provide STEM content ranging from 3D printing to robotics clubs. The district has also integrated artificial intelligence into the curriculum.“We know our students are using AI, and our objective is to teach them how to use it appropriately because they will likely encounter it in the workplace and beyond,” Dills says. CAREER PATHWAYS THAT CONNECT TO COMMUNITY NEEDS With over 50 career and technical education courses available across the district, Jackson County Public Schools offers a breadth of programming remarkable for its size. The offerings stem from a custombuilt career development plan that every student completes, a system the district designed through Google Classroom rather than purchasing an offthe-shelf product. The approach allows staff to track student interests and passions, then advise them toward aligned career pathways and relevant coursework. “My thing is if we can find what keeps kids coming to school every single day, whether that’s health science or if that is carpentry or if it’s business, how do we connect those interests for kids to make that learning meaningful and relevant?” Dills asks. The question drives course selection across the district, 279 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 11 JACKSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx