WHS - College & Career Academy
March 2022
Third Edition
Preparing ALL students for their life after high school.
WHS Earns National Recognition
Project Lead The Way
Internship Symposium
Immediate Impact
-Austin Boyd
Boyd & Sons
Bobcat of Daviess County
SCHOOL AWARDEES NAMED IN HIGH SCHOOL EARN INDIANA PROGRAM
(INDIANAPOLIS) — More than 20 high schools and regional partnerships have been selected for the state’s pilot program to match those students and employers to work-based learning opportunities via the Employment Aid Readiness Network (EARN) Indiana grant. The EARN Indiana program is the state’s work-study program, previously limited to college-enrolled students. Now, high schoolers with financial need also will have access to resume-building, experiential, paid internships, while employers receive state matching funds – 50% of the student’s hourly rate – for hiring them.
The EARN Indiana program is funded by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and managed through the state’s partnership with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s Work and Learn Indiana. The application review process was conducted by Work and Learn Indiana with the Indiana Department of Education, Indiana Commission for Higher Education and Governor’s Workforce Cabinet.
“The history of the EARN Indiana program is serving students that might not otherwise be able to participate in work-based learning experiences,” explains Todd Hurst, executive director of the Institute for Workforce Excellence, a subsidiary of the Indiana Chamber. “With this investment, we look forward to helping hundreds of Indiana high school students be able to take advantage of this opportunity and create meaningful resume-building experiences, networking opportunities, career exploration and increased graduation pathways.”
School awardees span the state and include:
- Career Academy, Fort Wayne Community Schools
- Columbia City High School, Whitley County Consolidated Schools
- Community School Corporation of Eastern Hancock
- Daleville Community Schools
- East Central Educational Service Center
- Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation OptIN
- Gary Community School Corporation
- Hendricks College Network, Inc.
- Lincoln Middle/High School
- Lost River Career Cooperative
- Monroe County Community School Corporation and Richland Bean-Blossom
- MSD Lawrence Township
- MSD Washington Township/North Central High School
- North Lawrence Career Center
- Oak Hill United School Corporation
- Pike Career and STEM Center
- South Bend Regional Chamber
- Tri-Creek School Corporation, Lowell High School
- Washington High School – College & Career Academy
- Whitko Career Academy
- Winchester Community High School
“Work-based learning experiences are critical to helping students find the right career and educational pathways for their individual lives,” says Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers. “We applaud the innovative ways the grant recipients plan on using the funding and look forward to seeing the outcomes from this pilot program.”
Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education, concurs.
“Whether a student is working towards employment, enrollment or enlistment leading to service, our students deserve to have access to pathways leading them towards their unique goals,” Jenner adds. “By expanding access to the EARN Indiana program into high school, more students will gain work-based learning experiences before graduation, better preparing them for a successful future ahead.”
Awardees will go through an implementation phase with the Work and Learn Indiana team, Indiana Department of Education and Governor’s Workforce Cabinet. They will receive supplemental grant funds to assist with implementation.
Throughout the grant process, Work and Learn Indiana will work with state partners to potentially expand access and opportunity to even more students in the coming months.
The Indiana Chamber partners with 25,000 members and investors – representing over four million Hoosiers – to achieve the mission of “cultivating a world-class environment which provides economic opportunity and prosperity.”
What's Out There?
The construction trades students took a field trip to Vincennes University. They spoke with the construction technology instructor then met with the teacher of the bricklayers apprenticeship program.
The students received valuable information on what is expected of them in the construction classes if you want to pursue an associate's degree or bachelor's degree in construction management. The students also were able to see what an apprenticeship program in the bricklaying trade looks like and had many questions asked and answered.
JAG - Jobs for America's Graduates
JAG's Career Development Conference held its regional and state conference. In Region 8, WHS had the most students place at the regional level. WHS had 7 wins. Regionals were held virtually, while state was held in person. The following students placed in regionals:
- Karla Brito - 1st Public Speaking
- Jacob Delisle - 3rd Writing Skills
- Garrett St. John - 3rd Creative Solutions
- Chapter Marketing (Commercial)- 3nd
- Chapter Marketing (Brochure)-2nd
- Elizabeth Decker - 2nd Career Presentation
- Jessica Zuniga - 1st Digital Invitation
Partners
THANK YOU!
The level of community partnerships continue to grow and strengthen.
Junior High Updates
Erik Browning...
This second semester with 7th graders in the College/Career Life Ready course I am working to peak their interest into their future path. They get a small introduction into some of the things that will be covered their 8th grade year. They learn a little about the 16 different career clusters this semester. The class has worked on a few courses on EVERFI which provides digital lessons that bring real-world skills to our students. So far we have worked on a couple of STEM courses, an entrepreneurship course, and will be completing a course on financial literacy. EVERFI joined our classroom virtually to introduce a course and later in the semester we will also get an in person lesson from one of their representatives. We will be covering banking lessons and students will be learning check writing, balancing checkbooks, and doing taxes. One big project we will be working on is creating a Bucket List on google slides to get them focusing on their future goals and plans.
Mr. Moody, our Career Coach and myself have been collaborating all year long introducing my students to several new experiences with resources Mr. Moody is helping provide. Here are a few things we are working on together:
We are working together to help every middle school student to have an Individual Growth Plan. With these IGP’s the students will be able to follow along what they accomplished and learn while they move through the high school.
We have worked with the SIEC to obtain strengths finder codes to provide to our students. These codes allow the students to take a survey that will help identify their strengths and interests that they may not even be aware of. The students were able to see how these results compare to what their career interests are.
Students have been introduced to “Indiana Career Explorer”. There is hope to use this website to help students discover more college and career options.
In the near future our students will be able to use “Beable”. Beable is a fairly new website that requires a subscription for each student. This will be funded by the SIEC. Beable is a great resource that also helps students understand realistic future possibilities. It is very flexible and adjusts to each and every student's reading and comprehenssion level. It provides exposure to college and possible career options, while providing a unique fun and enjoyable learning experience.
To Learn More...
WHS: College & Career Academy
Email: speterson@wcs.k12.in.us
Website: https://www.washingtoncommunityschools.org/1/Content2/college-and-career-academy
Location: 608 East Walnut Street, Washington, IN, USA
Phone: (812) 254-3860
Twitter: @washhs