ALEXANDRIA, VA. — Marc Schulman, president of Eli’s Cheesecake Co., Chicago, has received an advocacy award from the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) for supporting and promoting career and technical education (CTE) programs in Chicago.

The ACTE Champion for CTE award is given to educators, industry executives, celebrities and thought leaders that champion academic programs in the United States. ACTE is a nonprofit association that promotes the advancement of CTE among youth and adults.

Mr. Schulman has been an advocate for CTE at the local, state and national levels for more than 20 years. As the co-chair of the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences Business (C.H.S.A.S.) Advisory Board since 2001, he helps guide the agricultural sciences and business curriculum at the school. During his time there, Mr. Schulman has created a variety of initiatives, including a program that places 340 junior and senior students per year in work-based learning opportunities throughout the region and partnerships between the high school and Chicago universities.

These initiatives allow students to participate in entrepreneurial experiences at Eli’s and other companies. For the last 15 years, the bakery has co-sponsored a summer entrepreneurship program with Wright College for C.H.S.A.S. students, and in the past five years, awarded scholarships to C.H.S.A.S. graduates. Mr. Schulman is currently working to further develop more CTE-based programs partnering between Eli’s and Wright College.