Bi-County Youth Coalition

Teen leaders from Henderson and Warren County meet monthly under the guidance of mentors from University of Illinois Extension, Bridgeway, and the community to plan events benefiting their schools and community. YoCo has a special focus on drug and alcohol abuse prevention. This group of teen leaders hosts many events such as the Teen Leadership Conference for freshman from Henderson and Warren Counties, 8th grade orientation, and a dodgeball tournament.

Macomb Youth Leadership Organization

A partnership between University of Illinois Extension, Macomb High School, and the McDonough County Chamber of Commerce, the Macomb Youth Leadership Organization is a three year program focused on the development of future community leaders. In MYLO, we build leaders who want to come back to Macomb to live and work! Macomb High School students first learn about the community they live in through a series of monthly tours and speakers. They partner with a professional working in their own community, and develop a service project to give back.

Career Shadow and Health Occupations Day

For over 30 years, youth in Henderson and Warren County have been able to explore potential careers by spending a day shadowing community professionals. By working closely with school guidance counselors and community partners, interested juniors in high school are partnered with a local professional with a passion for sharing their career path.

Students interested in health occupations are able to practice hands on learning while complying with federal privacy laws by attending a University of Illinois Extension sponsored Health Occupations Day. Health care professionals from across the region provide an overview of their career path along with hands on learning that would be impossible in a health care setting.

Welcome to the Real World

The Welcome to the Real World program is for middle and high school youth. Students learn about and then try their hands at making tough choices such as what career to pursue, what car to buy, where to live, and how to pay their bills based on the life decisions they've made. The curriculum can be adapted a number of ways and be taught by regular classroom teachers or by youth development professionals.

Career and money management fact sheets and activities help to expand knowledge gained through the simulation. The simulation models a month in the life of the real world where students make real money decisions. This financial literacy curriculum is a local favorite!