Selected as a regional lead institution for AWS-Machine Learning University (AWS-MLU), City University of Chicago is collaborating with Amazon Web Services to bring industry-leading AI and machine learning education to faculty and students across the region.
chicago – (March 12, 2026) – City Colleges of Chicago has been selected as a regional lead institution for AWS-Machine Learning University (AWS-MLU) to establish the Midwest AI/Machine Learning Initiative powered by AWS, providing a free cloud learning environment to faculty and their classrooms.
The Midwest AI/Machine Learning Initiative Powered by AWS, in collaboration with AWS-MLU, established City Colleges of Chicago as the focal point for planning, implementing, and expanding faculty-led AI and machine learning bootcamps, workshops, and regional business case competitions for students. City University of Chicago is one of five institutions nationwide selected as an AWS-MLU regional leader, along with Howard University, Delaware State University, Alabama A&M University, and Oklahoma City Community College.
“Establishing five regional leads for the AWS-MLU program is a strong step toward expanding AI and machine learning education nationally. We are particularly committed to co-developing content with HBCUs and community colleges, integrating faculty expertise and industry insights to create learning experiences that are rigorous, relevant, and accessible.”
HBCUs will continue to lead the front lines of AI innovation, and community colleges will serve as important engines of workforce mobility and technology adoption. Together, they are not just participating in the future of AI, they are defining it. This is how we build national momentum through local leadership, shared creativity, and collective efforts to prepare students around the world to succeed in an AI-driven world. ” – Dr. Margie Vella, Head of Machine Learning University Strategic Initiatives, Amazon Web Services
“Being named the Midwest AI/Machine Learning Initiative Powered by AWS is a milestone that solidifies City Colleges of Chicago’s role as a leading convener of AI and advanced technology education,” said City Colleges of Chicago President Juan Salgado. “This collaboration with AWS-MLU will allow us to expand our impact across the region. It will enable us to provide elite training for our workforce and sustainably close the skills gap for faculty.”
City College’s new designation enhances its role as a convening institution for AI and advanced technology education across the region. We provide intensive training not only to City University faculty, but also to other Midwest community colleges, HBCUs, colleges and universities that serve underrepresented populations in STEM fields.
City University of Chicago and AWS-MLU have been collaborating since 2023. This expanded effort is part of a national effort to help university faculty integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning into their curricula.
Through this collaboration, City Colleges of Chicago STEM faculty will have access to training, curated curriculum resources, and ongoing support to transfer what they are learning about AI/ML to students in the classroom. In addition, City Colleges of Chicago will host high-profile faculty boot camps and business case competitions designed for students.
“This partnership reflects City Colleges’ commitment to remaining at the forefront of innovation,” said Ayoka Noel Samuels, Vice President for Technology and Strategy at City Colleges of Chicago. “We are excited to provide these tools to our faculty and others across the Midwest so they can prepare students for the jobs of the future. This partnership will ensure that faculty gain hands-on experience with emerging technologies and support them in the classroom as they continue to prepare students to participate in competitive STEM-based learning fields and the workforce.”
As a regional leader in AWS Machine Learning Universities, City Colleges of Chicago is committed to promoting equitable access to AI and machine learning education across the region. Through this initiative, City College will continue to build a pipeline of faculty and students with the skills and knowledge to lead in an increasingly technology-driven workforce and economy.
For more information about the Midwest AI/Machine Learning Initiative Powered by AWS, please contact us via email: tech@ccc.edu.
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About Machine Learning University
AWS is dedicated to expanding access to AI and ML education through the Machine Learning University (MLU) Educators Consortium and Transformation Alliance. These efforts will enable faculty and senior administrators, especially at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and community colleges, to integrate AI/ML into their undergraduate teaching and research through hands-on technical training, open-access curricula, and collaboration with colleagues. AWS helps develop the next generation of diverse and skilled technology leaders by promoting comprehensive, industry-aligned technology education.
City University of Chicago
City Colleges of Chicago is the City of Chicago’s most accessible institution of higher education for socio-economic mobility, empowering all Chicagoans to participate in building a stronger Chicago. For more information about City Colleges of Chicago, visit www.ccc.edu, click here or call 312-COLLEGE.
Media contact: Veronica Resa, City University of Chicago, (e) vresa1@ccc.edu
