FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – On Monday, Fort Wayne Community Schools announced that it has been recognized by a Ford Motor Co. program for its Master Plan.
According to FWCS, the district has been named a Ford Next Generation Learning (NGL) community and will join a group of schools supported by Ford’s program. It aims to encourage schools to prepare students for success after high school.
FWCS representatives released the following:
Fort Wayne Community Schools has been named a Ford Next Generation Learning (NGL) community. The designation comes after a 16-month process to develop a Portrait of a Graduate and a Master Plan laying out the District’s plan to transform education from pre-K through 12th grade.
“This is an exciting step in our journey to ensure all students are ready for life after graduation, whether they choose to go on to higher education, immediate employment or enlisting in the military,” FWCS Superintendent Dr. Mark Daniel said. “We are honored to be joining school districts around the world as a member of the Ford NGL community.”
As a member of the Ford NGL community, FWCS joins a network of schools supported by the Ford Motor Co. Fund, which encourages schools to prepare students for success after high school.
FWCS submitted its Master Plan to Ford NGL earlier this summer after working with more than 200 community members and FWCS employees to determine the skills, knowledge and attributes graduates need to be successful. Together, the working group determined FWCS, supported by regional partners, will empower all students to reach their potential through equitable and relevant community-connected experiences.
The Master Plan outlines the District’s intention to transform its five high schools into Schools of Success. The initiative begins next year with all ninth graders entering the Freshman School of Success at their high school. The Freshman School will allow ninth graders the opportunity to work together in small groups – or houses – under the 3DE model, which is already in place at North Side and Snider. Ninth graders will learn about career pathway options as they select the School of Success they will participate in during their sophomore, junior and senior years. FWCS will develop pathways in the School of Health Science and Human Services; the School of Manufacturing, Engineering and Trades; and the School of Business, Technology and the Arts at each of its high schools.
Each of the Schools of Success will have community partners to ensure what students are learning is relevant to the workforce in Northeast Indiana. While students will choose a focus of study in their School of Success, the skills they learn will be transferrable to any career.
Edmond O’Neal III, President of Northeast Indiana Works, will serve as the convening partner to assist FWCS in developing and expanding business connections and help form steering committees to guide and monitor the programs over time.
“I am excited to take on this partnership with Fort Wayne Community Schools,” O’Neal said. “The students in the classroom today are tomorrow’s workforce. To ensure robust economic development in Northeast Indiana continues, we cannot work in isolation. Bringing the state’s largest public-school district together with our business community gives students opportunities for educational growth that far exceeds what was available to previous generations. Our graduates will be ready to take on further education, employment or enlistment the day after graduation.”
Fort Wayne Community Schools will celebrate becoming a member of the Ford NGL community at an event on Wednesday, Nov. 8. Additional details will be released soon.
