by Beth Johnson, a Peoria Promise Board member

Imagine a city where every public high school graduate was able to attend college and pursue their dreams. You don’t need to imagine, because Peoria Promise is turning those dreams into reality. Beginning in 2008, Peoria Promise has provided scholarships for hundreds of public high school graduates to attend Illinois Central College. One such student is James McKee, who is majoring in accounting, with a minor in dance. “Peoria Promise gives underprivileged students hope,” James asserts. “It gives them a push to get an education instead of not trying.” James plans to graduate in May and transfer to a four-year university. Sara Hodgson, one of the first Promise students to graduate, states, “Peoria Promise provided me with not just an education, but an education that allowed me to obtain a great job in the Peoria workforce.” Sara is a physical therapy assistant in Peoria.

The vision of Peoria Promise is to create a better educated and skilled workforce to drive economic development in our community. Economists and educators alike agree that education is key to maintaining and growing a vibrant business community. Jobs increasingly require education or training beyond a high school diploma, and this is expected to increase significantly in the next decade to an estimated 64% of jobs. Illinois will need to fill 2 million job vacancies, and only 773,000 of those will be filled by high school graduates or dropouts.

Illinois Central College offers an array of programming to meet the needs of a diverse student population. There are short- term certificate programs as well as two year degree and transfer programs. According to the US Bureau of Labor, the fastest growing occupations in the next decade will center on health services and computers and technology—all of which are offered at Illinois Central College.

Peoria Promise is currently one of the few communities in our state that provides the opportunity for post-secondary education to graduates of its public schools. It is also one of a limited number of cities in the nation with this type of program. Peoria is unique in that funding does not come from one single business, from tax dollars, or from wealthy donors. Peoria Promise is funded by our community for our community. Businesses, organizations, families, and individuals have stepped up to provide funding to help young people realize their dreams and, in turn, help the community prosper. “In order to accomplish our goals, we need the support of the entire community. Every contribution is welcome and needed.” says Tara Gerstner, Executive Director. From its inception, Peoria Promise has supported over 800 students at Illinois Central College—a tremendous investment in the future of our youth and the future of our city!

For more information on applying to Peoria Promise or to donate or get involved, please visit our website: www.peoriapromise.org.