On August 16, 2022, EdSystems introduced the Career Development Experience Toolkit Facilitation Guide, a new resource designed to guide communities through the process of creating and maintaining successful Career Development Experiences (CDEs). This resource compiles CDE best practices and resources into manageable action items adaptable to your community’s needs. Additionally, the guide highlights common barriers and solutions for engaging underrepresented youth as well as how mentorship can make CDEs more equitable.

Our goal is to improve access and engagement in CDEs across the state. Whether you are in the early planning stages or looking for a way to improve your existing WBL programming, we hope that this resource can help your community design together and build high-quality CDEs.

Additional Career Development Experience Resources

The Facilitation Guide builds on existing resources published by EdSystems:

• Career Development Experience Toolkit
  The Career Development Experience (CDE) Toolkit, released in Fall 2019, adheres to the framework of the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act for College and Career Pathway Endorsements. The guide and online resources are designed to serve any organization that seeks to provide rigorous work-based learning opportunities to youth. Career Development Experiences are part of Illinois’ broader work-based learning continuum and refer to a broad array of experiential learning that addresses the components included in the statutory definition of the Career Pathways Dictionary.
• Career Development Experience Toolkit Companion Piece
  The purpose of this extension is to explore career development experiences (CDE) and provide resources to address the needs of stakeholders outside of a traditional high school setting including workforce development organizations, community-based organizations, and alternative high schools. This companion piece targets these organizations and employers in order to serve youth more inclusively.

On July 18, 2022, the Illinois WBL Innovation Network focused on experiences along the work-based learning continuum in the business sector. Learn how District 214, along with their industry and school partners, support and design opportunities in their business pathway.

At the I-WIN convening on June 27, 2022, leaders from California-based Climate Action Pathways for Schools shared their model for inspiring and implementing climate education programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while saving money for school districts.

Our community of practice on March 22, 2022, focused on experiences along the work-based learning continuum in the IT sector. Learn how Science Olympiad, along with their industry and school partners, support and design opportunities in IT.

Presenters include:

• Gina Schuyler, CTE Department Chair for Careers and Community Partnerships, D127 – Grayslake Central and North
• Alex Escareno, Professional Development Coordinator, Lake County Tech Campus
• Katrina Pavlik, Deputy Executive Director, Science Olympiad
• Dr. John Loehr, Vice President of STEM Education, Science Olympiad
• Dr. Peter Hung, The Aerospace Corporation
• Russ Burleson, Northrup Grumman

Our February 2022 community of practice focused on experiences along the work-based learning continuum in the manufacturing sector. Learn how Ridgewood High School designed manufacturing work-based learning along the continuum, plus an update from the Illinois Manufacturer’s Association on their community efforts and insights for providing meaningful work-based learning experiences.

Presenters include:

• Sarah Hartwick, Vice President of Education & Workforce Policy, Illinois Manufacturers’ Association
• Eric Lasky, Assistant Principal, Ridgewood High School
• Lisa Balata, Division Head of Curriculum, Ridgewood High School

Our November 2021 community of practice focused on experiences along the work-based learning continuum in the education sector. Guest speakers included:

• Brooke May and Hannah Middleton, Instructors and Coordinators from the Southern Illinois Future Teachers Coalition, presented on their work-based learning models and how they are targeting programming to create a diverse educator pipeline.
• Lindsey Jensen, Educators Rising Illinois State Coordinator, provided an overview of Educators Rising and how this Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) can support work-based learning experiences.

Our community of practice on September 20, 2021, focused on experiences along the work-based learning continuum in the Health Sciences sector.

• The Whiteside Area Career Center provided an overview of their Career Exploration experiences and opportunities for young people to engage directly with Health Science professionals.
• District 211 discussed the development process of their Team-Based Challenges that are embedded in Health Science coursework.
• Danville Area Community College presented on their clinical experience model co-developed with employers to provide Career Development Experiences for students in the Health Sciences pathway.

In the summer of 2021, I-WIN hosted a three-part workshop series for designing experiences along the WBL continuum. The I-WIN workshops began with an overview by Pathways & Policy Manager Heather Penczak, which included a review of definitions from the Illinois Career Pathways Dictionary and an overview of resources, best practices, and community models to provide inspiration and spark thinking for attendees. Attendees then moved into breakout rooms to develop an experience that addresses the design challenge. Access the recordings and resources below.

Interested in hosting an I-WIN workshop for your school or district? Contact Heather Penczak.

Career Exploration Workshop: June 23, 2021

Team-Based Challenges Workshop: July 21, 2021

Career Development Experience Workshop: August 11, 2021

Download the Presentation

The May 2021 I-WIN session featured community presentations from the Mayor’s Employer Advisory Council in Evanston and North Chicago Community High School on their processes to shift typically in-person WBL events to fully virtual opportunities, plus a comparison of virtual and in-person networking events for high school students by EdSystems intern Edith L.

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The April 2021 I-WIN session featured community presentations from Alignment Rockford and Chicago Public Schools on engagement with partners who host work-based learning experiences including recruitment, ongoing support, and celebration of their partnerships. We then previewed a Statewide Team-Based Challenge resource bank of templates and example challenge ideas aligned to the College and Career Pathway Endorsement areas.

The March 2021 I-WIN session included a review of lessons and insights from collecting, analyzing, and reporting on metrics related to work-based learning from the Great Lakes College and Career Pathways Partnership and a review of emerging ISBE expectations for reporting related to the College and Career Readiness Indicator, the College and Career Pathways Endorsement, and Perkins.

• Download the Presentation
• Watch Practera Info Session
• Great Lakes College & Career Pathways Partnership By the Numbers Report
• ISBE College and Career Pathway Endorsement site

The January 2021 I-WIN convening includes a review of the Brookings report on how work-based learning can advance equity and opportunity, as well as a presentation from Here to Here on the value and impact of work-based learning to address educational equity and opportunity gaps.

• Download the Presentation
• Download the Here to Here Presentation

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The December 2020 convening of I-WIN began with an overview of Career Development Experiences by Heather Penczak. Presenter Jennifer Irvin, School-Community Education Partner at BJC Healthcare, shared on high school internships and healthcare career exploration in East St. Louis, including how this initiative has adapted due to COVID-19. Presenter Michael Kuhn, Principal at Woodruff Career & Technical Center shared on his school’s partnership with UnityPoint Health and how their career program offerings are evolving.

At the inaugural community of practice session, EdSystems’ Policy & Program Manager Heather Penczak provided an overview of work-based learning and the I-WIN initiative. Maud Daudon, Executive Leader of Career Connect Washington, shared the framework her organization used to create virtual work-based learning experiences. Kathleen Burley, Executive Director of GCAMP, shared how they’ve adapted opportunities for Advanced Manufacturing pathways since the start of the pandemic. John Loehr, Vice President of STEM Education for Science Olympiad, shared available resources educators can use for remote learning, including challenge-based learning exercises and interaction logs.

• Download the Presentation
• Download the Chat Transcript