Community
SD·I is committed to giving back to our local business community. SD·I believes that being a local business means being a good corporate citizen. It is part of SD·I’s business practice to actively identify opportunities that create meaningful experiences that better our community’s workforce and make a difference in its citizen’s lives.
Chicago Housing Authority Section 3 Program
Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) residents Annetta Sherman and Debra Freeman found SD·I through the housing agency’s Section 3 Resident Program, which guides CHA residents in obtaining the right skills to land a meaningful job.
Beginning in November, 2004, Annetta became part of the SD·I Real Estate Team, which is engaged to create Emergency Evacuation Plans for the CHA portfolio of properties. As an SD·I Project Analyst, Annetta’s role consists of planning, scheduling, data entry, field verification of property, client relations, and progress monitoring. “I feel confident here at SD·I because it’s great to know that the company I work for is serious about the implementations and the unlimited ability to change the way we see and do things
electronically,” states Sherman.
First Chance Initiative
In line with SD·I’s core value of giving back to our community, the firm maintains a partnership with the Chicago Public Schools through our First Chance Initiative (FCI) internship program. The FCI program provides public high school students with an opportunity to learn about information technology and to apply their skills to real life projects. In addition to gaining practical experience in computer applications, engineering and high technology, students work in a professional environment, embrace teamwork, produce within deadlines, and communicate effectively.
FCI was born out of the City of Chicago’s 1994 contract with SD·I to construct the digital base map for the new emergency 911 dispatch system. Today, FCI students from several public high schools work with technicians, analysts and engineers on SD·I projects, providing exceptional quality services at significantly reduced costs for the client.
Over the life of the program, SD·I has paid over $313,000.00 in salaries and scholarship funds to help develop an educated workforce of tomorrow within our community. We are proud to state that one hundred percent of our FCI graduates entered a college or university, including such fine academic institutions as the Loyola University, University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, Boston University, North Carolina A&T State University, Daley College, and Gallaudet University in Washington, DC.
Download Movie Of Lydia Rossi former FCI student for SD·I to see the initiative in action.
We have been active with the following organizations over the years. Click on the links to go to their websites and read more about their community-driven activities:
- Mercy Home for Boys and Girls
http://www.mercyhome.org/site/PageServer - United Negro College Fund
http://www.uncf.org/ - Chicago Historical Society
http://www.chicagohs.org - Museum of Science and Industry
http://www.msichicago.org/ - Mayor’s Council of Technology Advisors
http://www.chicagotechtoday.com/ - After School Matters
http://www.afterschoolmatters.org/ - Chicago Chamber of Commerce
http://www.chicagolandchamber.org/home.asp - St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
http://www.stjude.org/
At work, at play, in our community, we’re there.