Career Academy Leaders’ Collaborative
Challenge
Leaders of the estimated 7,000 career academies in the United States face a number of challenges, such as building connections with local partners, developing industry-aligned curricula, and recruiting educators who understand the career academy model. Creating opportunities for collaboration and professional development is vital to helping leaders build schools that prepare youth for the future.
EDC partners with the National Career Academy Coalition to convene the annual Career Academy Leaders’ Collaborative (CALC), an effort to support experienced career academy leaders in improving their professional practice, developing adaptive leadership skills, and connecting them to peers. CALC participants gain tools and knowledge they can use in their districts, schools, and academies, while gaining access to an ongoing peer community of practice.
Key Activities
The project focuses on the following activities:
- Convene three in-person meetings per year to facilitate collaboration and connection
- Organize a year-long fellowship to help education leaders address ongoing challenges in implementing career academies and pathways
- Facilitate an ongoing community of practice
Impact
- The CALC has trained more than 300 educators and community and industry leaders across the United States since 2017.
