Pathway Playground career exploration planned for Oct. 18 at Sauk Valley Community College

DIXON – Regional Office of Education No. 47 has announced the return of its annual Pathway Playground event that offers a day of career exploration for eighth graders in Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties.

This year’s event will be Friday, Oct. 18, at Sauk Valley Community College. More than 1,000 students are expected to attend.

[ Eighth graders explore embalming and engineering at 2023 Pathway Playground ]

Pathway Playground provides an opportunity for students to connect with local businesses and explore the vast array of career paths available to them. Last year, more than 70 businesses participated, showcasing their industries through interactive activities. This year, the goal is to have at least 100 businesses present, offering an even wider range of career exploration opportunities.

“We’re excited to continue building upon the success of Pathway Playground,” said Chanda McDonnell, Pathway navigator at ROE No. 47. “It’s an incredible opportunity for students to get hands-on experience and learn about exciting careers right in their own communities.”

Past activities have included:

• installing windows in garage doors (construction)
• reporting the weather using a green screen (media and communications)
• learning how to navigate a roundabout (transportation)

These activities represent just a sample of the diverse career clusters students will encounter at Pathway Playground, including:

• manufacturing
• health sciences
• agriculture
• information technology
• arts and communication
• human and public services
• business and finance

The ROE No. 47 Pathway Team is actively recruiting businesses from Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties to participate in this event. Businesses interested in showcasing their careers to the next generation of talent can contact McDonnell at cmcdonnell@roe47.org or Heather Waninger at hwaninger@roe47.org by Sept. 30.