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Two Rivers schools report growth in youth apprenticeship and Rising Phoenix programs; students earned 1,400+ college credits
Summary
District officials told the council that the Youth Apprenticeship program grew to 46 students this year, Rising Phoenix students have earned college credits and the district pays tuition for up to 10 students annually who meet financial‑need or first‑generation criteria.
Lisa Klein, College and Career Readiness Coordinator for Two Rivers School District, briefed the City Council on May 19 about expanded youth apprenticeship and related college‑credit programs at Two Rivers High School.
Klein said the Youth Apprenticeship program — a one‑ to two‑year earn‑and‑learn pathway that pairs paid work placements with related instruction — enrolled 46 students this year and the district already has more than 50 placements committed for next year. The program now covers 16 career pathways; new options added recently include law enforcement, fire protection, project management and cosmetology, Klein said. She said several local employers, including city departments, have hired students from the program.
Klein also described the district’s Rising Phoenix program, which admits students into UW‑Green Bay coursework during their junior and senior years and can yield up to 60 college credits and an associate degree by high‑school graduation. Rising Phoenix began in the 2021 school year; Klein said 29 of 31 students who have completed the program earned college credit and some earned 70 or more credits. Two Rivers students collectively earned more than 1,400 college credits this year; Klein said about 553 of those credits came from Rising Phoenix students.
Klein told council members the district funds tuition assistance for up to 10 students per year in Rising Phoenix who meet first‑generation or financial‑need criteria; she said 22 students to date have had their Rising Phoenix tuition paid fully by the district. She also described an in‑house Employability Skills co‑op with roughly 26 students that provides workplace skill instruction and release time during the school day.
Council members and staff praised the programs as workforce‑development pipelines and retention tools for the community; staff noted many students enter registered apprenticeships or postsecondary programs after high school. Diane Johnson, district administrator, and Board of Education member Gary Shoplett attended and were acknowledged by district staff during the presentation.
