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Brooklyn City highlights new Career-Based Interventions program, students describe VR labs and pre‑apprenticeship opportunities
Summary
At its Oct. 21 meeting, the Brooklyn City Board heard a presentation on a new Career-Based Interventions (CBI) program at Brooklyn High School. Staff described classroom themes, VR career exploration and a pre‑apprenticeship pathway supported by the Greater Cleveland Partnership; three seniors spoke about improved skills and job placement help.
The Brooklyn City Board of Education heard details on a new Career-Based Interventions (CBI) program at Brooklyn High School during the superintendent’s report on Oct. 21.
School staff described CBI as an expanded pathway that builds on earlier work-placement programs and the Brooklyn Career Connections Academy. Mr. Larson said the program provides industry-recognized credentials — including a retail/hospitality credential through the National Retail Federation’s Rise Up program — as alternative ways for some students to meet graduation requirements.
Mr. Jones told the board the CBI classroom currently serves twelfth graders and combines academic support with hands-on learning. He described a weekly structure of “Mindfulness Mondays,” life-skills Tuesdays, soft-skills Wednesdays, career-exploration Thursdays and finance-themed sessions. Jones said students perform grade checks, email parents weekly and use VR devices for simulated career experiences in areas such as veterinary technology, automotive and trades, HVAC, finance and health fields.
Staff emphasized workplace readiness and partnerships. Larson said the district met with the Greater Cleveland Partnership to learn about a pre-apprenticeship model that can lead to industry-recognized credentials in hospitality, finance, IT and health; those credentials can count toward graduation or satisfy parts of the college/career/military readiness measure on the district report card.
Three seniors — identified in the meeting as Calvin, Austin and Janessa — described how CBI changed their daily routines and helped them find employment. Calvin said Mindful Mondays helped him communicate with parents and track grade improvements; Austin said Mr. Jones assisted him in finding a job and that the class “helps you take the next step in your life.” Janessa summarized a guest session on credit from a former student, Jocelyn Rivera, who spoke about credit scores, cosigning and avoiding long-term debt.
School staff said they plan to expand the program beyond seniors over time, increase partnerships with local employers and continue bringing in guest speakers to cover industry topics in healthcare, hospitality, IT and finance.
Board members responded with praise. Allison Rafter congratulated students and encouraged the district to continue reaching out to alumni as speakers. The presentation closed with thanks to the students and staff and a commitment to bring additional work-based learning opportunities forward.
The board plans to discuss the college/career/workforce readiness portion of the report card at a November 3 meeting, where staff said they will present more detail on how program credentials feed into graduation and accountability measures.
