Kennedy–King College facts for kids

Kennedy–King College (KKC) is a public two-year college in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It's part of the City Colleges of Chicago, a group of colleges that has been helping students in Chicago since 1911.

Kennedy–King College started in 1935 as Woodrow Wilson Junior College. It was named after U.S. president Woodrow Wilson. In July 1969, the school was renamed to honor Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.. This happened about a year after both men were sadly assassinated.

Programs for Your Future

KKC is a college for both guys and girls. It offers special degrees called "associate degrees" and "career certificates." These programs help students get ready for jobs or to continue their education at a four-year university.

It's easy to get into KKC because they accept applications all the time. If you live in Chicago, your tuition fees are lower. The college does not have dorms or housing on campus.

Cooking and Hospitality Programs

Kennedy–King College is a main center for cooking and hospitality training within the City Colleges of Chicago. In 2011, the "College to Careers" program started. This program helps colleges work with big companies to teach students the skills needed for fast-growing jobs in Chicago.

Industry leaders work with teachers to update what students learn and improve the school's facilities. This makes sure students learn exactly what employers are looking for. In 2014, KKC started a hospitality program to go along with its popular cooking program.

Campus and Facilities

Old Campus Features

The first KKC campus was about 18-acre (7.3 ha) big and finished in 1972. It had two gyms, a daycare, a theater, a swimming pool, and even a TV and radio studio. The radio station, WKKC 89.3 FM, got its call letters from "We're Kennedy-King College."

The main building of the old campus was even praised for its cool design by the American Institute of Architects. The Kennedy–King College Library, which started in 1935, had over 50,000 books. The old campus was located at 6800 South Wentworth Avenue.

In 2005, the school planned a huge upgrade. This involved building new facilities on a 40-acre (16.2 ha) new campus. The old campus was closed after the new one was finished and has since been taken down.

New Campus Today

The new Kennedy–King College campus is 40-acre (16.2 ha) and has six buildings. It's located at 6301 South Halsted Street in the Englewood neighborhood.

The campus has modern classrooms and a special building for radio, TV, and culinary arts. This building has four kitchens, a teaching restaurant, and a large dining hall. It also has three TV production studios and offices for WKKC radio. WYCC, a TV station, used to operate from the college too.

There's also an applied sciences building with a bookstore, an auto technology lab, and shops for auto body work, welding, printing, and heating/cooling systems. The campus also has a sports field, plenty of parking, and a "green roof" which is good for the environment. The new KKC campus was officially opened in July 2007.

Dawson Technical Institute

The Dawson Technical Institute (DTI) is a training center for different jobs. It started in 1968 as the Chicago Skill Center. In 1973, it was named after William L. Dawson, a local politician and lawyer.

DTI became part of Kennedy–King College in 1995. It helps students learn skills for various careers. The institute is located at 3901 South State Street in Chicago.

Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute

In 2014, the Washburne Culinary Institute changed its name to Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute. This was to show that it also focuses on managing hotels and restaurants.

Besides teaching students to be chefs, Washburne offers associate degrees in hospitality management through KKC. Students can also earn certificates in culinary arts. Washburne runs several places where students get real-world experience, like the Washburne Café and the Parrot Cage restaurant.

WYCC - PBS Chicago

From 2006 to 2017, Kennedy–King College was home to the studios for WYCC. This was a television station owned by the City Colleges. It was later sold to WTTW.

WKKC - 89.3 FM Radio

Kennedy–King College has had its own radio station, WKKC (89.3 FM), since 1976. It's a great way for students to learn about broadcasting.

Sports and Affiliations

The college is part of the National Junior College Athletic Association. This means its sports teams compete against other junior colleges. For example, the KKC men's basketball team was ranked among the top 20 nationally in February 2007.

Notable Staff Members

Over the years, many people have worked at Kennedy–King College (and its earlier name, Woodrow Wilson College). For instance, John A. Barkey was the President of Woodrow Wilson College in 1942. Paul Henning Willis was a social sciences teacher there who had also worked at other schools.