Elmwood Park CUSD 401 hosts college and career fair with more than 30 programs

Elmwood Park CUSD 401 district staff said the district hosted a college and career fair that featured "over 30, college programs represented," including a strong presence from Triton and representatives from military branches.

District staff said the fair included two-year and four-year colleges, trade schools and military recruiters to give students a range of postsecondary options. "We had a big showing from Triton, 1 of our partner community colleges, and, the rest were 4 year colleges. We also had some branches of military represented," Staff member 1 said.

Staff member 1 said the feedback from school staff was positive: "And the feedback I'm getting is that they had some really good interactions with our students. Our students are curious, interested, and ready for the next step." A second staff speaker summarized the fair's purpose, saying it exposed students to opportunities and helped them learn about options available from various schools.

Students who spoke described the event as a chance to explore and consider future pathways. One student said, "There's always something out there for you. You know what I'm saying? It's always, like, a good vibe. There's always something out there. Like, if you don't know what what to do, then you get to explore what you wanna do and what's, like, rethink your life and everything." The student added, "And it's like, it's always a future for you. And it's always a path you would go. It's not might be the 1 you want right now, but you still there's still a path for you. There's a door everywhere you go."

District staff framed the event as an exposure opportunity rather than a commitment device: staff said the goal was for students to start conversations with program representatives and learn about potential career pathways. No formal actions, votes or policy changes were discussed during the remarks.