Lake County Gazette

Grayslake Community High School District 127 will participate in Navig8 Lake, a countywide career exploration event scheduled for October 22. The event aims to connect students with real-world career experiences and future opportunities. Over 6,000 students from across Lake County are registered to attend, including more than 1,300 from District 127 and its feeder middle schools.

“Navig8 Lake represents a powerful collaboration across Lake County to ensure all students are exposed to the full range of career possibilities available right here in our region,” said Dr. Mike Karner, Lake County Regional Superintendent of Schools. “The growth of this event shows our collective commitment to building pathways that are real, relevant, and ready for every learner.”

The initiative is organized through a partnership between the Lake County Regional Office of Education and a planning committee representing six districts. Gina Schuyler from District 127 serves on the committee alongside leaders from other area districts.

This year, District 127 will bring 200 high school students in the morning and 300 in the afternoon. Additionally, about 825 eighth graders from feeder schools will participate.

“This isn’t a paper handout event; our team has designed Navig8 Lake to be hands-on because we know students learn through doing,” said Schuyler. “When students engage directly with professionals and tools of the trade, the learning sticks.”

More than 100 businesses will offer interactive experiences in various fields such as finance and business, agriculture, arts and communication, human services, information technology, health sciences, manufacturing, engineering, technology, and trades. These fields align with Career Pathway Endorsements provided by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Support for school counselors is being expanded at this year’s event. Tools like SchooLinks are now available for all eighth through twelfth grade students in Lake County to access real-time career information and regional work opportunities.

“Students don’t know what they don’t know. It’s our job to show them the possibilities, real people doing real jobs in our community,” Schuyler emphasized. “These experiences empower students to make informed choices about their futures and show them that success is not one-size-fits-all.”

District 127 represents Grayslake Central High School and Grayslake North High School within Lake County (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). According to state data, District 127 employs 195 teachers who earn an average salary of $79,647 before pension contributions; nearly sixty percent are women (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). The district's student population is approximately fifty-nine percent White, twenty-five percent Hispanic, seven percent Asian, and four percent Black (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). In fiscal year 2020, spending per student was $31,874 for a total expenditure of over $88 million (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

Navig8 Lake aims to inform and prepare every student in Lake County for their future careers.