In 1997, the Chicago Public Schools’ Department of Learning Technologies and the University of Chicago’s Office of Community Affairs formed a partnership seeking to improve the use of computers in the classrooms, labs, and libraries of a small cluster of public schools on Chicago’s South Side. Founded under the direction of University of Chicago Astronomy Professor Don York, Chicago Public Schools Director of Learning Technologies, Richard White, and University of Chicago Director of Neighborhood Relations, Duel Richardson, CUIP has worked for five years with principals, teachers, tech coordinators, and Chicago Public School officials to improve classroom instruction with the aid of computers and the Internet. The goal of all CUIP initiatives is to foster self-sustainable computer cultures in each of the schools.

Over several years, the program has grown to include 29 public schools selected for geographic location in three communities around the University. A staff of 12 full-time-equivalent employees and many part-time and volunteer workers are dedicated to the CUIP mission. CUIP has an annual budget of 1.2 million dollars. The CUIP schools include three general public high schools – Hyde Park Academy, Kenwood Academy, and King College Preparatory High School – and seven traditional feeder schools (elementary and middle schools) for each of these high schools. Other nearby public schools were subsequently added, including Tesla Alternative High School, Dyett Middle and High School, Ariel Community Academy, the North Kenwood/Oakland Charter School, and the Woodlawn Community School.

CUIP’s success is the result of strong partnerships and trust relationships built over time among the contributing parties. Without a prescriptive program in place at its outset, CUIP provided one-on-one technical support and skills training via Technology Resource Advisors, which consisted mainly of post-graduate students from the University of Chicago. Technical support was also provided by the CUIP Technology Coordinator. Today these professional development efforts are conducted by professional trainers in both one-on-one and group formats in order to foster sustainable momentum among teachers. Added tech support and technology integration support is provided by a cadre of University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. A long running series of quarterly principal's retreats allows CUIP to better understand the nuances of the challenges faced by the schools.

Three additional initiatives provide standards-based online curriculum materials to Chicago Public School classrooms, libraries, and labs. The Chicago Web Docent partners with CPS teachers and leading Chicago museums to create needed web-based, interactive curricula [www.chicagowebdocent.org]. The Digital Library Project posts teacher-requested reading and research materials on the Digital Library Web Site and works to provide all CPS schools with standard online library resources [cuip.uchicago.edu/ecuip]. The Web Institute for Teachers, created under the leadership of Dr. Craig Cunningham, provides intensive summer skills development in online teaching and curriculum development [webinstituteforteachers.org].

In early 2000, Benjamin Lorch joined the CUIP team as project coordinator to formalize CUIP’s efforts and increase the impact of CUIP efforts across all 29 schools in the cluster.

In 2002 the CUIP team was augmented with the addition of four Chicago Public Schools Instructional Technology Coordinators dedicated to the CUIP effort.

CUIP’s principal partners in the above efforts have been many. The Chicago Public Schools, the Joyce Foundation, the State of Illinois, and Monsanto/Searle have provided essential financial support, as well as guidance. The Museum of Science and Industry, the Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Oriental Institute, the USA Education Trust, Leadership for Quality Education and Computers for Schools have been important partners as well. Finally, a number of corporations and government agencies have donated some 1200 computers for use in the 29 CUIP schools.