Civil Municipal Magazine - Dec 2023

355 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 12 WAYNE-WESTLAND COMMUNI T Y SCHOOLS We’re pretty excited about this because we think it’s an incentive for our students to get their driver’s license without financial burden to them or their families.” Additionally, the district is grateful for the investment made by Big Green which has provided learning gardens at each of its schools to offer a valuable tool for teaching students and families the importance of fresh produce and nutrition. Career Readiness Initiatives Wayne-Westland Community Schools places a strong focus on preparing students for future careers, recognizing the evolving landscape of employment. Dr. Dignan recounts that the first order of business when he joined the district was the creation of a college and career readiness department. He shares, “In our comprehensive high schools, we have college and career readiness centers that bring in outside entities, whether junior colleges, four-year institutions, skilled trades, or military job opportunities, and we have a captive audience with our kids. Our career technical program is one of the best in the state of Michigan; we offer 20 different programs for everything from construction to cybersecurity, to HVAC, to welding, to culinary. Our students have an unduplicated second year, so they’re actually out in the field, getting a true hands-on experience there.” A summer internship program, supported by congressional backing, provides paid real-world experiences for students pursuing diverse career paths. “Students interested in internships can go through an essential skills curriculum, and then we put them out in the field, and we’re able to pay them,” portrays Dignan. “Let’s say they think they want to go into health science and could get a job at the hospital. The hospital can’t pay for that internship, but we’re able to pay for that experience through this grant.” With the realization that college and career readiness needs to start in the early grades, the district has created several different themes, from career awareness at the elementary level, to exposure during middle school, and practical