designed around regional economic needs and highdemand careers identified by the state. MendonUpton has been accepted for five Innovation Career Pathways, spanning information technology, health and healthcare assisting, environmental science, and business and finance.These pathways are supported by professional partners in the region and reinforced through state grant funding that helps districts launch and sustain programming. A particularly distinctive component of career readiness is the district’s junior internship program. Juniors spend the last three weeks of their junior year working full time at a local business or organization. The program has grown quickly, beginning with 20 students, expanding to 40, and now targeting 60 to 70 participants, with the long-range goal of expanding the experience to the full junior class. For district leadership, this is not simply a work experience program; it is a bridge between academic learning and adult expectations, giving students exposure to professional environments, accountability, and applied skill development. The district also supports broader engagement through Inspired Learning Days, held each year. These days function as district-wide deeper learning experiences, where students participate in sessions organized by schools that often include community and professional partners. The focus is on exposure to careers, development of real-world skills, and learning that helps students understand what will be expected of them beyond the classroom. Technology integration is designed to support this deeper learning approach from the earliest grades. Mendon-Upton is a one-to-one iPad district from kindergarten through grade 12. Robidoux explains that elementary students engage in Project Lead the Way Launch modules from kindergarten through fourth grade, providing repeated hands-on STEM and technology experiences. Robotics and interactive STEM activities begin early, building foundational comfort with design, systems thinking, and problem solving. That progression continues into middle school 329 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 02 MENDON-UPTON REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
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