Cedar Rapids Community School District Superintendent Tawana Glover announced the award of approximately $15 million in grants through the U.S. Department of Education’s Magnet School Assistance Program at the district’s Educational Leadership Support Center in northwest Cedar Rapids. He spoke at a reception Wednesday to celebrate the award. (Jim Slosialek/The Gazette)
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CEDAR RAPIDS — Pathways in medicine, aeronautical engineering, agriculture, education and technology are just some of the careers Cedar Rapids Community School District students can explore under a new learning model starting next fall.
The district announced Wednesday afternoon the “pathways” available to students in grades 10-12 at four high schools: Washington, Jefferson, Kennedy and Metro.
Each high school offers a different pathway for students to explore and gain experience to determine if it is the career field for them.
Superintendent Tawana Grover said the infrastructure needed to support these programs will require a school bond referendum in November 2025. “A bond is essential to achieving our vision. It’s necessary.” “We hope it demonstrated our commitment to doing what is right for our students here in Cedar Rapids.”
The pathway will remove barriers and increase student achievement by giving students the opportunity to explore careers and empower their learning while in high school, Glover said.
The pathway “fundamentally changes the way we educate and prepare students for life after high school,” Glover said.
Cedar Rapids Community School District released Wednesday renderings of the exterior of an addition that will provide space for the freshman academy at Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids. (Invision Architecture)
Starting with Freshman Academy starting in fall 2025, the addition of College and Career Pathways to Cedar Rapids high schools will bring real-world experiences to the classroom that align with students’ career interests. Masu.
Next year, in the 2026-27 school year, the district plans to open pathways for second, third and fourth grade students at each school. This pathway will be a small, supportive learning environment contained within a larger high school environment.
Many of the details of this plan are still being determined with input from students, educators, the business community and local universities. These details include what happens if a student chooses a career interest not offered at his or her home high school, or what happens if a student changes his or her mind about his or her career interests at another school. This includes deciding whether to move on.
College and Career Pathways creates small learning communities for students starting in their first year of high school. Students talk with their teachers and school counselors to choose a program of study or career path that interests them.
Students complete a progression of three courses in a specialized college and career-related pathway and earn a college and career-recognized qualification. Regardless of which high school they attend, students continue to have access to world languages and opportunities in the fine and performing arts.
Other opportunities, such as Advanced Placement classes and dual enrollment in college courses, will also continue to be offered at each high school.
Diamond Roundtree, a 2020 Washington High School graduate and Northern Iowa Digital Media Production and Journalism major, spoke at a reception Wednesday celebrating nearly $15 million, which will transform her alma mater into a freshman academy and magnet school after construction and renovations. Look at the image. Grants to school districts. (Jim Slosialek/The Gazette)
Earlier this month, the Cedar Rapids School District received about $15 million from the U.S. Department of Education’s Magnet School Assistance Program. The program will be used to support career programs that better prepare graduates for higher wages, higher skills and higher education, school leaders said. -A career in demand.
With this funding, the district will invest in cutting-edge technology, innovative equipment, and hands-on learning experiences that connect students to industry-leading careers.
What is a route?
Under the plan, each high school in Cedar Rapids would have its own designated pathway and academy.
The Cedar Rapids Community School District released Wednesday renderings of an addition that will provide space for the engineering technology faculty at Washington High School in Cedar Rapids. (Invision Architecture)
washington high school
Washington High School’s college and career paths include the School of Medical Sciences, Business and Media, and Engineering and Technology.
In medical school, students can attend academies specific to their career interests in pre-medicine/nursing, mental health, or clinical laboratory science.
In the Faculty of Business & Media, the academies are Finance & Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Creative Media & Production.
The Faculty of Engineering & Technology includes academies of Engineering & Manufacturing, Architecture & Construction, and Information Technology & Artificial Intelligence.
This rendering shows plans for an addition to Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids that will provide space for the Aeronautical Engineering Department, announced Wednesday by the Cedar Rapids Community School District. (Invision Architecture)
jefferson high school
The college and career paths at Jefferson High School are Law and Human Services, Aviation and Engineering, and Environmental Science and Sustainability.
The Faculty of Law and Human Services includes pre-law, public safety, and education academies.
The School of Aeronautical Engineering will house aerospace and aviation, automotive technology, engineering, construction and manufacturing academies.
The School of Environmental Science and Sustainability will house academies of agricultural science, environmental science, and business.
kennedy high school
The college and career path at Kennedy High School will be the College of Liberal Arts. The academies affiliated with the Kennedy School of Liberal Arts are:
Automotive Technology Business Innovation & Marketing Computers & Technology Science, Construction & Engineering Creative Arts & Design Education Environmental Science & Sustainability Finance Health Industry Health Sciences Pre-Law & Public Safety
metro high school
Metro High School’s college and career path will be the School of Health & Hospitality. This includes the Academy of Food Science and Urban Agriculture, Hospitality and Business, and Medical Laboratory Science.
Community support for college and career paths
Adam Zimmerman, director of innovation for the Cedar Rapids District, said the pathway will provide learning options for students and families. This provides students with relevant, rigorous coursework and practical experience that prepares them for life after high school.
Doug Newman, executive director of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Economic Alliance, said the Cedar Rapids area’s college and career paths are “creating the workforce of the future.”
This pathway will expose students to careers in medicine, aviation, engineering, manufacturing and more in Cedar Rapids and Iowa State, but “it’s the very career path that increases our chances of keeping them here.” “It helps,” Newman said. “All too often, we lose students to other cities after graduation. An important goal of this program is to retain talent.”
Graduates with “real-world skills and orientation” will “drive business growth, attract new companies and drive economic development,” Newman said. This is “an investment in the future of our business community, the future of our city, and helping Cedar Rapids remain a center of innovation and opportunity.”
Lori Weih, director of community engagement for UnityPoint Health Cedar Rapids, spoke at a reception Wednesday celebrating a nearly $15 million grant to the Cedar Rapids School District and the creation of a magnet school and career academy within the district. (Jim Slosialek/The Gazette)
Through the Pathways program, students will learn essential skills such as communication, problem-solving, time management, organization and teamwork, which Newman hears every day from business leaders and what they look for in their employees. He said this is what he has.
Lori Weih, director of community engagement at UnityPoint Health, spoke about the importance of a “well-trained workforce.” College and Career Pathways offers employers a way to provide experiences, training and support to students in the region as they consider their futures. she said.
Way said Pathways helps students “discover their abilities” and “discover how important it is to our community.”
Christie Black, executive dean of K-12 partnerships at Kirkwood Community College, will speak at a reception Wednesday at the Cedar Rapids Community School District’s Educational Leadership and Support Center in northwest Cedar Rapids. (Jim Slosialek/The Gazette)
Christy Black, executive dean of Kirkwood Community College, said the pathway opens opportunities for students to pursue careers that “may otherwise be out of reach for them.”
Cedar Rapids School Board President Cindy Garlock said, “The students who walk through our doors every day have the potential to cure cancer, walk on Mars, or create the next breakthrough invention that will change the world. I might,” he said.
“To do that, they need our help right now… It takes more than the work that takes place in our classrooms: the tools, knowledge and opportunities for students to realize their dreams. It will take all of us here today, business leaders, community advocates, and policy makers, coming together to ensure that we have the best possible outcome,” Garlock said.
Comments: (319) 398-8411;grace.king@thegazette.com
