Committee plans stakeholder survey, 7th‑grade summer rotations and corporate sponsorship pilot for CTE outreach

Committee members spent substantial time shaping a stakeholder survey and prototypes for summer outreach and sponsorship models to expand access to CTE pathways.

Chair (Speaker 2) outlined a plan to survey business partners, higher education, policymakers and community members with a role‑based form that allows respondents to skip irrelevant sections. The Presenter recommended Google Forms with linked graphics showing which schools host which programs and urged a short, targeted survey (about four minutes) with hyperlink navigation to sections. The Presenter said: "If you're an employer, what are your noticings about recent hires coming out of Rhode Island high schools?" to illustrate employer‑focused questions.

Members recommended separate surveys for seniors and alumni to capture post‑graduation plans and reasons students leave CTE tracks. One committee member urged questions that probe why students drop a program rather than accept a generic "not interested" response so the district can identify program or capacity gaps.

The committee also discussed a 7th‑grade summer rotation pilot to give younger students exposure to career pathways across multiple schools, and initial cost discussions included an estimated per‑student sponsorship cost of about $1,200 for a packaged experience. The Presenter described an initial sponsorship with BlueForge for event banners and said the district is exploring employer naming opportunities for fields, labs or rooms as potential revenue sources.

Members asked staff to finalize survey questions by mid‑June (flexible deadline set at June 15 for committee feedback), pilot outreach in July/August, and report back on sponsorship legal parameters and estimated costs. The committee will coordinate with communications staff, industry representatives and higher education partners when launching outreach.