Kennedy–King College facts for kids

Kennedy–King College (KKC) is a public two-year college in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is 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 they both passed away.

What You Can Study

Kennedy–King College offers different programs for students. You can earn an associate degree, which is a two-year college degree. You can also get career certificates that help you learn specific job skills.

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

Culinary and Hospitality Programs

KKC is a special place for learning about cooking and hotels. In 2011, the Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, started a program called "College to Careers." This program helps colleges work with businesses to teach students the skills needed for jobs that are growing fast.

• Businesses help design the classes and facilities.
• This makes sure students learn what employers are looking for.
• In 2014, KKC started a hospitality program to go along with its cooking classes.

Campus and Buildings

Kennedy–King College has a modern campus with many useful buildings.

The Old Campus

The first KKC campus was built in 1972. It was about 18 acres big and had many features.

• It included two gyms, a daycare center, a theater, and a swimming pool.
• There was also a television studio and a radio station called WKKC 89.3 FM. The letters WKKC stand for "We're Kennedy-King College."
• The main building was recognized for its cool design by the American Institute of Architects.
• The library had over 50,000 books.

In 2005, plans were made for a big new campus. The old campus was closed and taken down after the new one was finished.

The Current Campus

The new Kennedy–King College campus is 40 acres large. It has six buildings with a lot of space inside.

• It is located at 6301 South Halsted Street in the Englewood neighborhood.
• The campus has classrooms and a special building for radio, TV, and cooking.
• This building has four kitchens, a teaching restaurant, and a large dining hall.
• It also has a theater, three TV production studios, and offices for WKKC radio.
• From 2007 to 2017, the TV station WYCC also operated from the college.
• There is an applied sciences building with a bookstore and labs for auto repair, welding, and heating/cooling systems.
• The campus also has a sports field, parking, and a "green roof" which is good for the environment.
• The new campus was officially opened in July 2007.

Dawson Technical Institute

The Dawson Technical Institute (DTI) is a training center for job skills. It started in 1968.

• In 1973, the building was named after William L. Dawson. He was a local politician and lawyer who served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 27 years.
• DTI became part of Kennedy–King College in 1995.
• It is located at 3901 South State Street in Chicago.

Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute

The Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute is a famous cooking school.

• In 2014, its name changed to include "Hospitality" because it added programs for managing hotels and restaurants.
• Students can earn associate degrees in hospitality management or certificates in culinary arts.
• Washburne runs several places where students can get real-world experience, like the Washburne Café and the Parrot Cage restaurant.

WKKC - 89.3 FM Radio

Kennedy–King College has had its own radio station, WKKC (89.3 FM), since 1976.

Sports and Teams

The college is part of the National Junior College Athletic Association. This means its sports teams compete against other colleges.

• The KKC men's basketball team was ranked among the top 20 teams in the nation in February 2007.

Notable Staff

Some important people have worked at Kennedy–King College over the years.

• John A. Barkey was the President of Woodrow Wilson College in 1942.
• Paul Henning Willis was a social sciences teacher at Woodrow Wilson Junior College. He also worked at other schools like the Crane Technical School.

See also

• WKKC
• WYCC