Lake County Gazette

Collinsville Community Unit School District #10 fourth graders attended the "When I Grow Up" Job Fair at Webster Elementary School on April 29, 2025.

Local business people and professionals volunteered to spend the day sharing information about their chosen careers.

The students rotated through trade show-style displays and hands-on activities, including floating rescue devices provided by the Air Force 375th Operations Support Squadron. Outdoors, there were municipal equipment, a fire truck, ambulance, and police car to explore.

Collinsville Area Vocational Center (CAVC) students and faculty shared information about various job opportunities, from culinary arts to teaching, available through career and technical education (CTE).

"The event is part of our district's initiative to encourage students to think about career interests as early as elementary school," said a district representative. "Learning what adults do in their jobs can spark an interest in children and lead to their future activities and academic coursework. "

Many individuals and organizations contributed to this year's job fair:

- Collinsville Building & Loan

- McArther's Tae Kwon Do & Fitness

- La Belle Vous Salon

- Holland Construction Services, Inc.

- Mid-America Carpenters

- Integrity Spine and Joint Center

- Lisa Colon - RE/MAX Alliance / Gateway CEO

- U.S. ARMY

- Collinsville Daily News

- Collinsville Area Vocational Center (CAVC)

- UMSL College of Optometry

- St. Clair County Juvenile Probation

- Knipp Roofing and Exteriors

- Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation (SIHF)

- Federal Prosecutor/ DOJ

- Street Department

- Auffenberg Volkswagen - Mechanic

- Northgate Animal Hospital

- Mayor of Fairmont City

- SIUE Department of Mass Communication

- Mike's Waterproofing and Landscaping

- Aircrew Flight Equipment

- Collinsville Police Department

- City of Collinsville - City Manager

- FGMA Architects

- Jefferson College Culinary Department

- Collinsville Fire Department