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JILG Featured School:
Thornton Fractional North

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Jobs for Illinois Graduates (JILG) is proud to spotlight Thornton Fractional North High School (TF North) as its featured school. TF North is located in Calumet City, which is approximately 35 minutes south of downtown Chicago. The boundaries for the high school are the Indiana State Line on the East, Torrence Avenue on the West, the Little Calumet Rive on the South, and the City of Chicago on the North.

Thornton Fractional North High School dates back to 1917. Though the original building was destroyed in a fire, the present building was rebuilt on the same site. Thornton Fractional North currently serves students from Calumet City and Burnham, however many students on the school transfer from Chicago Public Schools.

Currently the JILG program at TF North serves 43 students from the Class of 2008 who are now in the follow-up phase, and 45 prospective students who are now entering the program as the Class of 2009. With strong leadership from Career Specialist Michelle Koppitz at Thornton Fractional North the JILG program has done an outstanding job preparing the students for life after high school by focusing on the following JILG Career Association Goals: Leadership Development, Career Preparation, Citizenship and Social Awareness.

From the beginning of the schools year the focus of the TF North JILG program is teamwork. Everyone in the program shares the same goal, which is to finish high school. The JILG students at TF North develop a sense of family that is felt throughout the entire school. Underclassmen often ask how they can become a part of the program. As the school year progresses, students work on a variety of projects which includes daily journals, essay writing, resume building, career research, and networking which ultimately helps them develop their employability skills.

Students participated in numerous activities throughout the school year, including a teambuilding workshop. Students volunteered their time with Habitat for Humanity and learned to face their fears at the Leadership Development Workshop. A variety of guest speakers addressed the students with a wealth of career options. Students participated in mock interviews to help them obtain jobs. Through various activities, students raised $2500 to donate for research to SIDS Illinois.

About the Specialist

Michelle Koppitz has been a Career Specialist for 3 years. She has been in education for 8 years. She received her BA from Columbia College Chicago in Graphic / Advertising Design. She went on to receive her MA in Secondary Education from Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL.

Favorite Aspect of JILG
“The best moment in JILG is watching the students grown throughout the school year, students in the program adopt a sense of acceptance and learn that everyone suffers obstacles and hurdles in life…it is how you decide to overcome them that makes you successful. ”