Rockford District 205 Releases New Video Highlighting Academies

All Rockford Public Schools (RPS) high school students benefit from small learning communities called Academies. Within the Academies, students choose from career pathways that allow them to further explore career areas of interest. Each pathway is a three-course sequence, beginning in a student’s sophomore year, that provides real-world experiences with local businesses and professionals, linking […]

Rockford Public Schools to Remodel Building for Career Education Center

Rockford Public Schools plans to renovate the home of Rock Valley College’s automotive and collision repair classes near Jefferson High School to serve as a hub for career-centered education ranging from culinary courses to CNC machining for all four high schools. >> Read the Rock River Current news story

Rockford Public Schools Host Reverse Job Fair

In May, Rockford Public Schools, in collaboration with RAMP Center for Independent Living, hosted a Reverse Job Fair at the Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Rockford. Students with intellectual disabilities ranging in age from 18 to 22 have been working hard over the course of the school year to learn entry-level employability skills through the […]

Rockford Public Schools’ New Work Study Program Builds Soft Skills

Part of the role of Rockford Public Schools’ College & Career Academies is connecting students to the community. The goal is to ensure every student engages in one community/career experience each year of high school. While opportunities have been created for each grade—from the Academy Expo, to site visits, to job shadows and internships—RPS needed another option for seniors to earn soft skills and a senior experience. They heard businesses say that students coming out of high school needed soft skills. Enter the new Work Study program… 

1,100+ Rockford Students Participate in Job Shadows

Over 1,100 Rockford Public Schools’ 11th-grade students participated in job shadows during the last school year. This is the largest number of students to experience job shadows since the beginning of the College & Career Academies of Rockford began in 2013. Rather than trying to connect with employers on an ad-hoc basis, the work-based learning […]

Rockford Rolls Out Partnership Resources

In Rockford, partners are working together to prepare students for college, career, and life through the Great Lakes College and Career Pathways Partnership. You can learn more about the partnership between Alignment Rockford and Rockford Public Schools here, and the partnership between Rockford Public Schools and Rock Valley College here.