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JAG program reports 100% graduation rate for participants, expands employer partnerships
Summary
The district's JAG (Jobs for America's Graduates) program reported expanded enrollment, employer engagement, project-based learning and trauma-informed partnerships and said 100% of past JAG participants graduated. Staff described partnerships with local employers and community groups and outlined upcoming activities.
Ms. Early, JAG instructor, gave an extended presentation on the Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) program at Central Academy and Central High School.
She said enrollment has grown to more than 50 students in the JAG Career Association, with 27 officially added this year. "Our whole goal is to get students prepared for what they're going to do when they get out of high school," she said, and described employer engagement, project-based learning, and trauma-informed care as the program's three pillars.
Ms. Early detailed partnerships and activities: collaboration with Epic Lens (photography projects appearing on local billboards), Simo Pets and Epic Pals (therapy-animal activities and pet-related career exposure), tours to SEMO and the CTC, a downtown "blitz" project for small-business learning, and an exploratory partnership with the Boy Scouts. She said approximately 60% of JAG students currently hold part-time jobs, and added that 100% of JAG participants have graduated; about 80% of graduates hold full-time employment.
Planned programming includes driver-safety instruction, financial-stability and insurance education, mock interviews at a spring Career Development Conference and continued employer engagement. Ms. Early said follow-up with graduates continues for at least a year to address questions that arise after students leave the district.
The board asked questions about program scale and state presence; Ms. Early said there are around 117 JAG programs in Missouri and the program is continuing to grow.
