The Chicago Police and Firefighter Training Academy (CPFTA) program provides training for students interested in careers in public safety, law enforcement, criminal justice, and fire science. The 2-year program was developed jointly by the Chicago Public Schools’ Department of Career and Technical Education (CTE), the Chicago Police Department (CPD), the Chicago Fire Department (CFD), and the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC). The program recruits and trains up to 250 public and non-public high school students each year.
The CPFTA program fulfills the two career education or elective credits that all CPS high school students need in order to graduate. The CPFTA curriculum allows juniors and seniors who are city residents to progress seamlessly from high school directly into any City College of Chicago to complete their Associate’s degree.
In addition to high school and college training, students have the opportunity to participate in a paid summer internship between the junior and senior year to promote a better understanding of all aspects of careers in public safety. After completion of the two years in high school and two years at a city college, students will have met the minimum educational requirements to take the Chicago Police and Fire Department examinations for entry into their respective academies.
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