Chicago Booth Students Lend Support to CTK

When Illinois’ stay-at-home order went into effect in the spring, CTK had to pause much of the Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP) which helps our students gain valuable real-world experience, and earn the majority of their school tuition by working at partner companies. This has caused CTK to explore new sources of funding and a new framework for our students’ work study training.

A Chicago Booth MBA alum, and CTK supporter, Christopher Noon helped to connect CTK with the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation, a Booth program created to support nonprofits facing unexpected challenges due to the pandemic. The Booth team, led by Jeremy Siegel, initially helped by creating a list of grant opportunities for CTK’s athletic and music departments, and followed that with a data-based recommendation for additional funding sources.

The next engagement was led by four students from the Booth Social Impact (BSI) team, a volunteer program created and run by evening and weekend MBA students. They worked with CTK’s Corporate Work Study team to maximize students’ preparedness for work when the program is able to resume. According to Pat Bittorf, CTK’s VP of Advancement, “We know we can’t expect things to go back to the way they were before the pandemic, so we’re going to have to reorient our program.”

Over the summer, the BSI team did a deep dive into the Corporate Work Study Program, identifying future job market trends and interviewing corporate partners about the technical and soft skills student workers need. The team then created a new framework for professional development training for incoming and returning students, with recommendations for improving the curriculum and enhancing training in technology. A new BSI consulting team has recently come on board with a focus on corporate partnership development and expansion.

“The Corporate Work Study Program team at CTK is grateful to the Booth School and its BSI Consultants for their research and insight that will enhance our program now and into the future.” Dalia Rocotello, Vice President, Corporate Work Study Program at Christ the King Jesuit College Prep.