Our vision is to make career success a reality for all students in central Illinois.
P.E.R.F.E.C.T. is a system that delivers and supports Career and Technical Education (CTE) to Brimfield, Dunlap, Elmwood, Farmington, Illinois Valley Central, Peoria District 150, Peoria Heights and Princeville students. A little-known fact: we are also known as an Education for Employment Region (EFE #300), one of more than 50 EFEs in the State of Illinois.
Since 1989, every public school district is member to an EFE. State and federal funds flow through the EFE system to support CTE programs. There are potentially five CTE program areas available in each high school, including Agriculture, Business, Family & Consumer Science, Technology & Engineering Education, and Health Occupations. In Peoria County, all of the schools have the Business program, while the majority also offer Technology & Engineering Education, Family & Consumer Science, and Agriculture. Health Occupations represents the smallest percentage of CTE programs offered within the PERFECT region.
While PERFECT’s focus is CTE, its funds enhance these program areas by allowing districts to stay current with the latest cutting-edge technologies, which in turn, helps to inform and educate students in these areas. The nature of CTE courses combines a rigorous curriculum with hands-on experience to show students the relevance of what they are learning. As a result, students who are enrolled in CTE courses generally score higher on their state assessments.
Without our assistance, school districts would have to rely on additional tax dollars to provide the financial means necessary to maintain and incorporate new technology. Equipment such as computers, CNC and plasma cutting machines, and 3D printers are common in the Agriculture, Business, and Technology & Engineering Education programs, while high-fidelity infant and adult manikins help support the Family & Consumer Science and Health Occupations programs.
PERFECT also provides work-based learning opportunities for students. In partnership with the Peoria Area Labor Management Council and Tri-County Construction Labor-Management Council (PALM/TRICON), students can explore a dozen union trades. During the fall semester from 7:30 to 9:30am, students meet with the different trades, a week at a time, and go through an orientation and hands-on activity. After cycling through all of the trades, students select one that best fits their interest, and spend the spring semester interning with a contractor from that specific trade—all while they continue attending their home high school. This very successful program introduces students to skillsets they would not typically have access to in a high school setting. On average, 33 percent of these students are offered summer employment before the end of the school year. iBi
This has been a snapshot of the PERFECT EFE region. For more information, visit perfectpeoria.com.
