Students, teachers and district staff used the board meeting to spotlight several career and experiential-learning programs across Bremen CHSD 228.
The Northwestern Medicine Saturday Discovery Program, which accepts 28 students after an application process, was described by district staff and student participants. Student presenters said the program provides monthly hands-on experiences across hospital specialties and can lead to a summer internship; one student described a paid, six-week internship working 40 hours per week in patient transport and shared that the experience "changed my life." (Student names and roles are listed below.)
Andrew Harrington, the district's building trades teacher, presented a cross-campus fabrication project in which students designed and sand-cast medallions and repurposed bleacher wood for coasters. Harrington described the CAD and machining limitations the students faced, the hand-sanding and finishing work, and how the project exposed students to production and project-management processes.
The district also introduced a media internship that currently includes 24 student interns from across the high schools. Coordinator remarks and student examples showed social-media posts routinely receiving hundreds of engagements and led to local press pickups. Students introduced an "Athlete of the Week" video segment planned to begin next week and described photography and caption-writing responsibilities they are practicing.
District staff framed these programs as pathways into healthcare, trades and media careers and noted partnerships with Northwestern Medicine, Cook County Public Health Department, Sinai Urban Health Institute and local training provider Hearts to Heal for a CNA program at Bremen High School.