More than 1,400 8th graders from McHenry County middle schools attended McHenry County College’s Career Quest event on Friday, March 14. The event invited students to participate in an immersive experience to explore career pathways and prepare for high school.
Students were in attendance from Nippersink, Riley, Fox River Grove, Creekside, Northwood, and Lundahl Middle Schools; Hannah Beardsley, Prairie Grove, and Harvard Junior Highs; and Clay Academy.
The event was broken up into three parts: pre-event curriculum, which included use of MCC’s Career Coach assessment tool and information on financial literacy; the day-of event activities which included a career exploration presentation, the Career Quest Zone where students could meet with representatives from MCC’s academic programs and professionals in related industries, and a campus tour of MCC; and post-event curriculum which included educational planning and career exploration tools for families.
“I really enjoyed the interactions we were able to have with the students,” said Heidi Jenkins, MA, CTRS, Superintendent of Recreation at Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association (NISRA) about their organization’s experience at the event. “The students seemed very interested in our field, and some had interest in potential part-time work during high school. As a parent of a 7th grade student, I am so excited for him to participate in this event next year.”
“We were thrilled to receive such positive feedback from students, teachers, and community employers,” said Catherine Jones, Associate Vice President of Workforce Development at MCC. “The Career Quest Zone was a hit with the students, who had a great time exploring the different career paths. It was a valuable opportunity for them to learn about various industries and get inspired about their future possibilities.”
The College plans to host the event again next year.
Career Quest aligns with the Illinois middle school requirement for postsecondary and career exploration.
Visit the Career Quest webpage for more information.