Students partnered with local businesses and community organizations to solve authentic problems and learn workforce skills
The Co-Designing Profession-Based Learning in Caldwell County project, funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and other partners, exists to enhance education, workforce knowledge, and skills of Caldwell County residents for success in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The initiative fosters collaboration between education, business, and community leaders, empowering them to design innovative learning experiences for students. By equipping participants with technical and human skills, this project prepares students for future workforce demands. Through two cohorts, educators, industry leaders, and community members work together to co-design authentic Profession-Based Learning opportunities. The project will create a culture of localized innovation, culminating in impactful presentations and sustained relationship between the K-12, community college, industry and government sectors.
The following projects were designed by 6th-12th grade teachers from Caldwell County Schools, faculty from Caldwell County Community College & Technical Institute, and partners from various local industrial, government, and non-profit organizations. The students who participated acted as consultants for their partnering organizations to design potential solutions to authentic problems, all while integrating content from core content classes.
Overview Granite Insurance is exponentially growing and would like to place another office in the Southeast. The “Grow with Granite” project engaged students in a comprehensive exploration of business expansion and economic development. Partnering with Granite Insurance, students took on the role of consultants to identify the ideal location for
Overview In this project, students utilized the NC Foothills Experience tool, a resource providing information on quality of life indicators in the four-county region. They researched and designed custom local visits for their class while documenting their experiences to optimize and market the tool to the local population, attract outside
Overview In this project, students delved into the world of healthcare professions with the goal of creating captivating advertisements to inspire high school students to pursue careers in healthcare. Through this exploration, students also gained a deeper understanding of how their current learning, specifically in chemistry classes, would be relevant
Overview: This project was a learning experience focused on analyzing real-world data and developing essential skills to enhance workplace safety. Through an in-depth review of OSHA logs spanning seven years, students investigated work-related injuries at SERVPRO, with a particular emphasis on new hires and machinery misuse. Participants honed their data
Overview In “The Caseworx Case” project, students embarked on an enlightening journey to investigate and analyze the far-reaching consequences of business practices on global climate change. With a focus on the wood products manufacturing process of the company Caseworx, the project delved into the entire supply chain, starting from the
The project is designed to prepare students for the Fourth Industrial Revolution by fostering intentional stakeholder collaboration in designing innovative learning experiences. The goal is to equip education, business, and community leaders with technical and human skills, enhancing the region’s workforce and promoting a culture of localized innovation and collaboration.
Creating equitable opportunities in the Caldwell County community to transform and improve the future for everyone