Self-Paced Academic Courses

Students at Vanguard have the opportunity to progress in their academic courses at a pace that is best for them. Meeting the standards and outcomes? Demonstrate so and move on.  Feeling challenged? Take the needed time to gain skills and confidence with help from our staff.  All students need to demonstrate skills and knowledge at a “C” level or higher in order to earn credit.  We help our students to achieve at a pace to meet both short and long-term academic goals. 

Service-Learning

This for-credit elective involves both in-school and community-based service learning. These opportunities allow students to elect to attend as often as they wish and include, but are not limited to Food Pantry, Feed My Starving Children, Peer Tutoring, Forest Preserve Clean Up, Elementary School Lunch Buddy Program, and many others

Teen Parenting

This for-credit program involves educational resources and group support for expectant teen parents as well as current teen parents enrolled in District 214 who are working to maintain success as a student.

Access to School Counseling Services

Students at Vanguard have in-school access to meeting with a Vanguard counselor and/or social worker for individual and group counseling in the areas of relationships, decision making, as well as dealing with chronic stress from personal trauma.

Mentor Program

All students at Vanguard are assigned to a staff mentor.  Students will meet regularly with this certified staff member to set goals and review progress towards goals in both a group and individual setting.