Check back soon for information about FLIP 2021! 

The Virtual FLIP Summer Series 2020 has concluded. Please visit our FLIP engagement page for a recap of the sessions or check out a summary of the events.

Future Leaders in Planning (FLIP) is the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning's (CMAP) leadership development program for high school and college students in Northeastern Illinois. FLIP is a FREE program where teens learn about the issues that shape our region and think of solutions with other students from Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties. Participants meet and interact with selected regional leaders who make key planning decisions in our communities.

Read a recap of the 2020 FLIP program activities. Learn more in the behind-the-scenes video below. 

The Future Leaders in Planning Program (FLIP) was held virtually this past year. The Virtual FLIP Summer Series highlighted topics related to the impacts of planning during COVID-19, water resource management, inequalities in urban planning, and urban street festivals for a four-week period in July and August.  

Over four weeks, the Virtual FLIP Summer Series offered high school and college students one unique live-streamed session followed by an interactive activity led by regional planning experts from CMAP and partner agencies. The series continued the goals of FLIP: to grow the pipelines of planners, to provide a meaningful and inclusive civic leadership curriculum to young people, and to support CMAP’s core values across our seven-county region. 

Live content was made available to participants through a conference link. Participants who attended all four sessions received a Future Leaders in Planning certificate. 

 
The dates of commitment for 2021. All sessions were held from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CST.

Check back soon for information about FLIP 2021! 

Orientation

Thursday, July 9, 2020

Week 1:  Planning for Urban Street Festivals

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Week 2: The Truth About Drinking Water

Thursday, July 23, 2020

Week 3: Planning Amid COVID-19

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Week 4: Inequalities in Urban Planning

Thursday, August 6, 2020

Check back soon for information about FLIP 2021! 

The Virtual FLIP Summer Series will be a great opportunity for students to learn about the world of urban planning and address planning issues in their communities. In order to participate, students must: 

• Register to attend 
• Be currently enrolled in high school or college 
• Live in one of the seven counties of the northeastern Illinois region (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties) 
• Possess a desire to learn more about the region and our communities 

Applications are now closed.  Please visit our FLIP engagement page for more information on our sessions. 

To meet other youth in the region and learn more about past FLIP activities, visit the FLIP Facebook page.

For general inquiries, email FLIP@cmap.illinois.gov. 

For more information, please contact Michelle Agunloye (@magunloye@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386-8764) or Courtney Barnes (cbarnes@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386-8628).