The transition from 8th grade to high school is an exciting and critical step in a student’s educational journey. Distinctive Schools is committed to preparing our students, and equipping them with the vision and knowledge to make the best selection for their unique goals! This fall, we hosted our 15th annual high school fair at CICS Bucktown and CICS Longwood Elementary, bringing a world of opportunities directly to our north and south side communities.
Fairs connected our 8th graders with representatives from dozens of high schools from across Chicago, alongside partners organizations and current high school students, transforming the often-daunting high school search into an exciting and intentional process!
On Thursday, September 25th, CICS Bucktown, CICS Irving Park, and CICS West Belden students connected with high schools in the CICS Bucktown Gymnasium for half of the fair experience. This was their chance to ask questions, learn about various programs, and discover schools that were new to them. “I asked questions about how their teachers are—if they’re kind and warm—and what kind of sports teams they have,” said CICS Bucktown student Bella. “I want to make sure I’m comfortable at the school I choose.” “I want to go into computer science when I’m older, so I asked a lot of representatives what dual enrollment looks like so I can get some of my college credits done in high school,” CICS Bucktown student Fernando shared.
The other half of the fair rotated three featured speakers to classrooms of 8th grade students. CICS Northtown shared a presentation about their school’s offerings, a number of northside campus alumni answered eager 8th grader questions around their high school experiences, and Project OneTen held an interactive session that provided students with tips for high school success. “The panel of high schoolers was my favorite because I got to ask them what advice they’d give to an 8th grader,” said CICS Irving Park student Eliza. “They shared that getting your work done and on time in 8th grade will set us up for high school.” “I really liked Project OneTen because of the way they had us collaborate and brainstorm around ways we can prepare ourselves for high school now,” shared CICS West Belden student Sophia.
On Thursday, October 16, CICS Prairie joined CICS Longwood Elementary in their gym to explore a number of high school opportunities. CICS Longwood Elementary student Elliott said, “I learned about a lot of their school teams and the different things these schools offer—and I got to talk to people from the schools I was already excited about and it made me even more excited about my options!”
While half of the students explored the fair, the other half were treated to a presentation by CICS Longwood High School where they learned about the various sports and extracurricular offerings, as well as the new CTE Pathways in Aviation, Health Sciences, and Personal Care. A panel of high school students shared advice on their experiences in high school, answering questions like how they balance their school work with sports, how to navigate the transition into 9th grade, and what their own dreams and aspirations after high school look like. JaNorah, a CICS Prairie student, found the presentation and student panelists to be particularly helpful: “Longwood was very welcoming and accepting, and hearing from the students just made me excited to see what my high school experience will look like. Today, I wanted to find a high school that was warm and fitting for me, and I think I’ve found some options!”
What makes our high school fairs truly distinctive is the intentional preparation and focus on student agency. Prior to attending the fairs, all 8th graders drafted questions to ask high school representatives that were applicable to their personal aspirations and needs. Students identified which schools they wanted to learn more about and researched them prior to creating their questions. This pre-work was a way for them to think critically about their high school goals and opportunities. “Honestly, I hadn’t done a lot of research on high schools, and the packet made me think about this more, and now I have more places I want to explore,” CICS Bucktown student Eric shared.
By connecting students with the high school experience through hands-on learning, our students are becoming proactive leaders in their own educational journeys and can confidently take the next step toward their long-term dreams! Thank you to all of the high school representatives, high school students, partners, and school teams for making these experiences possible for our rising 9th graders!