On April 23, District 88 students traveled to Deer Grove Leisure Center in Bensenville for a Multilingual Summit.
During the event, more than 100 English Learners (ELs) from Addison Trail, Willowbrook, Fenton and York high schools participated in teambuilding activities that allowed them to interact with peers from other schools, as well as a variety of breakout sessions that focused on topics such as career pathways and social-emotional learning (led by a Latina therapist). They also attended a panel discussion with college students who are former ELs.
To close out the summit, student performance groups – including Addison Trail’s Ballet Folklórico Estilo México and Willowbrook’s Ritmo Latino – provided cultural entertainment.
District 88 has 51 languages and more than 30 countries represented among its families, and almost half of the nearly 4,000 students at District 88 speak a language other than English at home. The district is extremely proud of that diversity and embraces it as an asset. The district’s core values include ensuring all students, staff, parents/guardians and community members feel safe, valued, respected and welcome – regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or ability level.