Over the past year, the Illinois team has been working hard on bringing career readiness and preparation to not only the students of Give Back, but also students in the community. Thanks to the support of Joliet Township High School District 204 and Valley View School District 365U we were able to present our Give Back Workplace Readiness Initiative to over 2800 junior level students. Each student listened to a panel of speakers talk about professionalism, preparing for the workforce, and how to brand yourself. In addition to the panel of speakers, Give Back provided a photographer to come in and take professional headshots for the students so they had it for their professional portfolio. This was such a success that we have added a third district in 2025, Lockport Township District 205.

Illinois is also recruiting new students for the 2024-2025 academic year. Our coaches, Danielle and Shannon, have executive student action plans with their students, provided opportunities for career conversations with business professionals, as well as helped with job shadowing experiences. All of these in combination with the Workplace Readiness Initiative are preparing our students for their successes both in high school and after. We are so proud of our Give Back students and the achievements they have had over the years and are very excited to see what their futures hold with our guidance and support. If you are interested in our Give Back programming in Illinois, please complete the student interest form!