# The ORT Institute

> American vocational training school in Skokie, Illinois, active 1991–2017

**Wikidata**: [Q7755432](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7755432)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_ORT_Technical_Institute)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/the-ort-institute

## Summary
The ORT Institute was a private, non-profit vocational training school in Skokie, Illinois, operating from 1991 to 2017. It provided specialized technical education as part of the global ORT network, focusing on career-oriented programs. The institution closed in 2017 after 26 years of service.

## Key Facts
- **Active years**: 1991–2017.
- **Location**: 5440 Fargo Avenue, Skokie, IL 60077 (coordinates: 42.017° N, 87.7635° W).
- **Type**: Private not-for-profit educational institution; classified as a special focus two-year college.
- **Carnegie Classifications**: Exclusively undergraduate, two-year; special focus on "other fields"; very small, higher full-time enrollment.
- **Website**: http://www.ortchicagotech.edu (English).
- **IPEDS ID**: 393180.
- **Affiliation**: Part of the ORT network, a global educational organization.

## FAQs
### Q: When did The ORT Institute operate?
A: The ORT Institute was active from 1991 to 2017, closing after 26 years in Skokie, Illinois.

### Q: What type of education did it provide?
A: It offered vocational and technical training as a private, non-profit two-year college with specialized programs.

### Q: Where was it located?
A: The campus was at 5440 Fargo Avenue, Skokie, IL 60077, in the Chicago metropolitan area.

## Why It Matters
The ORT Institute played a role in workforce development by offering practical, career-focused education in the Chicago area. As part of the historic ORT network—a global Jewish organization emphasizing vocational training—it provided accessible pathways to technical careers. Its closure in 2017 reflected broader challenges faced by small, specialized educational institutions, but its legacy includes contributing to local employment needs through targeted programs.

## Notable For
- **Specialized Focus**: Offered technical and vocational training tailored to workforce demands.
- **Global Affiliation**: Part of the ORT network, linking it to a century-old tradition of skills-based education.
- **Carnegie Classification**: Recognized for its exclusive focus on undergraduate, two-year programs in specific fields.
- **Community Role**: Served the Skokie and Chicago areas with non-profit, career-oriented education for 26 years.

## Body
### History
- **Founded**: 1991 in Skokie, Illinois, as a private not-for-profit institution.
- **Closed**: 2017, with operations archived online (https://web.archive.org/web/20171008215735/http://www.ortchicagotech.edu/).
- **Legacy**: Part of the ORT network, which originated in Russia in 1880 and expanded globally to promote vocational training.

### Academic Focus
- **Programs**: Provided technical and vocational education, though specific disciplines are not detailed in available records.
- **Structure**: Operated as a two-year college with a "special focus" on fields outside traditional liberal arts or sciences.

### Institutional Characteristics
- **Size**: Classified as "very small" with "higher full-time" enrollment.
- **Location**: 5440 Fargo Avenue, Skokie, IL 60077 (latitude: 42.017, longitude: -87.7635).
- **Identifiers**: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) ID: 393180; Freebase ID: /m/0clw02j.

### Closure
- **Year**: 2017, ending a 26-year operational run.
- **Context**: The closure aligned with trends affecting small, specialized colleges facing financial and enrollment challenges.

## References

1. Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
2. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20171008215735/http://www.ortchicagotech.edu/)
3. Google Knowledge Graph
4. Freebase Data Dumps
5. Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education