Friday flyover: Southland College Prep High School

RICHTON PARK, Ill. (WLS) — This week ABC7 Chicago features Southland College Prep High School on the Friday Flyover.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Southland College Prep Charter High School background

Since its founding in 2010, Southland College Prep High School has established itself as one of the top academically performing high schools in the state of Illinois. His achievements include:

Southland is the only charter high school in the state to receive the highest honor of “Exemplary” from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) each year. The top 10 percent of high schools in the state receive exemplary status.

Southland College Prep enrolls through a highly publicized annual public lottery open only to residents of the Rich Township District 227 school district in Chicago's far southern suburbs. The only admission criteria are successful completion of elementary school and residence in District 227.

To date, total scholarship awards for Southland's first 11 graduating classes (2014-2024) total more than $400 million.

Southland graduates have been accepted to all 50 top national universities, including all eight Ivy League schools, every major four-year public university in Illinois, and the top 50 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

The 2024 graduates who received full scholarships include four QuestBridge Scholars, one Gates Scholar for the second year in a row. (Three Gates Scholars in Southland history) and ten full scholarship offers from California Polytechnic University (known as Cal-Poly, one of the top science and technology universities in the country).

Southland has entered into a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with California Polytechnic University that will provide for at least one admitted senior from Southland to receive a full-ride scholarship. Now in the third year of the partnership, Cal Poly has offered seventeen (17) full-ride offers to Southland students and several have enrolled.

Southland College Counselor Mr. Robert Lane has been appointed to Northwestern University's inaugural Advisory Board for a two-year term. With Northwestern ranked No. 9 nationally, Southland is proud to have five students from its most recent graduating class offered admission for Fall 2024.

The school is located in a former corporate call center that has been converted into a fully equipped 21st century schoolhouse. Students earn 30 credit hours, eight more than is typically required of traditional high school graduates. The college preparatory curriculum is rigorous and emphasizes math, science, technology, language, and fine arts.

A Performance Arts Center opened in fall 2018, consisting of a state-of-the-art band room for more than 200 musicians as well as remodeled choir and dance studio spaces. A multi-purpose Field House opened next to the Performing Arts Center in fall 2020. Dr. Blondean Y. Davis is the founder and CEO of Southland College Prep.

Southland Performing Arts Programs

Although it is not a performing arts school, more than half of Southland's students are

is involved in the performing arts.

Language and Forensics:

The Southland Forensics Program has won numerous local, state and national competitions:

Highlights of Southland forensic science students' achievements over the past decade include:

A National Poetry Reading Championship.

A national championship in prepared speaking.

A finalist who competed in the national August Wilson Monologue Competition.

Three state performance championships in the round.

A state championship in group interpreting.

A state championship in dramatic duet.

A state championship in a dramatic interpretation.

Forensics is the only IHSA activity that has earned Southland six state trophies.

Southland's Performance in the Round team remains the only team in the state of Illinois to win the state championship three years in a row.

In the spring of 2019, Southland Director of Forensic Science and Drama Cheryl Frazier was honored as the Outstanding Speech Debate and Drama Educator for the Central Section of the National Federation of State High School Associations in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. This prestigious award recognized Ms. Frazier's incredible achievements in leading Southland's forensic team to multiple state championships in less than ten years since Southland's founding in 2010.

Choir program

:

The Southland High School Choir, known as the “Southland Singers,” provides Southland students with unique choral experiences through concert choir, chamber choir and show choir repertoires in an expanded performance group. In the past year, the Southland Singers, under the direction of Elizabeth Norman-Sojourner, received several performance awards and opportunities including the following:

Performed for the United Negro College Fund annual fundraiser.

Performed for the National Civil Rights Museum Benefit Breakfast

Performed for the James R. Jordan Foundation

Performed in the annual Gospel Join the Symphony concert with the Canton Ohio Symphony Orchestra.

Instrumental music:

The Southland Instrumental Music Program, directed by Ron Harrigan, has more than 140 student members in stage band, concert band, jazz band, string ensemble, orchestra, wind ensemble, brass, woodwind, percussion ensemble and marching band. The Southland Band Program hosts the Southern Suburban Area Historically Black Colleges and Universities Band Recruitment Night. Through this program, Southland provides a central location for area high school seniors to meet and audition with more than 25 HBCU representatives from across the country. To date, more than $10 million in merit-based scholarships have been awarded to students in and around the south suburban region.

Highlights of the instrumental music program:

Appearances in the annual Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Chicago Magnificent Mile Lights Festival Parade and the annual Chicago Arts in the Dark Parade.

Won second place (first entry) at the 25th Annual HBCU Chicago Classic High School Battle of the Bands.

Southland's Concert Band received Best Band of the Day honors at the Illinois High School Athletic Association Music Festival two years in a row.

Dance:

The dance program explores a range of styles including, but not limited to: jazz, ballet, tap and modern dance. Under the direction of Ms. Gloria Chatman, the program supports not only its own performance schedule, but also that of the Southland College Prep Marching Band, supplemented by the Marching Lady Eagles Dance Team. Additionally, the Southland Dance Program has participated in the following events:

Reached the second round of auditions for America's Got Talent.

Participated and performed at the Pennsylvania National Dance Competition.

Attended and performed an original piece choreographed by Southland students at the Illinois High School Dance Festival (IHSDF). Southland was one of 14 schools across the state selected to perform at the IHSDF Showcase.

Sports programs and extracurricular activities

Southland athletes have competed and placed in state IHSA competitions in bowling, track and field and tennis. Sports in Southland include cross country, golf, volleyball, tennis, basketball and track and field. Last year Southland launched an esports team.

Other extracurricular activities at Southland include Mock Trial, National Honor Society, Student Council, Film and Tech Club, Book Club, Art Club and Computer Club.

SEE MORE: Favorite ABC7 Friday flyover revealed