New Pathways Convening Agenda

Welcome

Check-in and coffee + pastries for those attending the school site visits.

Tacoma Public School Visits

Check-In

Lunch

New Pathways
Location: Ballroom A

In this keynote, hosting organizations and representatives of Tacoma will welcome visitors to the convening with goals for shared time together. Attendees will then be a part of a quick landscape view of pre-existing pathways programs in the greater Seattle/Tacoma area.

Agency in Action
Location: Ballroom A

Using Tacoma’s FLEX model as a backdrop of intentional integration of high-quality digital learning experiences as part of the equation for personalized pathway development. This session explores the transformative power of decentralized, flexible learning in pathway design. Panelists, including students and key stakeholders, will highlight the blend of instructional design, mindset shifts, and real-world FLEX experiences that promise a holistic, personalized learning journey. Dive into how flexibility and personalization align to support diverse academic and life goals.

Entrepreneurial Pathways
Location: Breakout Room 315

The world of work is changing at a rapid rate. As a result, the ability to apply entrepreneurial processes and tools to spot need and solve problems is essential for all learners. This panel discussion will take a look at national entrepreneurship programs and their potential for impact in Washington State.

Community Development
Location: Breakout Room 316

This conversation will explore the crucial components of place-based community development and the importance of leading with your heart. Panelists will discuss how communities play a pivotal role in shaping educational opportunities and how differentiation strategies and amplifying student and community voices can address unique local needs. The conversation will dive deep into the ongoing efforts to provide equitable education, acknowledging that while we’re trying our best there is still work to be done.

Pathways for a Greener Future
Location: Breakout Room 317

This session will share key takeaways from Getting Smart’s recent Green Pathways report and spotlight exemplars at the forefront of building green and environmental pathways in K-12. This group will focus on local initiatives to further embed sustainability and environmental leadership in our schools.

Credentialing
Location: Ballroom A

Credentialing offers a viable skills-based pathway to high wage employment and economic mobility. Moving beyond proxies for skills (such as diplomas or degrees) into proficiency and demonstration increases success for both the learner and the employer. Join leaders from NAF, GPS Education Partners, ASA and Kauffman Real World Learning for a conversation about current and future initiatives in this space.

Launching High-Quality and Equitable Pathways
Location: Breakout Room 315

This panel will highlight the impacts and goals of the Launch initiative, a national college and careers pathways initiative. This particular group will spotlight Washington State participants and focus on how others may be able to participate and learn from their work.

Teaching Pathways
Location: Breakout Room 316

This session will unpack strategies to help learners feel invested in the learning experience and return to give back to future generations through teaching and other educational opportunities.

Mentorship and Real World Problems
Location: Breakout Room 317

The Knowledge Society is one of the most impressive examples of co-authoring experiences with students. This session will showcase how students identify mentors, how mentorship is earned, not assigned, and discuss the skills necessary for both spotting challenges and how to begin solving them.

Light Bites & Networking

Check-in and Coffee + Pastries

Career Education: Preparing Learners for their Future
Location: Ballroom A

Three authors take the stage in this keynote session to share their common imperative–an urgent plea to transform K12 career education and give young people the critical information, experiences, and skills they need to prepare for jobs of tomorrow. Jean Eddy from American Student Assistance, Tom Vander Ark from Getting Smart and Elliott Washor from Big Picture Learning will discuss their thoughts on leveraging technology and the community to connect classroom learning with real-world experiences to extend career exploration and experiential learning.

Morning Coffee +
Tea Break

Support and Guidance
Location: Ballroom A

This session will focus on programs and systems that support a truly personalized advisory model in support of equity and building pathways that work for all learners. Focusing on support and guidance enables schools to equip all learners with the ability to fully express themselves with confidence. By creating strong advisory systems, they help students to build purpose, explore careers, develop their social capital and grow their potential.

Thematic High Schools
Location: Ballroom A

Pathways are most effective when they are specific and connected. This session will showcase multiple Washington schools that have thematic and embedded programs which help students better understand how various skills and dispositions can impact multiple areas of their lives.

Empowering Tomorrow’s Workforce
Location: Breakout Room 315

The Jobs 253 Program, in partnership with the City of Tacoma, offers high school students paid work experience, facilitating career exploration and leadership growth. Students gain practical skills while actively contributing to their communities, all under the supervision of trusted organizations. This program empowers students, benefits communities, and prepares them for future success. Our panel will focus on the strategic design of Jobs 253 and Jobs 253 Credentialed, highlighting how we forge critical partnerships with local organizations, both public and private, to create impactful work and career exploration experiences. We’ll explore how this framework not only develops students’ job skills and leadership abilities but also leads to powerful impact for community.

Creating Partnerships
Location: Breakout Room 316

Learning only matters when it’s engaging, relevant and community-connected. This session will create a roadmap that connects all stakeholders to ensure equitable access to authentic learning experiences.

Tech Pathways
Location: Breakout Room 317

Emerging tech is one of the greatest career opportunities for young people. This session will highlight technology pathways within the state of Washington in order to unpack necessary skills and partnerships through an equitable lens.

Lunch and Book Signing

During this lunch break, in the registration lobby, there will also be a book signing featuring Elliot Washor, Jean Eddy, Nate McClennen and Tom Vander Ark.

While this main room session is going on, specific design sessions will also be going on in the breakout rooms. Feel free to attend!

Policy and State-Level Support for Pathways and Innovation
Location: Ballroom A

Pathways aren’t possible without supporting policy. In the last few years federal and state governments have made huge strides toward expanding access and opportunity to pathways for all learners. This panel discussion will focus on some of the focus areas and hear what’s to come.

Design Workshop | Agency, Arts and Authorship
Location: Breakout Room 315

This design workshop will focus on creating pathways that support Learner Agency, Wayfinding, Entrepreneurship, Co-Authoring, and Arts pathways. Through these pathways, schools will be better able to reach, recruit, retain students of different backgrounds.

Design Workshop | Creating Partnerships Through Client-Connected Projects
Location: Breakout Room 316

How might we create client and community connected projects that enable students to do real world work? How do we create partnerships across K12, industry, higher ed and orgs in our communities? This design workshop will focus on Client Connected Projects, Internships, Real World Learning and Service Learning.

Design Workshop | Designing and Communicating Next Gen Pathway Models
Location: Breakout Room 317

Connecting secondary learning to employment has emerged as an important strategy to ensure every young person has a viable pathway to a family-sustaining wage. Join us to learn and share about how to design and communicate next-generation pathway models in this interactive workshop session. The focus will be on leadership perspective, microschools, career-connected new school design, communication, and focused career-connected pathways.

Afternoon Snacks + Refreshments

While this main room session is going on, specific design sessions will also be going on in the breakout rooms. Feel free to attend!

Work-Based Learning
Location: Ballroom A

Work-based learning opportunities can range from apprenticeships to internships to client-connect projects. This panel will highlight how these programs can best be structured to ensure that the learners have lasting, high-quality experiences while also receiving credit and compensation.

Design Workshop | Agency, Arts and Authorship
Location: Breakout Room 315

This design workshop will focus on creating pathways that support Learner Agency, Wayfinding, Entrepreneurship, Co-Authoring, and Arts pathways. Through these pathways, schools will be better able to reach, recruit, retain students of different backgrounds.

Design Workshop | Creating Partnerships Through Client-Connected Projects
Location: Breakout Room 316

How might we create client and community connected projects that enable students to do real world work? How do we create partnerships across K12, industry, higher ed and orgs in our communities? This design workshop will focus on Client Connected Projects, Internships, Real World Learning and Service Learning.

Design Workshop | Designing and Communicating Next Gen Pathway Models
Location: Breakout Room 317

Connecting secondary learning to employment has emerged as an important strategy to ensure every young person has a viable pathway to a family-sustaining wage. Join us to learn and share about how to design and communicate next-generation pathway models in this interactive workshop session. The focus will be on leadership perspective, microschools, career-connected new school design, communication, and focused career-connected pathways.

Closing
Location: Ballroom A