Under the broader umbrella of District 214’s Specialized Schools, life’s goal is to equip these students to transition into working life at age 22. “Our job is to assess where students’ skills and interests are, to develop goals and to give them experiences that will allow them to attain postsecondary employment,” explains Valerie Norris, Specialized Schools principal.
Mom was a music education professor; Dad was a music teacher and band director. Dad’s idea of fun during family road trips was to quiz their three young sons on the differences between Mozart and Beethoven. So, yes, maybe it was written in the stars - or somewhere between the key and time signatures - that Elliott and Spencer Hile would pursue careers in music.
For reasons that no longer matter so much, Alex Mendoza dropped out of high school. “But I knew I couldn’t be fooling around. I knew I needed my high school diploma to get a better job,” he said. He went to his counselor at Elk Grove High School, who suggested earning his GED through a District 214 Community Education program.
Vasyl Mattichuk wanted to become a U.S. citizen. After several years, he said, “I had been working here, living here and wanted to be a part of this country. I wanted to help this country, I wanted to vote, and travel with an American passport.” He read about District 214 Community Education’s U.S. citizenship preparation classes in the newspaper, and signed up for classes in 2021.
"Tee Up for 214" takes on a new twist. This year's District 214 Education Foundation fundraiser will be held at Topgolf in Schaumburg. Proceeds are used to provide opportunities for students’ future success.
Wheeling High School is hosting the 55th Annual Chicagoland Marching Band Festival on Saturday, September 16, 2023. It is the longest consecutive running marching band festival in northeastern Illinois.
On August 17, the team of world religions teachers from District 214, led by Prospect High School’s John Camardella, made a presentation to the Parliament of the World’s Religions 2023 convocation in downtown Chicago. The presentation was titled: “A U.S. Public School District Fully Committed to Religious Literacy? Yes!”
District 214 students are making a splash through summer internships. From firefighting, to fashion, and even herpetology, students are getting a jumpstart to finding their futures.