This year there’s a fresh energy in the lead up to graduation at 16 Indiana school districts because their students have more high-value postsecondary credentials and more high-quality work-based learning experiences than ever before. These are tangible benefits from a two-and-a-half year, $1.2 million grant from the Indiana Department of Education that wrapped up in September 2024 but is still paying dividends.
In our role as grantee for the Explore, Engage, and Experience (3E) Grant, the East Central Educational Service Center had a front-row seat to watch the network of 16 districts grow their career exploration options guided by the needs of their local communities. They collaborated across district lines, sharing innovative ideas and even teachers to creatively meet the resource challenges that small rural districts often face. And through it all, they kept student success at the forefront.
Inter-district collaborations to address challenges
Our organization is charged with building collaboration in the K-12 space, and we facilitate this in many forms—but the 3E Grant was special because it centered on building processes.
The intra-district meetings we convened were crucial for supporting best practices and sharing information. The 3E Grant also allowed educators and administrators to travel nationally and bring home insights and ideas.
“We really appreciate the fact that we’ve been able to learn from one another, do site visits, and always have someone to call for help,” said Superintendent Lori Dickerson of Blue River Valley Schools. “The East Central Indiana schools are now more connected than ever.”
Indeed, the newly established intra-district leadership teams continue to meet and to develop systems of ongoing collaboration. It’s been impressive to watch them carry on the 3E Grant learnings into the future.
Expanded engagement with community partners
The importance of engaging community partners for college and career readiness programs is not new. But figuring out the best ways to build these relationships—and securing the internal staffing resources to commit to the long-term process—can be challenging. The injection of funds through the 3E Grant allowed the 16 districts to be more intentional about setting up their partnerships.
Now we’re seeing a variety of efforts unfold, each of which is tailored to the school and the students. For example, at Shenandoah School Corporation, guest speakers from the community introduce K8 students to their careers using a framework based on the RIASEC career strands (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional).
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Decatur County Community Schools has implemented video calls each Friday with alumni to talk about their chosen career paths. And through Eastern Hancock Schools’ robust work-based learning program, more than 25% of juniors and seniors spend part of their school day at local employers across various industries.
Sense of belonging in work-based learning
The districts’ collective efforts bring to mind these words from career education expert Ed Hidalgo: “Every child should know there’s a place in the world for them.” Hidalgo helped establish the World of Work model in California’s Cajon Valley Union School District and is now deeply immersed in normalizing career conversations in classrooms across the nation via Educators Cooperative.
The need for this individual sense of belonging doesn’t end when students put on their caps and gowns and cross the graduation stage. As exciting as that milestone is, it can also be a time of profound uncertainty for young adults.
Our district leaders understand this, and it’s the reason they identified the goal of using 3E Grant funds to create systematic processes for career exploration and to monitor career experiences while students are still in school.
On the edtech end, this entailed increased use of college and career readiness platforms and software. Importantly, it also included tailored initiatives that brought practical work skills and standards into classrooms where they were integrated with lessons students were already receiving.
At the regional level, the 3E Grant allowed ECESC to lay the foundation for our Forge Your Future Experience, which will serve more than 2,500 middle schoolers during the 2024-2025 school year. Each element of the Forge Your Future Experience provides opportunities for students to grow their understanding of the importance of personal interests in the development of workforce readiness skills.
Participating districts have continued to share new, innovative ideas with each other—which is especially important for the smaller schools with limited resources. Implementing proven concepts from schools whose students have similar experiences reduces the risk of incorporating programs that aren’t a good fit.
Schools also offered new pathways and enhance existing pathways in everything from precision agriculture to welding technology and civic arts to advanced manufacturing. In addition, the 3E Grant benefited ongoing programs like Lincoln Golden Eagle Industries—a student-run company within Western Wayne Schools’ Lincoln Middle/High School in Cambridge City—that provides reliable, professional services through business, manufacturing, landscaping, and automotive classes.
Another opportunity for direct industry connections between students and community partners is Randolph Central School Corporation’s fully realized manufacturing job shop, Falcon Industries, located within Winchester Community High School.
These students know the sense of personal achievement that comes with successful employment in a field of their choice. But perhaps more importantly, they know that trusted adults are standing behind them ready to help as they go out into the workforce after graduation. In the current era of uncertainty, this is an invaluable asset for every young person just starting out.
