One Illinois teacher is receiving quite the honor. Jennifer Hubbell-Thomas of Chatham is on one of eleven teams of educators participating in NASA’s Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program.

They will be taking off on NASA’s “flying telescope,” the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy to assist on research projects with scientists. The teams will research such topics as planets, moons, asteroids, the solar system and more.  

Hubbell-Thomas, who has had a keen interest in astronomy from a young age, is an eighth grade science teacher from Williamsville Junior High. She applied for the program with another teacher, Stacey Shrewsbury. They are currently the only team from Illinois.

For more information: http://www.sj-r.com/article/20160313/NEWS/160319830/?Start=1

High school students looking to start a career in telecommunications may find a unique opportunity at Lincoln Trail College in Robinson.

The college, which is part of the network of Illinois Eastern Community Colleges, offers an opportunity for students to assist in maintaining and improving the broadband infrastructure through their broadband telecom program. The program, offers a variety of skills needed to be successful in the field of telecommunications and is the only one of its kind in Illinois and just one of a small group nationwide.

Jesse Allen, director of the broadband telecom program, emphasized the importance of the program for the state of Illinois by creating qualified workers in the telecommunications field.

“As the demand for quality broadband speeds and connections increase to homes in rural Illinois, our students are at the forefront of the future growth the industry will experience,” Allen said.

Students learn such skills as splicing and maintaining fiber optic and copper cables, home and business telephone systems, and central office switching. Students are also required to take courses in communication and customer relations to prepare them for the careers they are about to step into.

The students in the program also understand the importance of supporting their communities while in school. Recently, the broadband telecom student club provided services to several community organizations, including fixing bad cables between two local schools.

According to the National Broadband Map, launched by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, three in four Americans now use broadband in their homes. Broadband Illinois shows that nearly 70% of households have broadband access in the state.

The program offers a two-year degree and opportunities for internships and specialized classes in business communication systems and developments in telecom.

For more information about the program visit: http://www.iecc.edu/page.php?page=LTCH_PRGM&acad=reqm&acadc=708

Newsweek just released its annual ranking of the Top 500 U.S. high schools, and several Illinois schools made the cut.

Forbes released its 2015 rankings of the Midwest United States’ top 25 colleges, and Illinois schools are among the best.

Northwestern University in Evanston ranked second in the region and No. 16 in the entire country. The University of Chicago weighed in at No. 3 in the Midwest, climbing from a rank of 4th the previous year, and the University of Illinois ranked No. 11.

Illinois has an amazing array of public and private high schools throughout the state, and one Chicago high school recently received national honors.

After performing a comprehensive assessment of the culture and diversity of public high schools in all 50 states, niche.com found Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago to be the second most diverse school in the entire nation. Located on Chicago’s Near West Side, the school has about 2,100 students in grades 7-12.