More Indiana Uplands career pathways began to take shape at Regional Opportunity Initiatives’ Annual Report to the Region as 24 Career Coaching Fellows launched a year of professional development focused on helping students connect their interests and talents to career opportunities after high school.
Career Coaches gathered for the first time in French Lick on Oct. 2 for a day of networking, learning, and exploring opportunities available across the Indiana Uplands.
Representing eight counties, 12 school districts, and 15 schools, this year’s cohort brings together professionals from counseling, teaching, and work-based learning who share a common goal of helping students navigate career and education decisions.
Throughout the fellowship year, participants will engage in six more professional development sessions focused on strengthening career-connected learning and deepening their understanding of the opportunities available across the Indiana Uplands. Fellows will explore the region’s key industry sectors, including advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and national security and defense, while building relationships with employers and regional partners.
The year-long fellowship is designed to strengthen regionally relevant career connections and build clear pathways to high-opportunity, high-wage careers. Fellows also complete an Impact Project focused on areas such as career awareness and exploration, work-based learning, postsecondary readiness, family engagement, and employer partnerships.
Together, the cohort forms an active regional career coaching network that helps students explore possibilities, make informed decisions about their futures, and discover opportunities available right here in the Indiana Uplands.
“I left our first session feeling energized and inspired,” said Heather Baron Caudill, ROI Director of Career Connected Learning.
“It was great to connect with educators from across the Indiana Uplands who are excited to learn more about the opportunities around them. They were already sharing ideas for helping students make meaningful connections between school and their future careers, and I look forward to seeing those ideas grow throughout the year.”