Welcome to CLCR

The Center for Labor & Community Research is the driving force behind a number of key programs and initiatives in the Chicago area:

The Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council
chicagomanufacturing.org

CLCR's flagship initiative, the Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council (CMRC), is a strategic partnership of business, labor, government, education, and community leaders working to make Chicagoland the global leader in advanced, complex manufacturing. The CMRC is committed to improving the competitiveness and performance of our manufacturing companies, increasing compensation for employees, providing good jobs for residents, and increasing revenues and lowering costs to government through a world-class education and workforce development system and policy framework. Our newest program is the Chicago Green Manufacturing Network, a project to link local manufacturers with the global market in wind turbine components. Sign up for our newsletter!

Austin Polytechnical Academy
austinpolytech.com

Austin Polytechnical Academy (APA), a CMRC brainchild, is a small public high school focused on manufacturing and engineering. APA is located in Chicago's West Side neighborhood of Austin, which was hit hard by deindustrialization in recent decades. Austin Polytech has been recognized by President Barack Obama as a national model for education. "Thanks to a partnership with a number of companies, a curriculum that prepares students for a career in engineering, and a requirement that students graduate with at least two industry certifications," he said on the campaign trail last year, "Austin Polytech is bringing hope back to the community." Sign up for our newsletter!

Center for Polytechnical Education
polytechnical.org

The Center for Polytechnical Education (CPE) is a not-for-profit organization working to educate the next generation of leaders in the 21st century innovation economy. CPE’s approach to education reform is systemic and research-driven. We believe that effective reform should involve all stakeholders, including students, parents, community, educators, government, industry, and labor. CPE seeks to contribute to transforming the educational system by developing a replicable model.

Chicago Academy for Advanced Technology
chicagotechacademy.org

The Chicago Academy for Advanced Technology (CAAT) is a new public high school designed to educate the next generation of leaders in advanced technology. Through partnerships with technology companies and organizations, CAAT students will graduate with real-world work experience. Partners provide one-to-one mentoring, work-based projects, company tours, and paid internships and summer jobs. Our students will graduate ready to excel in competitive university programs and to begin their career paths in skilled positions, progressing into management and ownership.