Dean Alicia Rodriguez

For Dean Alicia J. Rodriguez, leading the Arturo Velasquez Institute (AVI) is deeply personal. Having grown up in the Little Village neighborhood, she’s driven by a mission to expand access to education for adult learners and families seeking a better future in her community. 

 Having started her career at  a four-year institution where most students were considered traditional, transitioning to AVI was really an eye opening experience for Rodriguez. “It felt like I was removing blinders,” she shared. “I realized that we had such a large population of adult learners that just wanted an educational opportunity to advance economically.”  

That realization became the foundation of Dean Rodriguez’s strategic work at AVI. She brings together faculty, staff, and community members to identify program offerings that would better serve the community’s needs.  

One of the first successes for Dean Rodriguez was the establishment of the Community Health Worker Program (Bilingual, Spanish), created in partnership with local organizations Enlace Chicago and the PAES (Promoviendo, Abogando, y Educando por la Salud) Network, as well as Little Village and Pilsen stakeholders. The program offers hands-on bilingual training, preparing students to serve in roles within the healthcare system and community. As of Spring 2020, the program has been offered in a cohort model and has achieved a 93% completion rate across 10 cohorts.  The program has gained national recognition through Excelencia in Education as a finalist for their Examples of Excelencia in 2023 and 2024. 

As AVI’s programs grew, so did its vision. “Our bilingual learners wanted programs that truly supported them,” Rodriguez said.“They didn’t always feel confident completing a program in English, so we asked ourselves how we can fund this work and further support our students.”

With the groundwork in place, Dean Rodriguez and her colleagues have now developed the AVI Strategic Plan, a three-year roadmap to expand academic programs including bilingual options to  meet  students where they are. Through the support of the City Colleges of Chicago Foundation and a generous grant from Schreiber Philanthropy, the Arturo Velasquez Institute will expand its programming and take on a multigenerational approach. This will encompass bilingual academic and credit programs for traditional and adult learners alongside academic and cultural programming for youth and families from neighboring communities.   

In addition to expanding opportunities for adult learners, Richard J. Daley College and AVI will remain committed to serving traditional students through the Early College program and strong partnerships with Infinity Math Science and Technology High School, Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School, and Instituto Health Science Career Academy. 

Not only will this plan  enhance the current offerings at AVI, it will create new opportunities for learning and equip students with the tools they need to reach success.  “With the support of the Schreiber  grant, we’ll be able to be responsive to our students’ needs,” Rodriguez says, “and put families on a path to economic mobility.” 

Dean Rodriguez’s vision for Arturo Velasquez Institute continues to empower City Colleges students. With support from the Schreiber  grant, AVI is expanding access to education and strengthening pathways for families to achieve  a career and upward mobility. Together, this partnership creates new opportunities and ensures that students  have the resources  needed to succeed.