National Louis presents AccelerateU job‑first pathway and $1,500 stipend for ETHS participants

Daxton Lundry of National Louis (AccelerateU) presented a job‑first higher‑education pathway designed to train learners for immediate employment in health care and tech while providing stackable college credits and wraparound supports.

Lundry said AccelerateU uses employer partnerships (named partners in Evanston include Northwestern Medicine and local employers) to place students into jobs such as medical assistant and tech sales, then supports them to earn college credit that can stack into National Louis degree pathways. He described program targets (an internal “80/80/20” goal: 80% completion, 80% placed in-field within three months and a $20,000 earnings bump), current performance (~75% completion, ~70% job placement and $13–14k compensation increases in six to seven months), and a local stipend of $1,500 available to eligible Evanston residents as an offset for participation costs.

Lundry said the medical assistant is the largest pathway (six months training plus a one‑month externship) and that a forthcoming tech‑sales track offers a base salary around $55,000 with typical first‑year earnings of $60,000–$80,000. He confirmed AccelerateU credits are accredited and transferable and said the program is intentionally designed for learners who need a job first, then a degree over time.

Board members asked about recruitment timing, employer engagement and credit transferability. Lundry said the program typically recruits seniors in high school but also reaches recent grads who did not complete college; it depends on deliberate outreach with guidance counselors, teachers and community partners. He also asked the community to help spread the word and identify employers with hiring needs.

The board thanked the presenters and asked for follow‑up materials and slides.