A signature ROI program, Ready Schools helps Indiana Uplands school districts design and implement innovative strategies that prepare students for success in college, careers, and life while aligning education with regional workforce opportunities.

An important component of the Ready Schools initiative is its emphasis on the workforce needs of the region’s leading industry sectors: advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and national security and defense. The goal of this initiative is to enable school districts to engage business leaders, community stakeholders, parents, and students in meaningful dialogue about what success means within their community and to develop a plan to obtain that success. The result is a collaborative approach and a comprehensive planning process designed to support students in achieving their academic and career goals through alignment with workforce opportunities in the Indiana Uplands.

Ready Schools Program Overview

Since 2017, ROI has awarded Ready Schools grants to 20 school districts in the Indiana Uplands. School districts participating in Ready Schools have implemented a wide array of new, innovative, hands-on, and career-connected learning opportunities, including student-run businesses, digital fabrication labs, career awareness programming, aligned career pathways, work-based learning, project-based learning, and STEM curricula.

Ready Schools Participating School Districts

Map of the Indiana Uplands with counties and school districts highlighted. School districts participating in Ready Schools are colored by cohort.

Ready Schools Cohort V (2026)

Eastern Greene Schools
Washington Community Schools

Ready Schools Cohort IV (2023)

Barr-Reeve Community Schools
Crawford County Community School Corporation
East Washington School Corporation

Ready Schools Cohort III (2019)

Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corporation
Linton-Stockton School Corporation
White River Valley School District

Ready Schools Cohort II (2018)

Bloomfield School District
Monroe County Community School Corporation
Spencer-Owen Community Schools
Collaboration of Shoals, Mitchell, & Orleans Schools (COSMOS): Mitchell Community Schools, Orleans Community Schools, & Shoals Community School Corporation

Ready Schools Cohort I (2017)

Brown County Schools
Dubois County Collaboration: Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools, Northeast Dubois County School Corporation, Southwest Dubois County School Corporation, & Southeast Dubois County School Corporation
Loogootee Community Schools