VALEES ANNUAL REPORT July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015 VALLEY EDUCATION FOR EMPLOYMENT SYSTEM (VALEES) www.valees.org Rt. 47 at Waubonsee Drive Sugar Grove, IL 60554 Roger Sanders, Director Cassie Blickem, Program Specialist Phone: 630-­‐466-­‐5736 Fax: 630-­‐466-­‐9621 VALEES Annual Report Table of Contents Section 1 Staff Section 2 What is VALEES? Section 3 Flow Chart Section 4 Member Districts Section 5 Grants Section 6 Standing Committees Section 7 Fiscal Agent Section 8 Administrative Agent Section 9 Program Committees Section 10 Advisory Committees Section 11 Meetings/Activities Section 12 Professional Development Activities Section 13 Program Committee In-­‐service Activities Section 14 Teacher Recertification Section 15 Joint Activities Section 16 Special Projects/Services Section 17 Student Programs Section 18 College Credit Articulation Section 19 Web Site 1 2 3 4 5 6 9 10 11 12 17 18 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 Section 1 Staff Roger Sanders – Director Phone 630-­‐466-­‐2953 Fax 630-­‐466-­‐9621 E-­‐mail rsanders@waubonsee.edu Website www.valees.org Cassie Blickem – Program Specialist Phone 630-­‐466-­‐2905 Fax 630-­‐466-­‐9621 E-­‐mail cblickem@waubonsee.edu Website www.valees.org Mary Borneman – Office Manager Phone 630-­‐466-­‐5736 Fax 630-­‐466-­‐9621 E-­‐mail mborneman@waubonsee.edu Website www.valees.org -­‐1-­‐ Section 2 WHAT IS VALEES? Valley Education for Employment System (VALEES) is a regional delivery system established by the Illinois State Board of Education which serves 17 school districts, two area career/vocational centers, one special education cooperative and Waubonsee Community College, covering a five-­‐county area. We are directed by ISBE to: • Provide career & technical education curriculum and program development • Provide professional growth in-­‐services/workshops for teachers, counselors and administrators • Assist schools in technology and equipment updates • Assure efficiency, access and equity in delivery of career and technical education • Submit and administer career and technical education-­‐related grants and disperse funds to member districts • Promote local business and industry partnerships with education at all levels. VALEES is divided into three sub-­‐regions: • Indian Valley Sub-­‐region is comprised of eleven feeder districts to the Indian Valley Vocational Center • Fox Valley Sub-­‐region is comprised of three feeder districts to the Fox Valley Career Center • River Valley Sub-­‐region is comprised of East Aurora, West Aurora and Oswego districts. -­‐2-­‐ Valley Education for Employment System
Partnership Organizational Chart
2014-2015
Illinois State Board of Education
Illinois Community College Board
Boards of Education
18 high schools
two vocational/career centers &
special education cooperative
Coordinating Council
9 district superintendents
(One from each sub-region)
Kaneland Community Unit
District #302
(Administrative Agent)
Kane County Regional
Office of Education
(Fiscal Agent)
System Director
(Program Specialist & Office Personnel)
Post-Secondary Institutions
(Waubonsee Community College,
Joliet Jr. College, Kishwaukee College,
College of DuPage)
Student Services Committee
(School Counselors)
Special Populations
Career Specialists
Steering Committee
(One administrator per district)
Program Specific Committees
Business Advisory Committees
-3-
Programs of Study/Occupational Program
Committees/Focus Groups:
Accounting
Agriculture/Horticulture
Auto Technology
Business and Technology Applications
CAD/Drafting
Clothing & Textiles
Computer Technology
Early Childhood
Fire Science/EMT
Food Service
Graphics
Health Occupations
Law Enforcement
Manufacturing
Marketing
Cooperative Education
Section 4 MEMBER DISTRICTS SCHOOL Enrollment -­‐ Enrollment Report (Summary) 2015 CTE enrollment -­‐ Students in CTE Classes -­‐ Course Credit & Student Count Report 2015** 7,141 4,671 4,719 5,450 2,224 1,471 1,898 2,586 434 275 713 916 14 River Valley Sub-­‐region East Aurora High School 3,972 Oswego High School 2,510 Oswego East High School 2,107 West Aurora High School 3,679 Fox Valley Sub-­‐region Batavia High School 1,850 Fox Valley Career Center Geneva High School 1,795 Kaneland High School 1,381 Indian Valley Sub-­‐region Earlville High School 128 Hinckley-­‐Big Rock High School 207 Indian Creek High School 255 Indian Valley Vocational Center Kendall County Special Education 126 Cooperative*** Leland High School 100 98 Newark High School 183 586 Paw Paw High School 107 112 Plano High School 620 2,127 Sandwich High School 798 155 Serena High School 224 0 Somonauk High School 288 522 Yorkville High School 1,627 3,176 TOTAL 21,831 39,288 Source: Illinois State Board of Education, IWAS password protected site. *Enrollment Report (Summary) with home selected for high schools and serving selected for AVCs, with no selected for IEP and private school. **Course Credit & Student Count Report with serving selected. ***Kendall County Special Education Cooperative Enrollment Report (Summary) with yes selected for IEP. -­‐4-­‐ Section 5 GRANTS VALEES receives grant funds from both state and federal sources. These grants include: CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT GRANT (CTEI) $1,425,796 The CTEI grant has several components as the deciding factor in funding. Components included are program improvement, elementary career development, partnership state, administrative, work-­‐based learning and credit generation. PERKINS $674,573 Federal funds are provided to the regional system based on a formula including Chapter 1 allocation, P.L. 94-­‐142 count, and 9-­‐12 enrollments. Only those districts generating more than $15,000 using this formula are eligible to receive flow-­‐through funds from VALEES. Funds are allocated locally per Coordinating Council approval. TOTAL FY’15 VALEES GRANT FUNDS $2,100,369 -­‐5-­‐ Section 6 STANDING COMMITTEES Coordinating Council The Coordinating Council is the VALEES board of control and is comprised of nine superintendents, three from each sub-­‐region who meet a minimum of four times each year. All VALEES business is approved by this council. This year’s members are: Batavia – Dr. Lisa Hichens East Aurora – Dr. Michael Popp Geneva – Dr. Kent Mutchler (CHAIR) Kaneland – Mr. Michael Purcell Newark – Dr. Amy Smith Oswego – Dr. Matthew Wendt Plano – Dr. Hector Garcia Somonauk – Dr. Dawn Green West Aurora – Dr. Jeff Craig Steering Committee School administrators and/or CTE coordinators make up the Steering Committee whose function is to make recommendations on VALEES activities to the Coordinating Council. The committee meetings are approximately four times per year. This year’s members are: Batavia – Mike Bryant East Aurora – Margo Schmitt FVCC – Rick Burchell Geneva – Scott McPeak IVVC – Ron Pieper (Chair) Indian Creek – Sarah Montgomery Kaneland – Renee Grisch Kendall Co. Spec. Ed. – Amy Lee Leland – Chris Bickel Newark – Doug Hoster Oswego – Dan Okoren Oswego East – Dave Carlisle Paw Paw – Chuck Schneider Plano – Eric Benson Sandwich – Micky Herzog Serena – Patrick Leonard VALEES – Cassie Blickem VALEES – Roger Sanders WCC – Suzette Murray West Aurora – Whitney Martino Yorkville – Joel Wyeth -­‐6-­‐ Student Services Committee Counselors and special populations, coordinators comprise this committee. Activities that assist instructors and counselors in addressing the needs of all students are planned at this committee level. Normally four meetings are scheduled each year. Batavia Earlville Kim Deutsch Jennifer Rhode Erin Hack Alton Rollerson East Aurora Fox Valley Career Center Susan Foody Vernon Alexander Colleen Kelso Andrew Rathje Karen Pfeiffer Jessica Spieth Geneva Hinckley-­‐Big Rock Emily Dittoe Kaitlyn Curta Cathy Pool Indian Creek Indian Valley Vocational Center Alyx Bickel Jane Wolf Kaneland Kendall County Special Education Coop. Andy Franklin Amy Lee Anna Lamica Maria Mecic Erin Shore Leland Newark Melissa Livingston Michelle McAnally Oswego East Oswego Julie Allen Jamie Anderson Brittan Fatig Jayne Colvin Melissa Gleason Paula Hilderbrand Laurie Hafenrichter Patti Marcinko Karla Hoinkes Melissa Niedert Michelle Nevarez Traci Perez Amy Rux Emily Wiencek Jessica Ziegler -­‐7-­‐ Paw Paw Emily Jamroch Sandwich Jennifer Docherty Vida Martin Somonauk Angie Koontz Waubonsee Community College Dave Barreto Melinda James Therese Kewin Faith LaShure Joy Sanders Kelli Sinclair Yorkville Anne Kuntz Sarah Macko Jeannine Pacetti Sarah Pottinger Alexis Rosborough Plano Cassie Chwalek Eve Phillips Serena Cathy Noel VALEES Cassie Blickem Roger Sanders West Aurora Valerie Copeland Laura Leinweber -­‐8-­‐ Section 7 FISCAL AGENT Kane County Regional Office of Education serves as the fiscal agent for VALEES. -­‐9-­‐ Section 8 ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT Kaneland Community Unit School District #302 serves as the Administrative Agent for VALEES. Kaneland provides the payroll and insurance functions for VALEES. VALEES reimburses all expenses assumed by Kaneland for this purpose. -­‐10-­‐ Section 9 PROGRAM COMMITTEES Program committees and focus groups for sixteen (16) VALEES programs comprised of secondary and post-­‐secondary instructors and administrators meet regularly to address the following goals: • Review/revise current curriculum • Articulate secondary courses to post-­‐secondary institutions • Plan/implement Professional Development opportunities for teachers Program areas addressed this year include: Agriculture/Horticulture Auto Technology Business, Marketing, and Computer Education CAD/Drafting, Industrial Technology, Manufacturing and Woods Criminal Justice Early Childhood Development Fashion/Clothing Fire Science Food Service/Culinary Arts Graphic Arts Health Occupations Welding A Waubonsee Community College instructor and/or administrator is assigned to committees to act as a liaison between the secondary and post-­‐secondary institutions. VALEES hosted 23 separate committee meetings and 6 advisory meetings during the FY’15 school year. Articulation agreements are reviewed annually through program committees. Additionally, an all-­‐day teacher in-­‐service was offered with breakout sessions, program committee meetings and advisory meetings. -­‐11-­‐ Section 10 BUSINESS/INDUSTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEES The purpose of Business/Industry Advisory Committees is to assist school administrators and instructors in offering quality, relevant occupational education programs. The Valley Education for Employment System and Waubonsee Community College maintain joint advisory committees that are organized and operated under procedures approved by the governing boards of VALEES and Waubonsee Community College. A business/industry advisory committee should consist of five to fifteen members, not including ex-­‐officio members, who are employed in or who have experience in occupations served by a program. Ex-­‐officio members may include program teachers, students, and VALEES and WCC administrators. Members named to an advisory committee shall reflect the composition of the communities served by the program. Factors to be considered in the selection of nominees shall include, but not be limited to, geographical distribution in the program service area, representation from various age groups, levels of education, program graduates, minority groups and both genders. A program advisory committee shall focus on the following issues to assure program quality and relevance to current occupational standards and practice. • Training needs and placement opportunities for the program assigned • Curriculum, instruction and minimum standards • Regulations and safety in program related occupations • Facility, equipment and supply standards • Related academic and occupational information required • Community based training, production and projects used in instruction • Publicity and public relation • Student and faculty recruiting standards • Counseling, guidance and placement of students • Professional development of program teachers VALEES regularly schedules on-­‐site visits to business/industry partners in order to enhance teachers’, administrators’ and counselors’ knowledge of current workplace practices and necessary employability skills. -­‐12-­‐ ESTABLISHED BUSINESS/INDUSTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEES Development of Business/Industry Advisory Committees is an on-­‐going process for the VALEES Program Committees. Of the active program committees, 12 advisory committees have been established and meet on an annual basis or more often, as needed. AGRICULTURE/HORTICULTURE ADVISORY MEMBERS Agriculture and Horticulture Science Department, Joliet Junior College Chicago Botanic Garden Green Earth Institute, Naperville Monsanto, Waterman Seed Physiology Lab Seibert Landscaping, Bartlett Tate & Lyle Food Systems, Sycamore AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY MEMBERS Citgo Service Center Doug AI-­‐55 Auto Salvage Elburn NAPA Faser Automotive Fastenal Finish Line Performance Hyundai Motor Training Center Lee Auto Parts NAPA Auto Parts Nissan Corp. PPG Industries Robinson’s Automotive BUSINESS, MARKETING AND COMPUTER EDUCATION ADVISORY MEMBERS Bakers Marketing Group, Aurora Blue Magnet Interactive, Chicago Business and Information Systems, WCC Caterpillar, Inc. Chicago Mercantile Exchange Chicago Portfolio School Critical Mass, Chicago DDB, Chicago Ernst & Young Accounting and Consulting, Chicago Fabric Images, Elgin Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Kaneland School District #302 Kishwaukee Health System Leo Burnett, Chicago MCC Technology Mobile Applications Lab, Northern Illinois University Old Second Bank, Aurora -­‐13-­‐ BUSINESS, MARKETING AND COMPUTER EDUCATION ADVISORY MEMBERS (Cont.) Red Frog Events, Chicago ReV3 Innovation Center Small Business Development Center, WCC Village of Hoffman Estates Von Maur Walgreens, Inc., Deerfield Waubonsee Community College Weblinx, Oswego CAD/DRAFTING ADVISORY MEMBERS EN Engineering Met-­‐L-­‐Flo Mitutoyo, Aurora O’Higgins & Arnold Sustainability Roberts and Schaefer Engineers and Contractors, Chicago Smith & Richardson, Geneva CLOTHING AND FASHION ADVISORY MEMBERS Bridgeport Arts Center (Human Thread and Fashion Design Center), Chicago Chicago Fashion Incubator at Macy’s on State Street Columbia College’s Fashion Studies design floor and garment collection, Chicago Fashion Studies, College of DuPage Von Maur CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADVISORY MEMBERS Aurora Police Department Batavia Police Department DeKalb Co. Sheriff’s Department Elburn Police Department Geneva Police Department Kane County Sheriff’s Office Kendall County Sheriff’s Office Montgomery Police Department North Aurora Police Department Oswego Police Department Police Training Institute Plano Police Department Sandwich Police Department Suburban Law Enforcement Sugar Grove Police Department Yorkville Police Department -­‐14-­‐ EARLY CHILDHOOD ADVISORY MEMBERS Brokaw Early Learning Center, Oswego Children’s Museum, Naperville Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, DuPage Co. Karen’s Nature Tales, Aurora Natural Beginnings Pre-­‐School, Yorkville The Compass School, Naperville YWCA Metropolitan Chicago Patterson & McDaniel Family Center, DuPage Co. FOODS ADVISORY MEMBERS Ballydoyle Irish Pub and Restaurant, Aurora CEO Rouxbe online supplemental instruction video cooking school Chicago Food Planet Country Garden Cook, St. Charles Elgin Community College FONA International, Geneva Great Harvest Bread Company, Geneva Joliet Junior College Pheasant Run Resort, St. Charles GRAPHICS ADVISORY MEMBERS Alpha Graphics BFC Print Bakers Marketing Group Castle PrinTech Chicago Portfolio School Creative Design Critical Mass Cubicle Ninjas JC Imaginations Kelmscott Press Lisa Smith-­‐Youngdahl Graphics Solar Communications Tribecca Flashpoint Academy Tryad Solutions Waubonsee Community College Weblinx, Inc. -­‐15-­‐ HEALTH ADVISORY MEMBERS Clinical Laboratory Science, College of Nursing, NIU, DeKalb Delnor Medical Group, Geneva Dreyer Medical Clinic, Aurora Kishwaukee Health System, DeKalb NIU School of Nursing, DeKalb Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago Nursing Learning Lab, College of Nursing, NIU, DeKalb Rush Copley Hospital, Aurora The Holmstad, Batavia Walgreens Corp., Deerfield Waubonsee Community College MANUFACTURING/INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY Aurora Economic Development Aurora Metals BFC Print Bison Gear Burgess Norton Caterpillar, Inc. Diamond Envelope Fabric Images Focus Optical FONA International HQC, Inc. Ideal Industries Kelmscott Press Met-­‐L-­‐Flo Plano Molding Smith & Richardson, Inc. Valley Industrial Association Waubonsee Community College Wrigley Mfg. Co. -­‐16-­‐ Section 11 SUMMARY OF MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES Program Committee Meetings 23 program committee meetings including advisory trips Advisory Committee Meetings 6 advisory committee meetings Steering Committee Meetings 4 steering committee meetings In-­‐Service Activities 1 in-­‐service activities Student Services Meetings 4 student services meetings Coordinating Council Meetings 4 coordinating council meetings Graduate Classes 3 graduate class offered Misc. Presentations -­‐IWAS Training -­‐All-­‐Day Teacher In-­‐service -­‐Community Services Fair -­‐Living miDream Project School Visits Roger Sanders, Director, and Cassie Blickem, Program Specialist visited several VALEES schools during the school to meet new staff, and to see the facilities. Professional Development Hours -­‐Number of Professional Development Hours Total: 3,152 -­‐Number of Professional Development Hours from Program Committees Total: 1,202 Number of Professional Development Hours from the VALEES February Inservice Total: 1,950 -­‐17-­‐ Section 12 VALEES PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES* All Day Teacher/Counselor In-­‐Service – February 27, 2015 This all day in-­‐service was attended by over 300 attendees. Jeff Nelsen, Fearless Performance shared the Fearless Performance methods that create a fearless lifestyle that equips people to make the best possible choices both on and off the stage. Fearless Performance is a clear and effective method that helps you thrive in performance, and in life. Breakout Sessions included: -­‐Automotive Technology Committee Meeting -­‐Brain Research & Classroom Implications -­‐Career Cruising -­‐Criminal Justice Business Advisory Meeting -­‐Culinary Arts/Food Committee Meeting -­‐Design and the CAD/Drafting Classroom -­‐Digital Portfolio Development -­‐Dual Credit Faculty Workshop -­‐Early Childhood Education Business Advisory Meeting -­‐Educators as the Catalyst for Change in Career Development -­‐Fearless Performance Follow-­‐up -­‐Fire Science Business Advisory Meeting -­‐Healthy Teachers/Healthy Classrooms -­‐Helping Your Students and Colleagues be the Very Best They Can Be -­‐Living miDream -­‐Mitutoyo: Business Advisory Field Trip -­‐Mobile App Development -­‐Not a Lot of Answers…But We Must Be Ready to Ask Better Questions -­‐Sauber Manufacturing Business Advisory Field Trip -­‐School-­‐to-­‐Work Panel – Apprenticeships -­‐Social Emotional Learning in the CTE Classroom -­‐Social Entrepreneurship Panel -­‐The 21st Century Interview -­‐The Power of Invitation: Boosting Enrollment in Your CTE Program -­‐The Power of Social Emotional Learning in Career Development -­‐Welding Committee Meeting -­‐18-­‐ Connections Conference – March 25 and 26, 2015 Roger and Cassie shared with the Coordinating Council and the Steering committee on the various workshops and activities featured at the conference. NCPN Conference – October 9-­‐13, 2014 Teachers and students from Newark High School and Oswego High School presented with VALEES staff on the Living miDream project. ACTE Conference –November 20-­‐23, 2014 Teachers and students from Kaneland High School presented with VALEES staff on the Living miDream project. Graduate Level Classes, Summer-­‐2015 Catalyst for Change in CTE June 13-­‐19, 2015 Dr. Toni Tollerud-­‐N.I.U. 9 attendees Empower Student Career Choices July 13-­‐17, 2015 Dr. Toni Tollerud-­‐N.I.U. 7 attendees -­‐19-­‐ Section 13 PROGRAM COMMITTEE IN-­‐SERVICE ACTIVITIES The following staff development opportunities were provided for career-­‐technical secondary/post-­‐secondary instructors: AUTO MECHANICS – Teachers attended the Illinois College Automotive Instructors Association conference with financial support from VALEES. VALEES and Waubonsee automotive instructors hosted a joint advisory dinner. BUSINESS, MARKETING, AND COMPUTER EDUCATION – Diane Mahinda, Curriculum Revitalizations, presented a statewide update. Accounting teachers reviewed articulated credit with Waubonsee faculty. Teachers visited Von Maur and ReV3 Innovation Center. CAD/DRAFTING – CAD/Drafting teachers prepared for the first Student of the Year project. CLOTHING – Business advisory field trips to Von Maur (alterations and retail) and College of DuPage Fashion Studies program COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY – During a joint professional development, teachers visited NIU’s Medical Laboratory Technology program or Mobile Apps Lab followed by a cross-­‐disciplinary visit to Kishwaukee Health System, a Most Wired Hospital winner, to discuss clinical and non-­‐
clinical careers. EARLY CHILDHOOD – Program committee members toured the early childhood and preschool facilities and programs at Natural Beginnings Pre-­‐School, Yorkville and Brokaw Early Learning Center, Oswego. Met to review end-­‐of-­‐course assessments including final examinations and portfolio. FOODS – Best practice and curriculum sharing hosted by West Aurora High School in the Blackhawk Café. FIRE SCIENCE – Business advisory and post-­‐secondary curriculum development and alignment meeting hosted by Waubonsee and including secondary fire science teachers. GRAPHICS – Business advisory field trip to Penton Livestock Group’s Feedstuff’s Magazine and Loggerhead Deco, Inc. -­‐20-­‐ HEALTH OCCUPATIONS with Kinesiology – Inaugural meeting of exercise science, sports medicine, and enhanced P.E. teachers to discuss articulated credit and career pathway development with Waubonsee’s revitalized Kinesiology program. Also visited Medical Laboratory Technology program at NIU and Kishwaukee Health System. INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY – Revitalized Industrial Technology committee to include: CAD/Drafting, Manufacturing, Welding and Woods. Tour of Waubonsee technology instructional laboratories, professional development planning, curriculum alignment, and student of the year award planning. STEERING – Steering committee members toured Upstaging, theatrical lighting, equipment and trucking, and discussed careers in agriculture with a panel representing Monsanto, Tate and Lyle and Feedstuffs hosted by the DeKalb County Farm Bureau. Guest presenter Steve Yaun, Career Cruising, to present the Inspire Illinois platform. STUDENT SERVICES – Discussion of Skill Gaps, Skill Shortages and Skills Mismatches: Evidence for the U.S. Using and implementing the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey. Tour of newly constructed or renovated Waubonsee CTE instructional spaces. CONNECTIONS CONFERENCE – All schools were given the opportunity to write for a mini-­‐grant to attend the Connections Conference in St. Charles. Members from 5 schools attended the Connections Conference. Expenses were paid by mini-­‐grants offered by VALEES through the Perkins and CTEI grants. -­‐21-­‐ Section 14 TEACHER RECERTIFICATION VALEES is an ISBE approved provider and offers several ways for teachers to earn PD’s (Professional Development) toward renewing their teaching certificates including active participation in regional program committees, attending professional development workshops and conferences throughout the year. -­‐22-­‐ Section 15 JOINT ACTIVITIES The following activities were a result of a collaborative partnership among VALEES and the entities listed: Graduate Classes Aurora University Northern Kane County EFE Community Services Fair Kendall County Special Education Cooperative Program Committee In-­‐Services Three Rivers Education for Employment System (TREES) Kane County Regional Office of Education Northern Kane County EFE Northern Illinois University Waubonsee Community College Career Pathways Expo Area High Schools Waubonsee Community College “Did You Know” Manufacturing Career Awareness Event Area High Schools Waubonsee Community College VIA (Valley Industrial Association) -­‐23-­‐ Section 16 SPECIAL PROJECTS/SERVICES Illinois Student Course System (ISCS) VALEES provides CTEC (Career and Technical Education Courses) services for twenty member schools. Data on student course enrollment is reviewed for accuracy and any anomalies are resolved with the member districts. Data reported yearly to ISBE from Student Information System (SIS) determines the level of career and technical education funding for each district. CAREER CRUISING Software licenses in English and Spanish for Career Cruising software were provided to all VALEES high schools through the VALEES office. Professional development is provided on a regional level through workshops and in-­‐services. KEYTRAIN VALEES provides software licenses in partnership with member schools, professional development, including teacher and administrator training, on both regional and local educational agency levels are provided. MINI-­‐GRANTS 41 mini-­‐grants totaling $37,725.92 were awarded to support Career and Technical Education Improvement initiatives focusing on the regional priorities of (1) Career Pathways and Programs of Study, (2) Integrating Common Core Standards in CTE, and (3) Strengthening Employability Skills. -­‐24-­‐ Section 17 STUDENT PROGRAMS COMMUNITY SERVICES FAIR The community service fair was held on March 7, 2015 and was a great success with attendance over 150 students/parents and 40 exhibitors. The guest speaker was Vicki Niswander, Executive Director of the Illinois Association of Microboards and Cooperatives (IAMC), having worked for Project CHOICES and directed the Parent and Educator Partnership. Evaluations determined that this was a very well received event. CAREER PATHWAYS EXPO On Friday, October 3, 2014, over 350 students from local high schools including: Batavia, Earlville, East Aurora, Geneva, Kaneland, Leland, Newark, Oswego East, Paw Paw, Somonauk and West Aurora participated in a day-­‐long Career Pathways Expo at Waubonsee Community College. Students chose from 13 career pathways with over 50 Waubonsee Community College faculty and staff presenting, guiding and performing. High school students participated in demonstrations such as preschool education games, TV studio camera work, sheet metal cutting, and drawing blood; met with experienced faculty professionals; toured instructional laboratories; and discussed wage information, skills and abilities of entry-­‐level workers. “DID YOU KNOW” Manufacturing Career Awareness Event On Friday, October 30, 2014, VALEES regional high school students participated in the Valley Industrial Association's Manufacturing Career Awareness Event. The event consisted of a series of field trip opportunities to manufacturing companies in the region. In total there were 21 visits, to 14 manufacturers, with approximately 225 students participating from middle school through community college. Living miDream Living miDream engages students in exploring methods, tools and resources to build capacity necessary for breakthrough thinking. Teams of students and teachers explore the essential questions: (1) Who am I? (2) Where do I want to go? (3) How might I get there?, and (4) What difference will I make? Participants explore their personal career pathway and develop an action plan. -­‐25-­‐ Section 18 COLLEGE CREDIT ARTICULATION Articulation Agreements are in place between VALEES and Waubonsee Community College; College of DuPage; Kishwaukee College and Joliet Junior College for: Accounting Agriculture Auto Body Repair Automotive Service Technology Business & Technology CAD Clothing & Fashion Design Construction Criminal Justice Early Childhood Development Fire Science Foods Graphic Design Health Occupations Horticulture Law Enforcement Web Page Development Welding School-­‐specific articulation booklets and articulation certificates were printed and distributed to all VALEES member schools, counselors, and principals as well as Waubonsee Community College. Specific courses that articulate are listed on the VALEES website and are linked from individual schools. Articulated credit is specifically targeted at WCC new student orientation sessions. -­‐26-­‐ Section 19 WEB SITE www.valees.org A VALEES website links member schools, to Waubonsee Community College, to the Regional Office of Education, and to the Illinois State Board of Education. The website contains informative items about VALEES such as general information, calendar, program committees, various forms, course information, professional development opportunities, student organizations, articulation information, Programs of Study, and career and technical educational resources. -­‐27-­‐