Our College World Religion class exemplifies the spirit of innovation. This rigorous, college-level course allows high school seniors to earn college credit while fulfilling graduation requirements here at Prospect. Offered through a partnership with Eastern Illinois University, it provides students with valuable college-level experiences, prepares them for post-secondary success, and reduces the time and cost of earning a bachelor's degree.

 

​In 2017, my colleagues and I developed and published the first national guidelines for teaching about religion in public schools. By 2019, we further innovated by eliminating standardized tests, quizzes, and traditional final exams to launch the first dual-credit religion course ever offered in an American public school. Our program at Prospect has also become a model for the International Baccalaureate Program based in Europe as their curriculum has begun integrating some of our compelling teaching methods.

 

Aligned with District 214's Career Pathways program, the dual credit earned is recorded on both the high school transcript and the transcript of Eastern Illinois University, marking the beginning of the student's college academic record.