has stepped in to provide high-quality education. 

Its Career and Technical Sciences (CTS) curriculum was what first inspired our observation that more young people need to know what electricians do. There are technical schools in many cities that make big promises upfront, but, in the end, fall short in the quality (and quantity!) of their instruction in electrician skills. 

According to Gene Kent, executive director of the IBEW-NECA Technical Institute in Alsip, Ill., “The UPP chose the amazing institute of Chicago Hope Academy, home to a student body that is approximately 48% Hispanic and 48% African American, as its partner school. Now entering its third year, the program gives students hands-on exposure to the electrical industry and other trades, including visits to apprenticeship schools to experience a day-in-the-life of an apprentice.

“This year, the Electrical Contractors Association of Chicago and Cook County has selected Chicago Hope Academy as its featured school through NECA’s Adopt-A-School Program, aligning local commitment with national support for the institution. At NECA’s National Convention in September, Chicago Hope Academy students will attend on Monday, Sept. 15 and take part in Apprentice Appreciation Day,” he said. (Read more about the Adopt-A-School Program on page 52.)

Autumn and Bryce shine bright

Amy Stanislavski, the school’s chief advancement officer, introduced us to students Autumn and Bryce.

Stanislavski explained that as Autumn was applying to colleges last year, she came to the realization that she was more interested in being in a trade than going to college. 

“It was during the college application process that I realized I was leaning toward trade school for my future,” Autumn said. “I turned down my college acceptances in January because I wanted an apprenticeship instead.” 

“Autumn left Hope during her junior year to be homeschooled. She came back for her senior year when she missed the community,” Stanislavski said. 

“I’m so glad I came back, because it opened me up to the trade program. I wouldn’t have known anything about the trades if I’d stayed doing homeschool,” Autumn said. “I’m most excited to be a Black female electrician and show other young Black girls that they can do it too. I’m excited to do bigger and bigger projects too while I’m on the job. I’m excited for it all!” 

Kent explained that when Autumn graduates from Chicago Hope Academy, she will go right into electrical apprenticeship and be on her way to becoming an IBEW Local 134 electrician. 

Bryce, Stanislavski said, is “a dedicated sophomore with a clear vision for his future in the trades industry. Currently enrolled in our trades class for the second consecutive year, Bryce is steadfast in his ambition to become an electrician. 

“Bryce’s determination doesn’t stop at the classroom door. He rises at 4 a.m. three times a week to work a demanding job: meal­prepping for a catering company. His early-morning shifts, running from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., showcase his strong work ethic and time management skills. After his shift, Bryce races home to make it to school by 8 a.m., ready to tackle another day of learning and growth,” she said. 

Bryce told us how much he values his experience at Chicago Hope Academy. What he most looks forward to is its CTS program, for which Kevin Walters, a Local 134 journeyman, is an instructor. In Walters’ 20-year tenure in the industry, he has worked on residential, industrial and commercial electrical installations and maintenance and repair.  

“Hope is loving and welcoming,” Bryce said. “I love the classes, but my favorite class right now is CTS. My favorite thing in CTS has been the hands-on activities like bending conduits, wire-stripping, putting the wires on split receptacles, flipping switches and, of course, plugging in the lights to see if we wired them right. 

“I want to be an electrician or a plumber,” he said. (We can forgive him for that second choice.) “Right now, I don’t know what I’d go to college for, and I don’t want to just go and waste a ton of my mom’s money. I’d rather go and do a trade. I think that’s a good thing to have under your belt if you don’t know about college.” 

 CTS classes have opened his eyes to the trades. “We need lights in the house, we need our toilets running right, we need our sinks working, and getting a chance to see the work it takes to make all those things happen is a life-changing thing,” Bryce said. 

Bryce took meticulous notes during a recent visit and presentation by Ronald Bailey, NECA’s senior vice president of industry development, at Chicago Hope Academy at the beginning of March. Bryce was enthralled by his talk. He captured all of the key takeaways from Bailey’s presentation and attached the sheet full of his notes to the outside of his locker to serve as a daily reminder.  

Commentaries on the quality of high school education in the United States in recent years have typically cited scores in reading and math as primary measurements. That’s fair. But it is time to expand those surveys to a larger perspective, including the ways a high school has inspired its students and aroused their interest in life skills and future occupations. 

Chicago Hope Academy is making a difference in the communities that it serves. 

Bryce		Autumn		Ronald Bailey and a student at Chicago Hope Academy

Destina/stock.adobe.com | Julia Dennis | Ike Muzikowski