District 211 to host First Generation College Symposium

Township High School District 211 will host its fourth annual First-Generation College Night from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, at Palatine High School, 1111 N Rohlwing Road, Palatine.

Child care services will be available at the school from 6:15 to 8:45 p.m. The symposium, open to all District 211 families, is designed to educate families whose student will be the first to attend college after high school.

Discussions will range from the application process to financial aid and will include representatives from a number of two- and four-year colleges and universities.

The symposium is broken into four primary sessions, opening with a parent of a recent District 211 graduate, whose student was the first of their family to go to college. Following the introductory comments, students and families will be broken into groups based on the student's year of school.

In those groups, families will learn how to navigate various aspects of the college application process. All sessions will be conducted in English and Spanish.

During the third session, representatives from colleges including University of Illinois Chicago, Harper College, DePaul and St. Francis will discuss and compare the college experiences of large, small, and private schools. The symposium will serve as a bridge for the district's College Night, which will be held at Palatine High School Oct. 10.

Palatine High School Director of Student Services Secretary Claudia Sierra-Sokop said the First Generation College Symposium is designed to ease the college preparation.

"We want to make the college application process as easy as possible for everyone," she said. "We give them every resource we can, allowing them to reach out with any specific questions they may have."

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