Our Stories

Earlier this summer, we began a fellowship for high school students to explore and learn about the impact of having access to career exploration programs in high school. Join us in congratulating our summer fellowship graduates!

Given that 90% of students attend public schools, statewide education advocates have a responsibility to try to design creative, innovative, values-based approaches to turn these funds into positive educational outcomes.

On average, 60% of Illinois high school graduates do not enroll in a 4-year university within 12 months of graduation at a traditional 4-year institution. Most graduates in Illinois go directly into the workforce, enroll in community college, attend trade schools, or pursue other career alternatives.

The debate on whether Illinois should opt in or out of the Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program has been growing in the last few months. After a review of the facts, our conclusion was to hold out on judgment as we await further guidance from the federal government and continue to learn from stakeholders on both sides of the debate. To help Illinois’ families better understand the impact of the tax scholarship program and the positions of proponents and opponents, we hosted a Virtual Townhall on June 10th.

NEW Illinois Phone-Free Schools Implementation Guide Released

Stand for Children Illinois made public comments to the Illinois Community College Board’s proposed rules for Dual Credit programs.