Civil Municipal Magazine - Dec 2023

347 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 12 THE WAUKEE COMMUNI T Y SCHOOL DISTRICT “Our athletic programs are all high quality and competitive. Between our two high schools, we compete very well; we’ve had a number of teams qualify for state championships. And our facilities are some of the best around. Our band and our arts programs – they also win championships. And most recently, we’ve gotten more focused on debate; we’re adding assistant debate coaches at our high schools next year.” Preparing for the Future In addition to all these amenities, academic, pedagogic, psychological, and programmatic, the District’s focus on work-based learning and career preparation is perhaps one of its most significant features. The Waukee Innovation and Learning Center (WILC) is a state-of-the-art facility that houses the Waukee APEX (Aspiring Professional Experience) program and the Waukee CSD Career Center, both of which provide opportunities for students to grow their professional skills. Waukee APEX is an entrepreneurial, innovative approach to education that is designed to give high school students hands-on, real-world experience in a profession of their choice. Students are matched with over 800 corporate and non-profit community partners, who offer them authentic projects and onsite familiarity within their respective professional domains. In addition, APEX offers courses to high school juniors and seniors in five economic sectors identified as key trends within the local area: Financial and Insurance; Business, Technology, and Communication; Engineering; Human Services; and Bioscience & Value-Added Agriculture. The Waukee Career Center will open this fall to all the District’s K-12 students. Preparing students for success beyond graduation, the Waukee Community School District Career Center will offer a place for them to explore career pathways, connect with part-time/ summer jobs and internships and more. Keeping Students Safe As has become tragically apparent throughout the country over the past several years, without a focus on school safety, all of the District’s quality programs and innovative agendas would be for naught. To prepare to respond to any threat to its students and teachers, WCSD has a quality School Resource Officer (SRO) program (full- time staff at each high school, and three officers among the five middle schools), and a close relationship with the Waukee Police Department. Waukee Innovation and Learning Center (WILC)