High school teachers and staff face a daunting task trying to navigate the complexities of industry credentials and career ready pathways. Just getting started generates more questions than clear answers.
Questions like “which pathways should we offer?”, “how do we prepare students to succeed in each pathway?”, “which vendor should we use for the credentials” and “how do we get students to earn 12 points in a single pathway?” challenge any school trying to implement industry credential programs.
The Ohio STEM Learning Network and EnvisionEdPlus are proud to introduce a new professional learning format designed to help answer those questions. LaunchPad to In-demand Industry Credentials is more than a Professional Learning Community (PLC) and not just a conference – it is a three-part learning series designed to INSPIRE school teams, help teams IDEATE and refine their plans to IMPLEMENT industry credential programs.
The LaunchPad series threads best practice research on adult learning, design thinking, and incorporates lessons learned from COVID-19 to help school teams identify valuable and DO-able credentials, connect with schools and their vendor partners to discover practical ways to implement credentials in typical high school settings, and access start-to-finish support from OSLN and EnvisionEdPlus to guide the planning process – so schools can LAUNCH new credentials or pathways.
Who Should Attend LaunchPad?
Teams of 3-5 individuals from any Ohio school. Teams should include at least one decision-maker (principal or administrator) who will actively engage during the entire experience as well as individuals responsible for day-to-day implementation of new pathways or credential initiatives.
What is the LaunchPad to In-demand Industry Credentials?
EnvisionEdPlus, in partnership with OSLN, has designed an immersive learning experience following IDEO’s core design thinking activities: Inspiration, Ideation and Implementation. Engaging videos created by credential vendors and their Ohio partner schools will INSPIRE high school teams as they discover “DO-able credentials” which are stackable industry recognized credentials leading to 12 points in a single pathway that meet four criteria and can be implemented within a typical high school setting.
DO-able credentials are:
- Relevant: credentials that help students develop critical and in-demand work and life skills.
- Agile: credentials that can be earned in a variety of settings (during or after school, or on the job) and modalities (remote, in-person, hybrid).
- Personalized: credentials that are linked to student interests, skills, and future plans.
- Sustainable: credentials that have low or reasonable startup and continuation costs.
During the LaunchPad series, school teams will delve deeply into three sets of DO-able credentials and determine which credentials best align with local needs and in-demand careers:
- Cross Cutting Credentials (applicable across multiple pathways)
- Advanced Manufacturing Credentials
- Information Technology Credentials
Teams will engage with other Ohio educators and knowledgeable credential vendors to learn from schools who are already expanding equitable access to “DO-able” Credentials. Teams will have access to personalized technical assistance from OSLN, EnvisionEdPlus and Ohio Department of Education staff as they IDEATE and brainstorm ideas that will enable students to begin to identify their individual paths to future success through career-focused learning. Finally, teams will engage in a mini-design lab planning session will create their plan to IMPLEMENT new pathways or credentials.
LaunchPad Series Details
INSPIRE September 14 – 20, 2021 (via Zoom). Several one hour sessions will be offered throughout the week. These sessions will help teams better understand the LaunchPad model.
Teams and/or team leaders will participate in one of three induction sessions to better understand the LaunchPad model, delve into the WHY and be prepared to examine their local WHY, and process the steps they need to take with their teams BEFORE participating in the IDEATE day (September 21).
INSPIRE session schedules and times will be posted separately.
IDEATE September 21, 2021, 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM, in person at The Wigwam Event Center 10190 Blacklick-Eastern Rd. Pickerington OH 43147
Full day, in-person event for school teams to network and collaborate with credential vendors and schools who are already offering industry credentials in their schools. Ideate day will include a vendor expo, presentations from schools, the Ohio Department of Education, credential vendors and time for team planning. Breakfast and lunch will be provided to all registered teams.
IMPLEMENT October 21, 2021 (via Zoom). Choose one session: 8 – 11 AM or 12 – 3 PM.
Half-day live virtual session for school teams to finalize their implementation plans with guidance from OSLN and EnvisionEdPlus. AM and PM session activities will be the same. School teams will select either the morning or afternoon session.
Cost to Participate
Registration for the LaunchPad series is $550 per team (up to 5 people). Registration fee covers: Inspire, Ideate and Implement sessions, plus breakfast, lunch and snacks during the Ideate session for all team members.
To register
- Select a team member to complete registration for the team.
- To pay by check/PO, register here.
- To pay by credit card, register here.
Only one person for each team should register. We will collect information about your team members closer to the event.
For questions about the event, contact Heather Sherman, [email protected].