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Students and Junior Achievement pitch 3DE program to committee as workforce‑preparation model
Summary
Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City and high‑school students presented the 3DE program — a four‑year, business‑case and project‑based pathway — to the House agriculture budget committee as a model to build employer connections, improve career skills and expand into smaller communities.
Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City and students from Olathe East high school presented the 3DE (Design, Develop, Deliver) pathway program to the House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget as an education‑to‑workforce model that pairs students with business partners for multi‑year, project‑based learning.
Megan Sturgis, president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City, said the program helps students prepare for post‑secondary options including college, trades or direct entry into the workforce. A team of students described the 3DE structure: freshman and sophomore years emphasize six case challenges, junior year includes a market‑day business pitch to investors, and senior year is a capstone. Students highlighted partnerships with local companies such as QAIT and Sporting KC and described skills gained — public speaking, creative problem solving, design thinking and relationship building — that they said translate to college and employment.
Student presenters named specific experiences: a case challenge with Delta Airlines on gate experience, an AI evaluation for a construction‑technology partner, and market‑day investor pitches. The students said the program creates leadership opportunities because upper‑class students mentor freshmen and sophomores, and they urged broader geographic expansion to smaller and rural districts that lack local business connections.
Why it matters: lawmakers reviewing workforce pipelines heard that the program gives participating students direct exposure to employers, real‑world problems and skills that students said placed them ahead of peers entering college‑level business coursework.
What’s next: the presentation was informational; Junior Achievement said it will continue outreach to expand 3DE into additional districts and requested guidance on potential partnerships in smaller counties.
