The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) has selected 36 young men and women from across northeastern Illinois to participate in its inaugural Future Leaders in Planning (FLIP) program. FLIP gives high school freshmen and sophomores the opportunity to learn about the region while interacting with their peers from other counties as well as regional leaders involved in planning decision making.

The eight-month program begins September 13, 2008 with an orientation for students and their families. A mandatory retreat takes place the first weekend in October. During the retreat, students will participate in various activities to strengthen group dynamics. The program ends in March with a student presentation to the CMAP Board, which is composed of 15 voting members from the City of Chicago, Cook County and five collar counties.

Students will meet and work with planners and architects to better understand and apply fundamental principles of coordinated planning and governance. Through exercises and excursions, they will explore the benefits and challenges of planning issues including transportation, air quality, human services, land use, and water supply and quality.

During the program, students will be offered job shadowing opportunities in the fields of urban planning and public policy. They also may qualify for service learning credits necessary for high school graduation. Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive a letter of recommendation from an elected official or CMAP staff.

The program – including lunch at Saturday sessions, learning materials, and retreat accommodations and meals – is free to students. Participants also receive region-wide fare cards so that they may use public transportation to attend meetings.

To keep students abreast of changes in the program, to allow them to meet other youth in the region, and to permit them to blog about issues facing their communities, CMAP has established a myspace page.

Additional information may be obtained from:

Andrew Williams-Clark
312-386-8770
awillisclark@cmap.illnois.gov

Erin Aleman
312-386-8816
ealeman@cmap.illnois.gov

Diana Torres (Spanish speaker)
312-386-8774
dtorres@cmap.illinois.gov

Jieun Kim (Korean speaker)
312-386-8839
jkim@cmap.illinois.gov