Lincoln, Neb. – The Career Academy is widening a hands‑on workforce program that pairs special‑education students with local child‑care centers. Launched in the academy’s Early Childhood Education pathway, the initiative blends classroom learning with practicum experience, helping students earn a Child Development Associate credential and secure employment after graduation.
Addressing a support gap
Special‑education teacher Makayla Watson explained that many graduates leave high school with modified programming but lack access to further support services, such as the district’s Independence Academy. “When they leave high school, they’ve maybe received some sort of modified programming in high school,” Watson said. “And then they leave and they don’t necessarily qualify for other supports that LPS has…so we found that they leave and there’s nothing.”
Program structure and early results
Students split their week between classroom instruction and on‑site practicum work at child‑care facilities throughout Lincoln. Director Josh Jones noted that the program also teaches workplace skills like professionalism and time management. “The 16 students that we started with this program all had a goal of working in childcare when they graduated,” Jones said.
Four of those original participants are now employed in the early‑childhood field. Some graduates returned for a fifth year of high school to complete the credential. One such graduate, Autumn Brown, secured a job at the very center where she completed her practicum. “I got a job at my practicum site,” Brown said. “It’s been an experience that I actually love to do.”
Building confidence and expanding pathways
Watson observed that real‑world placements boost confidence and give students practice handling situations that cannot be fully simulated in a classroom. The program is now in its second year, with 11 students returning for another term.
Earlier this week, the Lincoln Board of Education approved the academy’s request to apply for a $10,000 grant. The funding would cover first‑aid training, transportation for field trips and practicums, and uniforms for participants.
Future growth
Looking ahead, The Career Academy plans to replicate the model in additional career pathways, including construction and culinary arts. Jones emphasized that while the initiative is starting small, it has the potential to reach many more students seeking meaningful work experience after high school.
For students like Brown, the program has already proven transformative. “Take the leap,” she urged. “I took it and it was the best thing I could have done. It was a little bit scary, but do it scared.”
Original reporting: KLKN-TV – News, Weather and Sports for Lincoln, Nebraska — read the source article.
