In collaboration with Lee, Ogle, and Whiteside County businesses, Sauk Valley Chamber of Commerce, Sauk Valley Community College, Whiteside Area Career Center, the Lee/Ogle/Whiteside Regional Office of Education #47 will be offering Workplace Wednesdays. K-12 Teachers will visit businesses in a variety of Career Pathways in our communities. 
 
K-12 teachers will be exposed to the concepts of Career Pathways, employability skills, ideas for STEM/STEAM lessons, ideas for project based learning, and information K-12 teachers need to serve as conduits for providing career information to students.
 
Workplace Wednesday will help educators learn about the Labor Market in Lee, Ogle, and Whiteside Counties. Teachers will learn about employer needs and expectations, making connections to help prepare students for career readiness K-12 and across the curriculum. 
 
Workplace Wednesdays is an opportunity for the development of partnerships with business and allowing teachers to learn and share with students 21st Century academic and soft skills needed to prepare students to be workforce ready. Teachers are the conduits for providing career information to students gained from Workplace Wednesdays
 
Benefits for your students:
1)Employer engagement will help the teacher make learning more relevant based on students interests in careers.  Knowledge of employer needs will help teachers prepare student to be workforce ready.
2)Students gain a better understanding why they are learning what teachers are presenting in the classroom.
3)Relevancy will increase student motivation to do well in the content areas if they understand where they may use this information in the future for a career interest. 
4)Students become more employable and in combination with Career Cruising INSPIRE have access to better opportunities to help them make wise career decisions.
5)You have the information and tools to guide students in fulfilling their career aspirations.
6)You will find the community support for your students in the form of funding through internships, apprenticeships, and paying for postsecondary schooling,   
 
~A detailed schedule will be provided in advance~

Date(s): July 17, 24, and 31, 2019
Target Audience:  K-12 Educators
Time:  8:30 am - 3:30 pm (times may vary based on travel time)
Location:  Regional Office of Education #47, 1001 W. 23rd St., Sterling, IL 61081 & Various businesses
Presenter(s):  Various
Credit Available: 18 PD Hours or *1 Graduate Credit Hour (Lindenwood University-Pending)
Cost:  $75; Free for ROE #47 EMPOWER Partner Schools
*Graduate Credit Cost: $85 (additional cost)
Registration Deadline: July 10, 2019