District 303 is excited to introduce our new college and career readiness platform, SchooLinks. SchooLinks is a modern, college and career readiness platform that prepares students for what comes after graduation. SchooLinks helps students discover their interests and strengths, explore colleges and careers, and create an individualized career and academic plan that best reflects their post-secondary goals.
Beginning in the 2025–26 school year, SchooLinks will be available to students and families in grades 6–12 across District 303. This innovative tool replaces Naviance and provides a more comprehensive and engaging experience for future planning.
Research shows that students who have the support of engaged families and staff members are more likely to demonstrate qualities that include:
Improved academic performance
Enrollment in more rigorous courses
Better attendance rates
Increased enrollment in a community/technical college or a 4-year university
How SchooLinks will be rolled out:
Seniors will activate their SchooLinks accounts during their Senior Meetings in the first two weeks of the 2025–26 school year to jumpstart their post-secondary planning and/or college application process.
Parents/Guardians will have access to their own SchooLinks accounts beginning in fall 2025. This will allow you to partner with your student in their planning journey—reviewing options together, tracking progress, and staying connected to key milestones and deadlines.
We’re confident that SchooLinks will strengthen our shared commitment to student success beyond graduation. More information about the rollout for grades 9–12 and how parents can activate their accounts will be shared as we move closer to the start of the school year.
We're looking to create images and graphics to illustrate some key elements of the Compass experience, including Competencies, Celebrations of Learning, and the NAVIGATOR process.
Do you want to be a part of the art and design team? Reach out to Mrs. VDS for more information (@janelle.vandesampel@d303.org).
Many colleges and universities host summer programs for current high school students. These programs allow students to experience learning experiences on college campuses. All of these programs have applications open for current high school students to learn on their campuses this summer. From STEM, to the arts, to athletics (and MORE!), the opportunities are many. While some schools have opportunities for all ages, students who will be juniors and seniors next year have many different opportunities to extend learning while experiencing a college campus this summer. To learn about and participate in these programs, follow the links below. An assortment of summer programs from colleges with links to more information are below:
- Aurora University - Camp Spartan - Camp for neurodiverse students who are rising junior or seniors.
- Beloit College - Summer Programs
- Colorado School of Mines - SUMMET Program
- Harvard University - Summer College Programs for High School Students
- Northern Illinois University - Summer camps (STEAM, Summer in the Arts at Northern, and Athletic Camps)
- Northwestern University - Pre-College programs
- Michigan State University - Pre-College programs
- Purdue University - Summer College For High School Students
- Rose Hulman Institute of Technology - Summer Camps
- University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) - Summer programs for fine arts (FAA)
- University of Wisconsin - Summer Pre-College Explore Programs
- Washington University (St. Louis) - Summer Programs for HS Students
- Wheaton College - Summer Institute
Are you interested in learning about the various career options available in St. Charles? Through the city's Career Pathway Job Shadow Program, Compass students can shadow people in many career fields, including office administration, communications, accounting, firefighting, government, law enforcement, construction, forestry, water management, and vehicle maintenance. During these experiences, students can explore work sites, ask questions, see demonstrations, and learn about each career's required education and certifications. Students are responsible for transportation to and from work sites. The date, time, and length of the job shadow will be scheduled directly with the City’s job shadow program coordinator. Please return your completed registration form to Mrs. Stanley.
Students who participate in job shadowing during the summer, and then write reflections about their experiences, have the opportunity to earn credit for Career Exploration.
Compass Academy
Email: sharon.stanley@d303.org
Website: https://compassacademy.d303.org/
Location: Compass Academy, South 9th Street, St. Charles, IL, USA
Phone: (331)228-3400
X (Twitter): @CompassD303