In the last year, the seven high schools in the network — Anna-Jonesboro High School, Carbondale Community High School, Carterville, Cobden, Du Quoin, Johnston City and Vienna — have all introduced a new extracurricular program called Educators Rising, which gives high-schoolers hands-on experience in teaching through classroom observations, assistant teaching and tutoring at area elementary schools. Participants receive “individual plans to take them from high school through college and into their own classrooms,” Munschenk said, plus career exploration, college counseling and scholarship help.