“I am motivated, now more than ever, to pursue this career.”

Educators from across the country visited High School District 214 on March 2 to learn more about the District’s Career Pathways program that provides students with real-world experiences and rigorous academic courses to discover their futures.  

The visit is part of a partnership with the Joyce Foundation, which gave $400,000 in grant funding to District 214 and Township High School District 211 to continue expanding college and career pathways with the focus on Information Technology and Health Sciences. 

As part of the visit, educators toured Wheeling High School and visited the school’s nanotechnology lab, manufacturing facility, information technology and entrepreneurship incubator, and health science classrooms to see the Career Pathways program in action. 

Visitors also heard first-hand from District 214 students with internships coordinated by the District’s Center for Career Discovery. Students discussed how their internships confirmed what they want and do not want to pursue beyond high school.  

“I am motivated, now more than ever, to pursue this career,” Brian Furman, a Buffalo Grove High School junior who recently participated in a computer programming internship, told an audience of nearly 50 individuals.      

In District 214’s Career Pathways program, students gain exposure to careers through coursework that can lead to an industry credential and authentic workplace learning experiences such as internships. 

Visitors included educators from school districts in Madison, Wisc., Rockford, Ill. and Columbus, Ohio, all of which also received grant funding from the Joyce Foundation. Other visitors included education professionals from Ed Systems Center, Jobs for the Future, ConnectEd and AASA.