How to Start Investing in New Pathways

With a new $250,000 state grant in hand, a small exurban district superintendent asked for advice on how to invest in #NewPathways. Following are 10 ideas along with some leading examples. 

1. Hire a business partnership coordinator for two years to facilitate work-based learning experiences including client projects and internships. Most of the 85 high schools in the Real World Learning initiative in Kansas City benefit from a business partnership coordinator. Check out their stories.

2. Create a two-year project to strengthen the 6-12 advisory system. Enhance career exploration experiences, improve high school and beyond plans, build infrastructure for work-based learning. See the Core Elements of Advisory, NAF advisory, and thoughts on personalized guidance.   

3. Invest in an updated double classroom and train a teacher for INCubatorEdu, a full-year course offering an authentic entrepreneurship experience as students develop their own product or service startup. Add a MobileMakerEdu lab and class for app building.  

4. Join NAF and develop three career academies in engineering, health, IT, finance and/or hospitality. See feature and client project platform KnoPro. 

5. Launch a micro P-TECH with a focus on cybersecurity, AgTech, clean Tech or health/biotech. Improve partnerships with a local community college and lead business partners so that students graduate with an AA degree, industry credentials and valuable work experiences. See Collegiate Edu-Nation for rural Texas examples. 

6. With two neighboring districts, launch a CAPS Network affiliate to extend upper division professions-based learning options including client projects and internships. Or add locally relevant partnerships and career experiences through a CTE network like CTECS. Or consider the approach of Dallas Career Institutes, 18 discreet pathways to high wage employment all across the city.

7. Create a five-year fund to support Student Project Teams conducting paid, work-based learning opportunities for high school students exploring possible career options through various hands-on projects and mentoring from industry professionals. See examples from the Innovation Center of St Vrain Valley Schools. 

8. Support AI co-authored community-connected projects in core and CTE courses and blocks. See Project Leo launched at Da Vinci Schools.  

9. Launch a micro School of One to support individualized pathways of co-authored projects. See SchoolJoy, VLACS and Passage projects at JeffCo Open School. 

10. Create a 13th-year option to help students transition to what’s next and gain valuable experiences like the Massachusetts Early College Promise.