Pathways Playground inspires 1,300 Sauk Valley eighth graders to dream big

Hands-on activities and career chats gave local middle schoolers a glimpse into their futures Friday, Oct. 17, during the annual Pathways Playground career exploration event.

Hosted by Regional Office of Education 47 at Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, the event drew more than 1,300 eighth graders from 19 schools in the Sauk Valley.

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Byron Middle School eighth graders give the thumbs up after visiting the OSF Saint Katharine booth Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at Sauk Valley Community College. Pathways Playground, a program sponsored by the Regional Office of Education, invited 1,300 eighth graders to the college to explore career options. (Alex T. Paschal)

“Pathways is designed for students to try on different careers in high school before they decide on college or career or trade schools,” Pathway Navigator Chanda McDonnell said. “What we’re doing today is trying to plant the seed for students and give them that idea of what might be out there after school.”

For some attendees, the highlight was exploring business opportunities. Corben Considine of Byron said his favorite part of the event was learning about entrepreneurship.

“I want to be able to have fun with my friends and make some money,” Considine said. “I don’t know what I want to do yet, but I’m thinking about it.”

For other students, including Makayla Pineda of Ashton-Franklin Center, the hands-on activities stole the show.

“I really liked the ultrasound activity,” Pineda said. “We took a wand with some jelly and rubbed it around the belly, and we could see the head and different parts of the baby.”

At the CGH Medical Center booth, Nursing Program Director Jennifer Grobe gave students a taste of hospital life. She taught basic CPR, showed how respiratory therapy works, and let students practice injections on training materials.

“I like to get them hands-on so they know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel when they start biology class,” Grobe said.

Grobe also highlighted a variety of health care roles beyond nursing, including radiology, surgical technology, dietary services, and even maintenance and kitchen positions, emphasizing teamwork and the many paths students can take in the medical field.

Created under the state’s 2016 Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act, the Illinois College & Career Pathway Endorsement Program allows students to earn a formal endorsement on their high school diploma or transcript by completing a series of structured requirements designed to prepare them for life after high school in their chosen career path.

Students choose from one of seven career pathways:

agriculture food and natural resources
health sciences and technology
finance and business services
arts and communications
information technology
human and public services
manufacturing, engineering, technology and trades

“There’s different incentives for doing these Pathways, and requirements to earn those endorsements on your transcript,” McDonnell said.

According to the PWR Act, to qualify for the endorsement, students must:

complete an individualized learning plan that outlines their college pathway and relates to their career goals and plans for financial aid. They also must include a resume and a personal statement.
complete at least two career exploration activities or one intensive experience before graduating. This can include completing a career-interest survey, attending a career fair, interviewing someone from their chosen career field, participating in a college visit and job shadowing, or visiting a local business.
complete at least two team-based projects with adult mentoring that focuses on solving a problem related to their chosen career field.
complete 60 cumulative hours in a paid or for-credit, supervised career development experience, concluding with an evaluation of their professional skills. This can be completed at any point throughout their four years of high school, including during the summer.
complete two years of high school coursework, or demonstrate equivalent competencies, leading toward a postsecondary credential with recognized labor market value. This includes a minimum of six hours of early college credit that can be earned by taking dual-credit classes, Advanced Placement classes or college classes.
demonstrate college-ready proficiency in English and math by graduation. This can be done in one of several ways, including earning the required scores on the ACT, SAT or college placement tests; achieving the required GPA set by their local community college; or receiving a grade of “C” or higher in transitional English and math classes.

Students with an endorsement also earn a $100 credit at Dixon’s Sauk Valley Community College. In 2021, SVCC – in partnership with ROE 47 – was awarded a $249,000 grant from the Illinois State Board of Education to support career pathways for high school students. It was the first phase of a four-part grant cycle totaling $747,000.

Additionally, students who earn their endorsement in the education pathway are advanced to the final round for the Golden Apple Scholarship, which provides the winners with four years of free college tuition and fees.

In 2022, Gov. JB Pritzker signed Public Act 102-0917, which requires all Illinois high school districts to begin offering college and career pathway endorsements. Starting with the Class of 2027, districts must apply to the state to offer at least one endorsement area – either on their own, through a career center or in partnership with other districts.

By 2029, they must add a second endorsement, and by 2031, districts with more than 350 high school students must offer a third.

“We’re up to 18 school districts that now offer Pathways in their high schools,” McDonnell said.

Participating school districts include:

As of July 1, all districts must either apply to offer the required number of endorsement areas or have a board-approved plan in place to meet the deadlines. Districts also have the option to opt out by passing a formal resolution through their school board.

For more information, call ROE 47 at 815-625-1495 or visit roe47.org.