Preparing Students for Successful Futures
September 2021
Pictured above: Students and staff from the El Dorado High School JAG-K program met with Kansas State Department of Education Dept. Commissioner Brad Neuenswander (left), Board of Ed member Jim Porter (second from right) and Commissioner Randy Watson (right) at a recent Kansas Can meeting.
Back-to-School Career Assessments Help Guide Instruction, Experiences
As JAG-K participants across the state return to school, they are engaging in career path exploration activities that will shape their studies throughout the school year. 
 
A fixture in the JAG-K calendar are career interest surveys, taken by students at the beginning of every school year. The surveys help pinpoint students’ natural aptitudes and interests. The results are then used to help guide each student’s career exploration. 
 
“Through the career assessment focus, students are able to learn what their unique personal interests are,” said Transition Specialist Lisa Modrow. “Then they are able to really explore jobs that might be good for them and consider what level of education they would need to attain those jobs.” 
 
The surveys gauge student interests and provide not just a list of jobs, but also the education level those jobs require. This allows students to consider their options at their desired level of training. 
 
“It’s important that they take the survey every year, because their interests change and their knowledge-base expands,” Modrow said. “We use the results to help students build upon their natural inclinations and inherent talents. That might be an in-class project, a job shadow, an internship or even an entry-level job in the field of their interest.” 
JAG-K Earns Top National Honor for 7th Year
For the seventh consecutive year, the Jobs for America’s Graduates national organization announced that the Kansas affiliate earned the organization’s 5 of 5 Award.
 
Additionally, 33 JAG-K programs earned the prestigious 5 of 5 Award for 2020.
 
The 5 of 5 Award is bestowed upon those JAG programs that meet or exceed performance measures in five categories: graduation rate, successful outcomes, employment, post-secondary enrollment and job placement. JAG has a 12-month follow-up period with all seniors as part of its evidence-based, data-driven national model.

Kansas Insurance Department Helps JAG-K Promote Financial Literacy
The Kansas Insurance Department is investing in participants in the JAG-K program in hopes of promoting financial literacy in the workforce of the future.

Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vickie Schmidt met with staff of JAG-K recently to discuss the importance of teaching financial literacy to JAG-K participants. At that event, Schmidt donated $20,000 from the Securities Fraud Division, which she oversees, to help support JAG-K’s efforts to teach important financial concepts to the students in the program.

Schmidt said the Kansas Insurance Department will also provide $10,000 in scholarships to students who demonstrate financial literacy through an essay contest. JAG-K students from across the state will be encouraged to submit essays describing the importance of financial literacy. The top three essays, to be selected in the spring, will earn scholarships to be used for post-secondary needs. The top submission from a JAG-K student will then compete against the winners from two other student organizations.
JAG-K Welcomes New Program, New Staff
JAG-K is excited to welcome Hutchinson High School as the 79th program in the state!

We are also happy to welcome the following staff to our team:

Regional Managers
John Linn – Region 1A
 
Transition Specialists
Tasha Lewis – Topeka Region
 
Career Specialists
Ricardo Avalos – KC Wyandotte HS
Joy Braun – Goodland HS
Christina Davis – KC Wyandotte HS
John Decker – Salina Central HS
Courtney Deyoe – Stafford HS
Brandon Duff – Basehor-Linwood HS
Landon Enninga – Colby HS
Aaron Evans – Newton HS
Brionna Garlington – Carl Bruce MS (Kansas City)
Melinda Gerstberger – Holcomb HS
Leslie Girard – Hutchinson HS
Freda Ollenburger – Hutchinson HS
Paige Parker – Salina South HS
Mark Pound – Parsons HS
Alexandra Rodriguez – Hutchinson MS
Kimberly Rollins – KC Washington HS
Erika Schafer – Garden City AE
Stephanie Suderman – Chisolm MS (Newton)
Carlos Taylor – Liberal HS
Barnett Thompson – Shawnee Mission North HS
Jacee Tice – Beloit HS
Lori Tubach – Emporia HS
Andrea Wood – Kingman HS
Bryan Zollinger – Hays HS
 
Additionally, the following people will hold different positions this school year:

Patrick Dake – Transferred to Regional Manager, Region 1B
Jessica Glover – Transferred to Turner MS (Kansas City) Career Specialist
Lisa Modrow – Transferred to Transition Services, West Region
Kareema Williams – Transferred to Wichita North HS Career Specialist
Topeka Superintendent Discusses JAG-K on
AM 580 WIBW Radio Program
On Sept. 1, JAG-K President/CEO Chuck Knapp was joined on the Danielle Norwood Show on AM 580 WIBW by Dr. Tiffany Anderson, the superintendent of Topeka Public Schools and a member of the JAG-K board.

They discussed the impact of JAG-K in the Topeka schools, and Dr. Anderson talked about the challenges facing students.

Hear a recording of the interview by clicking this link and scrolling to the Sept. 1 episode of the show.
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Preparing Students
for Successful Futures