WAUKEE SCHOOL DISTRICT Kelly Jellings, WCSD
Preparing for the Future: Jared C .
Work-Based Learning at Waukee CSD
Our eye is on the future at Waukee Community School District (CSD). With a core value of developing our people, growing our work-based learning program is a priority. While some courses have been around for years, our program leaders constantly evaluate the career fields to identify gaps and opportunities to create possibilities for students. What Is Worked-Based Learning? There are several different programs students can get involved with to kick-start their careers while in high school. Seventy percent of last year’s senior class — Northwest and Waukee high schools combined — participated in at least one work-based learning opportunity. Work-based learning aims to help students understand what career paths they do and don’t like. That way they can avoid wasting time and tuition on those discoveries after leaving high school.
APEX Program Students can engage in work-based learning in several ways, including the APEX (Aspiring Professional Experience) Program. The program’s courses draw on the expertise of community business partners to bring real-world experiences to our classrooms. The program offers dozens of APEX courses, including two stand-outs: Introduction to Education and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT). Students who participate in select courses also earn college credit. Next year, the APEX Program will start a new automotive course in partnership with Stivers Ford Lincoln in Waukee.
Intro To Education The Intro to Education class charts a course for students to become teachers. Participants complete two practicum experiences — one placement of their choice, the other outside of their preferred area. These classroom exposures give students an advantage over other students in a college-level teaching program. This class also opens the door for students to come back and teach in Waukee once they’ve finished their education. Currently, about a dozen teachers who took Intro to Education are serving as teachers for the district. 12
November / December 2022
