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District reports growth in college-and-career programs, internships and expanded college fair
Summary
Counseling staff reported expanded college-and-career programming: a new Level Up conference, a growing micro-internship program (40 students to date), 60 colleges at a recent fair and planned April 29 trades event; administrators said they plan to make several initiatives annual.
Annie Thomas, the district’s high-school college and career counselor, told the Wood Dale School District 204 Board on March 31 that the district’s college-and-career work has grown this year.
Thomas described a ‘‘Level Up’’ conference for ninth through 12th graders that offered multiple breakout sessions for families and students to explore college and career pathways. She said the district hosted 60 colleges and approximately 50 careers and businesses at a recent college-and-career fair, and the district plans to grow participation next year.
Thomas said the district’s micro-internship program increased this quarter to 26 placements (40 total for the program year), exceeding the quarter goal of 20 students. She noted internship placements at local employers including a State’s Attorney’s Office and an animal hospital in the area and described several 60-hour internships completed by students.
Other initiatives Thomas highlighted included senior seminar coursework broken into stepwise modules to reduce senior stress, essay-writing workshops, financial-aid evenings and ongoing relationships with trade employers such as Regal Rexnord, Scot Forge and Swiss Automation to guide students into manufacturing careers. She also said the district offers ASVAB testing to support military and career exploration and reported 75 students took the test this year.
The board responded with positive feedback and applause for staff and teachers; Thomas said the district will continue the work and track growth year over year. The district also announced plans to attend a trades fair on April 29 to give students hands-on exposure to careers.
