The online CCCAC training is intensive. It is a 55-hour training that runs over a 3-month period. You can expect to dedicate 5 to 7 hours per week to the training. Participants meet on Zoom for three hours per week and will have additional homework assignments to complete after each meeting.

Consequently, the application asks you, your supervisor, and executive director/lead administrator (if applicable) to agree to this commitment, so that you may have time off to complete this training. It is also recommended that you be given a reduced workload during this period.

The training time is spent on both live Zoom sessions and self-paced work completed on Canvas, a learning management system (LMS). Depending on your familiarity with technology and ability to learn new tools, there may be a moderate to significant learning curve involved with taking an online training on an LMS for the first time. In fact, most adult learners who have not taken an online course in the past few years can expect to face at least a small learning curve.

Before starting the online CCCAC training, you will be asked to complete a survey to gauge your overall comfort level and skills with technology, as well as to assess your familiarity with the various technological tools that will be used on this course (e.g. Zoom, Canvas, Jamboard, etc.).

Before the course begins, written material will be provided to orient you to the Canvas LMS. At the beginning of the training, you will also complete a Canvas Scavenger Hunt. Should you like additional support, there will be opportunities to check in with a cohort member and the facilitator with questions. Additionally, you can always ask the facilitator tech questions by email or during weekly office hours. Finally, participants will exchange contact information and are encouraged to support one another with their learning, in general, as they would with learning in a face-to-face environment.

Canvas is a Learning Management System (LMS) that is used by organizations and educational institutions for online learning. In general, an LMS provides an online environment where learners can access course materials and interact via discussion board postings, video and audio postings, collaborative documents, etc.

To access the CCCAC course on Canvas, you will need to create a free Canvas account, which may be canceled at any time. You will receive additional details about how to do this before the training starts.

Learn more about signing up for a Canvas account with a join code below.

Sign Up for Canvas with a Join Code

See more information about browser and computer requirements below

Canvas Browser & Computer Requirements

There will be approximately 3-4 hours of self-paced activities to do on Canvas every week or two. These activities will almost all be completed independently.

Think of the CCCAC course like a social media platform such as Facebook or Instagram—the ones people check the most often tend to be the platforms they are most excited about, contribute to and learn from the most, and where they connect with the most people. For these same reasons, you are strongly encouraged to log onto Canvas frequently. Aside from attending the live Zoom sessions, for optimal engagement, it is recommended that you log onto Canvas a few times a week to complete the self-paced activities and read your colleagues’ responses. To provide you the opportunity to catch up with online activities over the weekend, each “week” of the course runs from Tuesday-Monday.

To keep you connected to course updates and postings from the instructor/fellow cohort members, you should also receive regular course notifications via email. You will be provided with more information about how to set these up before the training starts.

Participants will attend a weekly, 3-hour Zoom session with the whole group. It will be held the same day and time each week. During these meetings, you will discuss new information that lends itself to a live session and hear from guest speakers about postsecondary pathways.

Additionally, each participant will complete a group project as part of the course. There is time built into the existing class structure for groups to meet, but groups may require additional time outside of class. Groups will be responsible for scheduling additional meetings if needed.

The course instructor will offer optional office hours on Zoom and each session will include an optional time for participants to network with one another after class.

Yes, you can. You do not need a Zoom account to join a meeting as a participant. You will, however, need to download the Zoom app to join the meetings. Make sure that you have the most recent Zoom software since certain functionalities are only available in more recent updates.

To download the Zoom app and research other FAQs, visit the link below.

Zoom FAQ Page

To learn about upgrades, visit the link below.

Zoom Upgrade Page

To access new updates, visit the link below.

New Updates for Zoom Clients Page

The online CCCAC training is designed to encourage interaction and relationship-building, just like the face-to-face training. In general, people learn better when they have strong relationships with their peers and the instructor. Moreover, a primary goal for the CCCAC training is that participants can build long-lasting networks to continue their work with supporting youth after the training is over.

For this reason, the online CCCAC course includes time for participants to get to know the LMS, try out the various tools you’ll use, and get to know your fellow colleagues in the early sessions. Additionally, throughout the training, to help cultivate relationships, each participant will consistently work with groups. There will also be ongoing opportunities for more informal, social dialogue and sharing of resources. Lastly, community of practice meetings are planned for all past and present CCCAC participants, so networking and learning can continue!

There is no simple answer to this question, although most adults who have not previously taken an online course find there is some learning curve involved with using an LMS and completing online activities. For this reason, the online CCCAC course includes time for participants to get to know the LMS, try out the various tools you’ll use, and get to know your fellow colleagues in the early sessions.

In general, people who prefer online learning like the flexible schedule, the convenience of studying from home, being able to learn at their own pace, and not having a commute! That said, some people find online learning challenging because it can be harder to stay engaged and build relationships with colleagues.

Conversely, people who prefer face-to-face learning typically enjoy the hands-on aspect of learning, find it easier to focus, and enjoy meeting people and networking. The disadvantages of face-to-face learning are it takes place at a set time, day, and location, the course transpires at the same pace for everyone, and there is a commute!

To receive the Credential, participants are expected to meet the expectations outlined below for the following three training components: Class Meetings on Zoom, Group Projects, and Canvas Activities.

Class Meetings on Zoom: participants are expected to attend the full 3-hour Zoom sessions. These sessions are the only time the whole cohort meets and when guest speakers appear. That said, since unexpected circumstances may interfere with online learning (e.g. technical problems, families needing to share an internet connection, illness, etc.), below are additional details to help guide your planning.

• 1st Class Meeting is Mandatory: Participants are required to attend the first live session of the training because a lot context-setting information is covered. If participants are unable to attend this live session, they should wait to take the CCCAC training until they can participate more fully.

• 1 or 2 absences: Please notify your facilitator as soon as possible. If you cannot attend either a significant portion of a meeting or a whole meeting, you will be asked to reach out to 2 other cohort members to learn what you missed and then write a response of up to 1 page. All participants must attend the Class Meeting on the first week of the training.

• 3 absences: If you miss 3+ meetings, you may be asked to withdraw from the CCCAC training and consider re-enrolling at a time when you can participate more fully.

Group Projects (completed in Small Group Meetings on Zoom): Participants are expected to make regular contributions to developing a group project on a self-selected topic related to CCCAC. These group projects will be shared at the end of the training and will become open source resources that may be widely accessed by the public.

• Small groups will have designated time to meet during training days. They may require additional time outside of class hours. It is up to groups to schedule additional time to work together if needed.

Self-paced Canvas Activities: Typically, there will be two to four hours of self-paced work outside of classroom time each week.

• Each session, 80% of activities must be completed to meet training expectations. Since the number of activities varies in a given session, you will be told how many activities you must complete each session. If you are unable to complete 80% of the activities in a given training session, you should complete them by the next session.

• At the training mid-point, if you have not completed at least 80% of the training activities, your facilitator will check in to see how to best support you and make a plan for moving forward. However, depending on the number of activities you are missing, it may be recommended that you withdraw from the training and consider re-enrolling at a time when you can participate more fully.

In general, if there are extenuating circumstances that prevent you from fully engaging with the course, you should be in touch with your facilitator as soon as possible so that you can make a plan.

The training fee is required in full by the end of the first week of the training. Participants who have not paid this fee will be dropped from the training, so it is recommended that you communicate any potential payment issues to the CCCAC administrator as soon as possible.

Participants who withdraw before the second Class Meeting will receive a full training refund. Participants who withdraw after the second Class Meeting will not receive any refund.

Currently, Chicago Jobs Council does not offer hybrid/blended CCCAC trainings. This format may become available in the future.

The CCCAC website will be updated with this information when it is available. In the meantime, you can contact kate@cjc.net to be put on the CCCAC mailing list.