Watch: New U.S. rep tours Belleville District 201’s state-of-the-art vocational center

U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski of Illinois’ 13th Congressional District on Wednesdsay visited Belleville High School District 201’s Center for Academic and Vocational Excellence where she toured the campus and talked about the first bill she introduced in Congress.

The bill – the Leveraging and Energizing America’s Apprenticeship Programs (LEAP) Act – is bipartisan legislation designed to support apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs.

BND photojournalist Derik Holtmann was along for the visit and made the video that accompanies this post.

The C.AVE opened to students in the fall of 2022. Originally built as a tennis club and fitness facility at 7645 Magna Drive, the former Kings Point property has 100,000 square feet. The center offers in-demand vocational programs, giving students opportunities to take advanced courses beyond what are offered on the main campuses. Students are able to graduate with college credit and are prepared for a variety of career opportunities.

The CAVE has partnered with over 25 businesses to develop public/private partnerships and educational opportunities for students. The curriculum choices include culinary arts, welding, carpentry, automotive, machining and metal.

The facility is also home to the district’s alternative education center and Esports studio. Part of the former tennis club is also used as a field house for sports and other activities, featuring indoor tennis courts, indoor turf practice field, batting cages, dance studio, and golf simulator.

`We need to be spreading this as a model throughout central and southern Illinois for high school students, so that they know all of their opportunities,” Budzinski said during her visit.

More information about the Center for Academic and Vocational Excellence can be found at thecave201.org

This story was originally published March 16, 2023 at 11:00 AM.