PEORIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

CAREER PROGRAMMING/HORIZONS - THE PPS FOUNDATION'S CAREER MENTORING PROGRAM CONSISTS OF HORIZONS CLUBS AND THE SEE IT, BE IT PROGRAM. HORIZONS CLUBS PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SPEAK WITH PEORIA PUBLIC SCHOOL 6-8TH GRADE STUDENTS ABOUT THEIR CAREER PATHS DURING THEIR LUNCHTIMES ON A WEEKLY BASIS. THERE IS A HORIZON CLUB AT EACH PPS DISTRICT 150 MIDDLE SCHOOL. THESE CLUBS FOCUS ON TEACHING STUDENTS SOFT SKILLS, GOAL SETTING TECHNIQUES AND PROVIDING INFORMATION ON DIFFERENT CAREER PATHS. SOME EXAMPLES OF CAREER SPEAKERS INCLUDE DOCTORS, LAWYERS, VETERINARIANS, CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND ARCHITECTS. THE SEE IT BE IT PROGRAM IS TARGETED FOR STUDENTS IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 5TH GRADE. EACH GRADE LEVEL HAS A SERIES OF COMMUNITY SPEAKERS THAT TALK TO THE STUDENTS AT THEIR LEVEL TO SPARK THEIR IMAGINATIONS AND GET THEM THINKING ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT TO BE WHEN THEY GROW UP. PREVIOUS GRADE LEVEL CAREER PATHS HAVE INCLUDED, MEDICAL BASED JOBS, ENGINEERING JOBS AND EMERGENCY SERVICE JOBS (POLICE, FIRE FIGHTERS, ETC). FIELD TRIPS TO DIFFERENT BUSINESSES ARE AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF BOTH HORIZONS CLUB AND SEE IT, BE IT. THE PPS FOUNDATION STRIVES TO PROVIDE AT LEAST ONE FIELD TRIP PER SEMESTER TO ALL OF THE HORIZONS CLUBS AND EACH OF THE GRADE LEVELS IN THE SEE IT, BE IT PROGRAM. EACH FIELD TRIP STARTS WITH A CAREER SPEAKER AND THEN INCORPORATES A FUN ACTIVITY THAT STUDENTS MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO DO BEFORE. SOME PREVIOUS FIELD TRIPS INCLUDE ICE SKATING WITH A CAREER SPEAKER FROM THE PEORIA PARK DISTRICT, ROCK CLIMBING WITH A CAREER SPEAKER ABOUT MANAGING SMALL UPSTART BUSINESSES AND JUMP TRADING SIMULATION CENTER WITH A CAREER SPEAKER ON THE MEDICAL FIELD. GRANTS AND LARGE DONATIONS ARE THE MAIN FUNDING TO PROVIDE FOR FIELD TRIPS.BESIDES THE COST OF FIELD TRIPS (WHICH INCLUDES BUSING, ACTIVITY FEES AND FOOD FOR STUDENTS), THE OTHER PROGRAM COSTS ARE SALARIES TO PAY THE HORIZONS STAFF AND COORDINATOR OF THE PROGRAM, THE COST FOR SNACKS AND TREATS GIVEN OUT TO THE STUDENTS SINCE IT IS DURING THEIR LUNCHTIME, CLASSROOM SUPPLIES FOR THE HORIZONS TEACHERS, AND MISCELLANEOUS COSTS FOR INCENTIVES SUCH AS PIZZA PARTIES TO KEEP THE STUDENTS ENGAGED IN THE PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM DOES NOT GRANT ANY FUNDS OUT OR GENERATE ANY REVENUE. EACH YEAR THE PROGRAM EXPENSES ARE OFFSET BY DONATIONS AND GRANTS RECEIVED FROM OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS. ANY AMOUNT NOT COVERED BY GRANTS OR DONATIONS DIRECTLY FOR THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED BY THE PPS FOUNDATION'S GENERAL FUND OR RIGHT NOW FUND (WHERE DONATIONS ARE GIVEN TO BE USED WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED MOST).THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF STUDENTS INVOLVED IN THE SEE IT BE IT PROGRAM IS 4,500. THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN HORIZONS CLUBS IS 800. TOGETHER THIS TOTALS ABOUT 5,300 STUDENTS INVOLVED IN THE CAREER MENTORING PROGRAM.

FUNDS GIVEN TO INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS/DISTRICT -THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THE PPS FOUNDATION HELPS SCHOOLS WITH THEIR FUNDRAISING PROJECTS AND CONNECTS DONORS TO SCHOOLS. DONORS GIVE THEIR FUNDS FOR SPECIFIC SCHOOLS/PROJECTS, AND THE PPS FOUNDATION PASSES ALONG THESE FUNDS TO THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS OR TO THE DISTRICT.