As one of the four elements of the NAF design, work-based learning (WBL) plays an important role in students’ academy experiences. According to our WBL Tracker data (which over 70% of NAF academies have used this year), over 46,000 students have participated in more than 3,300 WBL activities during the 2023-24 school year. Academies offer a wide variety of innovative opportunities across the WBL Continuum of Career Awareness, Exploration, and Preparation.
NAF launched the WBL Impact Program to recognize the breadth and depth of WBL experiences across the Network and to kick off the first year of the ODWBL approach. To be considered for the WBL Impact Award, educators, work-based learning coordinators, and academy leads submitted activities they felt exemplified ODWBL. Six finalists were selected, followed by an overall winner. As part of a Student Impact Competition, students had the opportunity to plan and host a WBL activity in their academy.
NAF is excited to announce the winners!
WBL Impact Award Winner:
Sequoia River Trust Youth Advisory Council
Richard Lambie, Granite Hills High School, Academy of Careers in Education, Porterville Unified School District
As members of a Youth Advisory Council through the Sequioa River Trust, academy students taught and led environmental education activities as part of multiple field trips for local 3rd and 4th grade students in California’s rural Central Valley. Advisory Board members acted as mentors and the students led all elements of the WBL activity, including designing lesson plans, teaching the elementary school students, and coordinating logistics. In their reflections, students noted that the most meaningful parts of teaching younger children were “being able to see the students get excited” about nature, getting to “…create a well-developed lesson plan to later present in front of students, as well as be able to interact and experience teaching a classroom,” and “working and building bonds with the kids.” Students also shared that they expanded their communication, teamwork, and leadership skills, and several said that the experience helped them solidify their career aspirations of becoming teachers.
Student Impact Competition Winner:
Technology Career Fair
DeAnthony Neal ‘24, Frederick Douglass Academy for Young Men, Detroit Public School Community District
Event support: Ashton Colson ‘24, Xylon Holmes ‘24, and Keith Anthony Morales ‘24
Supporting Educator: Chad Segrist
Seeking to provide an opportunity for students to interact with local technology companies, DeAnthony planned and held a Future Ready Career Fair. Located in the school’s central atrium, the event featured tables staffed by representatives from a number of companies and organizations, including Qualcomm, Square One, Turner Construction, the Michigan Engineering Zone (MEZ), and others. Students from each grade year had conversations with the representatives about their companies’ focus, skills needed for positions there, and ways to get involved. DeAnthony and several supporting students created a YouTube video with highlights from the event. Students who attended the event shared that they “met some great people who will help [them] take another step” towards their career and multiple students said they received the contact information for staff members in the companies.
The winners, finalists, and honorable mentions will all be recognized during the NAF Next Conference this July and in a WBL Activity All-Stars collection. This free, publicly available resource will offer blueprints of each activity and can be used by anyone looking to implement creative, impactful WBL activities. Stay tuned!
Work-based learning creates multiple avenues for students to identify their career aspirations, develop Future Ready Skills, and build important professional connections. Activities like those highlighted through the WBL Impact Program embody these fundamental attributes and help students gain confidence and clarity about what’s next after high school. NAF is honored to recognize these activities and celebrate WBL across the Network, as well as the educators, Advisory Board members, and others who dedicate countless hours to making these opportunities happen. We thank you!
