Eleven Southwest Central Indiana school districts participating in new program.
Regional Opportunity Initiatives, Inc. (ROI) recently added three new public school districts to its graduation and career coaching initiative, a partnership with Ivy Tech Community College. Brown County Schools, Mitchell Community Schools and North Lawrence Community Schools have joined eight school districts participating in the pilot graduation and career coaching program that launched at the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year.
The three new school districts are self-funding their participation and involvement in the graduation and career coaching initiative. Lawrence County raised the necessary funding to support the hiring of an eighth ROI/Ivy Tech coach to support students in the North Lawrence School District. Existing counseling staff in the Brown and Mitchell school districts are participating in networking opportunities and training opportunities with coaches in the pilot initiative.
“The initial group of eight school districts funded in the pilot program were selected through a competitive RFP process,” said Todd Hurst, ROI Director of Education and Workforce. “We’re fortunate that many of the other school districts in our region have seen the value of this initiative and we’re thrilled to have been able to partner with them and help even more students in our communities.”
Working closely with school administrators and counseling teams, graduation and career coaches support 50-60 students in each school who are most at-risk for not attaining high school diplomas. The graduation and career coaching program is aimed at improving graduation rates and preparing students for pathways into technical certifications, associate degrees, and other postsecondary degree programs.
Coaches work with students to create individualized high school completion plans, develop opportunities for students to experience and participate in work-based learning initiatives, and develop postsecondary plans. They also help ensure students attend school, arrive on time, fulfill academic requirements and graduate with a high school diploma.
In conjunction with regional industry representatives and postsecondary institutions, coaching activities may also include career learning activities such as mock interviews, financial literacy training, soft skill training, and college or industry visits.
This is the first in a series of significant education and workforce initiatives that will be implemented in Southwest Central Indiana by ROI in the coming months and years.
Read more about the ROI/Ivy Tech Graduation and Career Coaching Initiative:
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