District 200 Programs

A cooperative effort between schools, businesses and communities in which resources (financial, human, and material) are formally shared to promote student interests and to provide opportunities to meet workforce needs now and in the future.

District 200 and the Wheaton Chamber of Commerce have joined together in developing a program of business/education partnerships. The partnership takes many forms, all of which are designed to prepare students for successful careers and lifelong learning. The benefits of a partnership include:

•	Students gain valuable and 'real life' insight about a career before they invest extensive time and money pursuing it.
•	Business gets satisfaction and recognition for helping to train workers in their own field, resulting in more qualified candidates to fill future positions.
•	Parents get additional support in helping their children make sound career and educational decisions.
•	The community increases the likelihood of retaining productive, quality workers in the community.

The business/education partnership supports the overall vision of the Education to Careers initiative: "In a rapidly changing global economy, a community-based Education to Careers transition system provides individuals with career and lifelong learning opportunities; and communities with qualified employees and responsible citizens."

Here are some opportunities available to local business:

Speakers Bureau
Sign up to be a speaker in a District 200 classroom. Teachers will contact you to arrange a date and time. During your time in the classroom, you can:

•	Discuss your career and how it functions both locally and outside of the community.
•	Offer insights on opportunities in your area of business expertise.
•	Inform students about required education and training for your career, the realistic aspects of your job, pay ranges, and the workplace skills required to do the job.

Hosting Site Visits for Teachers
Open your business or place of work to teachers who want to learn more about how to relate what goes on in the classroom to what goes on in the workplace.

•	Explain knowledge and skills required to work in your business.
•	Help teachers put learning in a real word context.
•	Talk about what the local public schools can do to more effectively serve local business.

Job Shadowing
Invite a middle school student to spend a half-day in your business to explore the various aspects of your business and the specifics of your job.

•	Show a student the relationship between what is learned in school and the skills needed in the workplace.
•	Support a positive working relationship between the local public schools and the local business community.

Internships
High school students have many talents and skills to offer local businesses. Your business may benefit from inviting a student to be a short-term intern.

•	Help students learn skills and competencies for their future.
•	Get help on a special project from a student intern whose interests and skills match your needs.

Click Here for more detail on the high school internship program

Contact the Wheaton Chamber of Commerce at (630) 668-6464 or District 200 at (630) 682-2007 for more information.