Connections Academy’s Post

NACDD apprentice, Bryan Dooley, is back with another informative blog post! This time, Bryan shares his personal story about employment and his path to purpose, inclusion, and advocacy. “Employment is about more than a paycheck — it’s about belonging, purpose, and being valued for your skills. For people with disabilities, work represents independence and the chance to contribute meaningfully to our communities. But for many of us, the barriers to employment start long before graduation.” Read Bryan’s story and download his Breaking Barriers checklist for employees here: https://lnkd.in/g3YAMpky

A CAPS (Center for Advanced Professional Studies) school program is a high school program, offered by St. Charles County CAPS, that provides juniors and seniors with hands-on, real-world experience in high-skill, high-demand career fields by immersing them in professional workplace environments. These programs are part of the national CAPS Network and feature project-based learning, mentorship from industry professionals, and opportunities for college credit, all designed to prepare students for post-secondary education and career success.

15,000 students using Wingspans! Congrats Lindsay Kuhn, Ph.D. What an amazing journey! Here's what we learned about GTM in edtech that applies to any vertical: Lesson 1: Your first ICP may be wrong: Wingspans initially targeted individual students, their parents and general K-12. The real buyers? Community colleges serving students who need career pathways most. Pivoting early saved valuable time. Lesson 2: Messaging matters: We rewrote outbound campaigns around ONE insight: "Your students want work that provides a family-sustaining wage at graduation. Current systems make it impossible to get there." Response rates jumped. Lesson 3: NRR drives new logos: We focused on making existing customers wildly successful. Result? 100%+ NRR and organic word-of-mouth that no marketing budget could buy. The edtech graveyard is full of "innovative" products that didn't solve urgent problems. Wingspans wins because they make career exploration actually work for the students who need it most. Proud to be part of this journey with the Wingspans team! https://lnkd.in/g7Cmy9DE

Starmer claims further education will be a "defining mission" for the government, replacing the 50% to uni 'target' with a new target of 2/3s to get higher level skills (level 4+) by age 25

Beneath that will a "sub-target" for at least 10% of young people doing higher technical education or apprenticeships by age 25 by 2040

Transfer Peer Partners is a new initiative designed to support the experience of transfer and adult students as they begin their IU Indianapolis journey. By connecting new students with successful peers who have already navigated that path, the Center for Transfer and Adult Students @ IU Indianapolis is embedding a critical support network directly into students' transition experiences. Read more about the program: https://lnkd.in/gfXZ9ebs

LX Studio at the University of Central Oklahoma is now the exclusive partner for micro-credential development at the Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. This partnership connects OKC’s Hispanic community with higher education opportunities and creates new pathways for career growth. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gaXgwtzN

College isn’t the only path to success—trade schools offer hands-on training for high-demand careers! 🔧🩺💻 Read College Raptor, Inc.'s article here: https://lnkd.in/e6PM8zui Children's Services Council of Broward County Broward Education Foundation Broward County Public Schools Bridge2Life South Florida #TradeSchool #SkilledTrades #CareerReady Created by DCC Jayla Clement

🎓✨ 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐃 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬! Victoria ISD is launching Freshman 2 Freshman (F2F), a new dual credit pathway that gives students the chance to start earning college credit as early as 9th grade. ✅ Courses offered right on VISD high school campuses ✅ No cost to families ✅ Built-in cohort for support & success ✅ A clear pathway to save time and money on college Incoming 8th graders and freshmen can apply this fall to be part of the first F2F Cohort! Learn more about how VISD is expanding opportunities for every student to get a head start on their college journey. 💡📚🔗 https://bit.ly/4pUaRvu

The City of Birmingham is investing $1 million to expand and strengthen mental health services across Birmingham City Schools. This funding will provide licensed counselors for students, additional support for school personnel, early crisis identification, and training for staff in effective mental health intervention techniques. Since 2021, the city has consistently funded these efforts to ensure students have access to the emotional and behavioral support they need to thrive. This initiative is part of a broader commitment by my office and the Birmingham City Council to empower students through programs such as Common Ground, H.E.A.T. conflict resolution, financial literacy classes, and Birmingham Promise scholarships and apprenticeships. #puttingpeoplefirst