Lake County Gazette

Nearly 450 Westminster Public Schools students participated in the annual “8th Grade Career Expo” at Adams County Fairgrounds’ Riverdale Regional Park earlier this month, joining thousands of other eighth graders from across Adams County. The event was organized by the Adams County Education Consortium (ACEC) and aimed to help students take their first steps into professional environments.

Jessica Read, Future Center School Counselor, said, “Exploration is essential to students’ career development. This hands-on, interactive event allows them to practice valuable skills that will serve them well in the future while discovering opportunities available within our schools and surrounding communities.”

At the expo, students engaged in activities designed to build career-readiness skills such as dressing professionally, making confident introductions, and conversing with representatives from local businesses, high school programs, and colleges. Each student received ten business cards to hand out to exhibitors who would later select those who made the strongest impressions. ACEC plans to recognize these standout participants with “Top Students” honors at the end of October.

The Career Expo is one of Colorado’s largest events for eighth graders interested in exploring future careers. Between 5,000 and 6,000 students attended this year’s expo. The event provides a platform for young people to meet employers and explore both high school and post-secondary options.

Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 represents numerous schools in Lake County including elementary schools like Andrew Cooke Magnet Elementary School and middle schools such as Daniel Webster Middle School. Additional information about Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 can be found at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.

Demographically, Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 serves a diverse population: approximately 3.2 percent White, 13.2 percent Black, 79.5 percent Hispanic, and 1.3 percent Asian according to data from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Further demographic details are available at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.

The district employs over a thousand teachers with an average salary of $63,524 before pension contributions; women make up about 71 percent of staff while men account for roughly 29 percent. No teachers had more than ten absences during a school year according to ISBE data (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

In terms of spending, Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 spent $23,429 per student in 2020 with total expenditures reaching $359 million (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).