Whiteside Area Career Center Learns from CTE Interest Survey
For the second year, the Whiteside Area Career Center (WACC) offered a CTE interest survey to all 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students, which received more than 1,600 responses. The survey asked about the training programs students are most interested in, how likely they are to take a WACC course, and what factors influence their […]
2025 State of Public Schools: McLean County’s Education Leaders Emphasize Collaboration and Growth
On October 30, 2025, local business, civic, and education leaders gathered for the 2025 State of Public Schools, an annual event highlighting the successes, challenges, and future goals of K–12 public education across McLean County. Mark DeKeersgieter, Executive Director of CIRBN, LLC opened the program by welcoming attendees and introducing Shelly Purchis, Manager of Workforce Development & Foundation […]
McLean County Expands Opportunities for Students Through the Bloomington Career Academy
McLean County continues to create additional opportunities for students to explore various career pathways with the opening this past August of the new 200,000 sq ft. Bloomington Career Academy (BCA). Formerly housed in one wing of Bloomington High School as the Bloomington Area Career Center, BCA now has a state-of-the-art learning center for approximately 20 […]
Lake County Hosts Navig8 – The Region’s Signature Hands-On Career Exploration Event
On October 22, 2025, the Lake County Regional Office of Education hosted the annual Navig8Lake Career Exploration Event—a large-scale, hands-on opportunity for students across Lake County to discover real-world careers through direct interaction with local professionals. This flagship event continues to align with the Illinois PaCE Framework, ensuring students receive meaningful exposure to careers and […]
Highland Career Fair Reaches New Heights
Highland Community College hosted its annual Career Fair in Freeport, Illinois, in mid-November. The event hosted over 530 high school students from 10 partner high schools, setting a new post-COVID attendance record, and featured brand-new student materials to support research, learning from, and reflection on the event’s 44 diverse employers. Highland Career Services gathers feedback […]
Highland Hosts “Speed Dating” for School Leaders, Community Partners
The Highland Region Pathways to Success Leadership Community is busy making waves in northwest Illinois. A regional meeting and “speed dating” event for school leaders and community partners in early November helped each sector build an understanding of the other’s wants and needs. Local partnerships are now being formed to support student activities across the […]
The Trade Collective Connects Students with Opportunities in the Skilled Trades
This quarter, the Trade Collective strengthened partnerships with educational allies Evanston Township High School (ETHS) and Oakton Community College to connect students with meaningful career opportunities in the skilled trades. The team hosted 356 career and technical education students from all grade levels for the ETHS Career and Technical Education Department Panel in October. Panel […]
Evanston Township High School Hosts Annual Wildkit Futures Day
Evanston Township High School’s (ETHS) annual Wildkit Futures Day took place on October 21, 2025. While variations of Wildkit Futures Day, a post-secondary planning event, have been on the calendar for well over a dozen years, the 2025 Wildkit Futures Day program was the most comprehensive and has had the broadest schoolwide impact to date. […]
Homewood-Flossmoor Students Participate in Motorola Shadow Day
On September 15, 2025, CTE teachers Chante’ Andrews and Tiffany White accompanied 25 juniors and seniors from Homewood-Flossmoor High School to Motorola Solutions Headquarters for an immersive Shadow Day experience hosted by Alyse Walker-Barajas, Project Manager and proud HF alum. Students explored innovation, technology, and career pathways at Motorola. Highlights included an engaging tour of […]
Future Farmers of America Students Growing Leadership and Community Impact in Rich Township
Students in the Rich Township Future Farmers of America (FFA) Chapter are demonstrating leadership, innovation, and service in both plant and animal science pathways. From cultivating crops to engaging their community, these young leaders are putting their agricultural knowledge into action. This fall, FFA students launched a weekly farmstand, offering fresh produce grown right on […]