If you fail to plan, you plan to fail
The Early Bird Catches the Worm
The path to a successful career begins with planning. As an elementary school student or as the parent/guardian of an elementary school student, you must prepare for success.
Keys to success:
- Daily attendance in school
- Do homework EVERY night
- Parent/Guardian MUST check it for accuracy, neatness and completeness
- Parents/Guardians MUST use all digital tools that the school provides to help them stay abreast of homework assignments, tests and quizzes. Parent portals are for PARENTS!
- Grades: aim for nothing less than "B" grades. If that means staying after school, using Khan Academy online, doing extra credit, do it!
- Standardized Tests: ask teacher for all test prep materials, practice, practice, practice!
High School Exploration Sites - Tools for Chicagoland reside
Do your research!
Before selecting a high school to attend, you should visit the school's website, attend any Open Houses or Information Sessions and speak to students attending the school. You've got to "try it before you buy it."
High School Exploration Websites
GoCPS website. You can research all of the 650 schools within Chicago Public Schools.
Chicago Schools GPS is a great website to learn about public, private and parochial schools in the Chicagoland area.
Great Financial Aid Websites
Do your research!
College Navigator: the BEST website to get accurate, up-to-date admissions, tuition/fees and enrollment dat
What to study?
As you are making decisions about your career, it is important to know the return on investment (ROI). This means you should know what salaries are associated with the career you plan to pursue. Knowing your potential future salary can help you make an informed decision about your career and the college you attend.
Middle School Financial Aid
Scholarships
Carson Fund Scholarship
http://carsonscholars.org/scholarships
*Grades 4 -11
*Application opens October 15, 2025
*Nomination Deadline: December 17, 2025
*Application Deadline for Nominated Students: January 11, 2026 (11:59 p.m.)
*Award Amount: $1,000
Carson Scholars Program is to recognize and reward outstanding students in the U.S. who exemplify academic excellence and humanitarian qualities. Unless told by CSF staff, only one student from each school can be nominated by the principal.
Within 48-hours of CSF receiving the nomination, the student will receive a link to the online application. Nominated students will usually have until early January to complete the application.
Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program
*Grade 7 only
*Application Opens: February 5, 2026
*Award Amount: Varies
The Cooke Young Scholars Program is a selective five-year, pre-college scholarship for high-performing 7th-grade students with financial need. Educational advisers help Cooke Young Scholars maximize the high school experience and prepare to thrive at the nation’s top-performing colleges.
The scholarship funds are used for academic and extracurricular opportunities, such as music and art lessons, supplemental academic classes, and technology.
You must check the website to verify the application opening and closing dates.
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
*Ages 8-18
*Deadline is in April
*Award Amount is $10,000
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes celebrates inspiring, public-spirited young people from diverse backgrounds all across North America. Each year, the Barron Prize honors 25 outstanding young leaders ages 8 to 18 who have made a significant positive difference to people and the environment.
*Sample application: https://barronprize.org/wp-content/uploads/ApplicationPacket18.pdf
*Contact: admin@barronprize.or
Enrichment Programs
Just The Beginning Foundation - School Law Camp
*Grades 6-8
*Deadline is in May
*Free summer program
The Summer Legal Institute, or “SLI,” is JTB’s cornerstone youth program. During this one-week legal immersion program, scholars participate in interactive, legal-focused activities that enhance their reading, writing, critical thinking, professional etiquette, financial literacy and public speaking skills. The key to every Summer Legal Institute is the unique learning experience created by volunteers from corporations, law firms, and courtrooms who actively engage with JTB Scholars.
Our Middle School Law Camp, a junior version of our SLI, is a fun, three-day educational and interactive experience that provides 6th, 7th and 8th grade Scholars with an introduction to careers in law, the opportunity to build legal and professional skills, and connections with judges, lawyers, and other leaders in the legal profession.
National Society of Black Engineers - SEEK Program
*Grades: 3-5
*3- week summer enrichment program
The Summer Engineering Experience for Kids (SEEK) program is one of the National Society of Black Engineers' (NSBE) contributions to increasing the representation of black students in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math fields. This 3-week program is designed to expose black children to STEM fields as early as the 3rd grade and through 5th grade. Students participate from 8:30am – 3:30pm daily, giving each student 105 contact hours per summer. The program utilizes NSBE collegiate members as student mentors, the majority of whom are African-American and majoring in STEM fields.
You must check each website to verify scholarship/program details.