job shadowing professionals in fields such as engineering and healthcare. “We’ll send them out to an industry partner who is eager to give students a two-hour window into what engineers and other professionals inside their organization do,” Kunz adds.The culmination comes at Senior Decision Day, where students choosing employment or military service are celebrated alongside their college-bound peers. LOOKING AHEAD: PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT 18 MONTHS GJCS’s forward-looking strategy focuses on a few key priorities to maintain its educational leadership.The district plans to expand early learning opportunities, “to try to capture as many of our children before they enter school age, to give them good foundational experiences, to prepare them for school readiness,“ Lorey shares. Core academic competencies remain central, with intensified focus on literacy and mathematics to meet Indiana’s new diploma requirements. The district will scale up work-based learning programs, ensuring all students gain hands-on experience through expanded internships and apprenticeships. AI integration will continue evolving, preparing students for technology-driven careers. “I think if you have certifications in each of those pathways that students can do, maybe during a homeroom, if they’re going into marketing, that they get some sort of AI marketing certification tied into with their pathway,” says Pryor, ensuring graduates remain competitive. These strategic priorities reinforce GJCS’s commitment to developing well-prepared, future-ready graduates. A BLUEPRINT FOR MODERN EDUCATION GJCS stands as a model of educational innovation, successfully blending technology integration with workforce readiness. From its groundbreaking SafeEvac system to AI-powered classrooms and robust career pathways through Hub 19, the district prepares students for tomorrow’s challenges. “We want to make sure that our students are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and work ethics 321 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 09 GREATER JASPER CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS
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