CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - Parkland College unveiled for the first time Tuesday its brand new mobile education unit called the "Cobra Pathfinder."
Inside the Pathfinder, career carts allow students to try out what it would be like to work in a certain profession. The goal is to help high schoolers and middle schoolers find their interests as early as possible.
"By knowing there is something they like to do, they know what kind of math they might need to take in high school and can be better prepared when they graduate," Nancy Sutton, Parkland's VP for Academic Services, told WAND News. "It really is about engaging the community with all the opportunities that are available to them after high school."
The unit will stop at different high schools and middle schools in the area to give students a chance to try out different jobs.
"There are a lot of opportunities," Sutton said. "Even if they're not 100% sure what they want to do yet, they have a path. 'I need to be college-ready when I graduate,' then the door is open for them to try so many different things."
The hope is for the Pathfinder to help more people find their future career.
"If this experience can get them a little excited about a possibility or opportunity that they feel they have an interest in or a talent in, it really does open up a lot more possibilities for them," Sutton said.
The Pathfinder is available for community groups by request as well.
The unit was paid for by a grant from the Illinois Community College Board and was developed over multiple years.
Top Stories:
Sheriff's office: Investigation shows Forsyth couple's deaths were murder, suicide
Man accused of stabbing 2 Champaign firefighters, EMT denied pretrial release
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk assassinated at Utah university
Long Creek to lose ambulance services through LCFPD, effective immediately
Staff member terminated as DCFS investigation underway at Lincoln's ChalleNGe Academy
Copyright 2025. WAND TV. All rights reserved.
