It’s been said that “the only time to look back is to see how far you’ve come.”
At Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas (JAG-K), we can become so engaged in working to prepare Kansas students for their futures that we occasionally forget just how much we’ve accomplished.
This month, we will look back.
When the program began in 2013 with 25 participating schools, it was the largest launch of a state affiliate in JAG history. The following 21 of the original programs are still going strong: Arkansas City, Basehor-Linwood, Concordia, Garden City, Topeka-Highland Park, Holcomb, Hutchinson, Junction City, Kingman, Newton, Parsons, Pittsburg, Royal Valley, Stafford, Topeka, Topeka West, Turner, Wichita North, Wichita South, Wichita Southeast and Wichita West.
That fast start was sustained. When JAG-K topped 100 programs at the beginning of this school year, it became the fastest JAG affiliate to reach 100 programs, doing so in less than 10 years.
With a graduation rate that annually falls between 95 and 97 percent, JAG-K is preparing thousands of students each year to be productive members of the Kansas workforce. JAG-K has now served more than 13,000 students.
As we approach the midway point of our 10th year, we will take a night to celebrate the accomplishments of our organization, November 18, 2022. We invite you to join us for the JAG-K Soiree in Topeka, a banquet at which we will recognize the efforts of JAG-K career specialists, staff and board members over the years. And we will pay special thanks to all our partners for their support. Without the help of three governors, the Department for Children and Families, the Kansas Legislature, countless sponsors and workforce partners and school administrators, none of this would have been possible.
Click for details on how you can participate in the JAG-K Soiree.
Hope to see you there!
Chuck Knapp
JAG-K President and CEO
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